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Hellions of Halstead Hall #1
The Truth About Lord Stoneville
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
Discover the roguishly handsome Sharpe siblings in the sparkling Hellions of Hallstead Hall series from New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries.
Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has been London’s most notorious rake for years. Fed up with his behavior, his grandmother threatens to disinherit him if he doesn’t tame his wild ways and wed within the year. Outraged, Oliver decides to hire a woman from a brothel to pose as his fiancée to prove that he can’t be forced into marriage.
When he meets Maria Butterfield, a beautiful American woman who is searching for her fiancé in the most unlikely of places, he knows she’s perfect for his ruse. But before long, Oliver finds himself willing to risk anything to make Maria his—even his heart, and the dark secret he hides inside it.
With “delectably witty dialogue, subtly named characters, and scorching sexual chemistry between two perfectly matched protagonists” (Booklist), this is an unputdownable and charming romance.
Discover the roguishly handsome Sharpe siblings in the sparkling Hellions of Hallstead Hall series from New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries.
Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has been London’s most notorious rake for years. Fed up with his behavior, his grandmother threatens to disinherit him if he doesn’t tame his wild ways and wed within the year. Outraged, Oliver decides to hire a woman from a brothel to pose as his fiancée to prove that he can’t be forced into marriage.
When he meets Maria Butterfield, a beautiful American woman who is searching for her fiancé in the most unlikely of places, he knows she’s perfect for his ruse. But before long, Oliver finds himself willing to risk anything to make Maria his—even his heart, and the dark secret he hides inside it.
With “delectably witty dialogue, subtly named characters, and scorching sexual chemistry between two perfectly matched protagonists” (Booklist), this is an unputdownable and charming romance.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2009
408 people are currently reading
6280 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Jeffries
88 books4,797 followersSabrina Jeffries is the NYT bestselling author of over 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze of dreams and madness is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 11 million books published in print and electronically in 25 different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.
She always dreams big.
She always dreams big.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 723 reviews
January 20, 2010
I'm sorry to have to say it and apparently most readers don't agree with me, but I was very disappointed by this book. I rushed out to get it before work this morning and was anticipating getting home this evening, snuggling up, and enjoying a great new read. I *never* start a book without finishing - I'm just unable to do it - but here I skimmed through about the second half of the book and will be posting it on Paperback Swap after I finish writing this review.
I'm not even going to split my comments into "Pros" and "Cons," because frankly I don't know what I would put under the first section. I loved Lord Stoneville in "The School for Heiresses" series and was one of the many who thought - and hoped - that he was the mysterious benefactor "Cousin Michael" that would be revealed in Wed Him Before You Bed Him , the final book of that series. I was very happy with who it ended up being and how that book turned out, and all the more excited by the idea that Stoneville's story still lay ahead!
What didn't I like exactly?
1) THE CHARACTERS --- They were not at all three-dimensional and if you're a longtime historical romance reader, many of them feel very, very familiar. You have Freddy, the clumsy can't-hold-his-tongue completely clueless side character; Maria, the innocent, pure, spitfire of a heroine who somehow instantly sees through the hero's devil-may-care facade to the lost-boy who feels guilty and only wants love; and the tortured hero who has been sleeping his way through society until he meets the woman who immediately changes his views on everything and makes him realize the burden he carries is not his fault.
2) STONEVILLE'S WICKED WAYS --- For those of us who read "The School for Heiresses" series, we're very familiar with (and dare I say fond of) Stoneville's bad-boy ways. Here, we hardly see any of that - we're *told* repeatedly what a rake and charmer he is, and everyone harps on this fact, but after meeting Maria (in the first few pages) he so quickly begins to experience the I-feel-about-a-woman-the-way-I-never-have-before phenomena that the remarkable change he is supposedly undergoing is not very remarkable at all. If you've never been introduced to his character before, you'll be left floundering, and if you have ... well Wed Him Before You Bed Him came out 6 months ago and maybe it's just me, but I've read so many other romances since then that his wicked ways are not all that fresh in my mind.
3) THE ROMANCE --- I did not find this romance at all believable because everything happens *SO* quickly! It's almost impossible (IMHO) to have a book span 1-2 weeks of time and contain a credible romance, however when it does work it's only because the characters have known each other for a lengthy time before the book starts, so although the reader is meeting them for the first time they already have a history together, whatever that history may be.
Also, echoing what I wrote in another review for an equally disappointing book (Suzanne Enoch's The Care and Taming of a Rogue): "We're never really shown why he is THE ONE for her and she is THE ONE for him." I didn't understand why Maria is the first one to be able to see past Stoneville's defenses; we're told on two different occasions that he's surprised when she remarks on things that even his closest friends haven't noticed - I'm sorry, is she psychic or is everyone else just absolutely clueless? I think even Dr. Phil could have picked up on some of those clues and made those insights into Oliver's personality. Likewise, I'm not sure why Oliver is all of a sudden drawn to this one young woman when for the past two decades he's viewed the female sex as valuable for pretty much only one thing - and even that is done without any attachment, as he only has bed partners and no short- or long-term mistresses. What's so special about *her* in particular?
4) THE ROMANTIC ACTION --- Another romance-related problem I had was one I've had with a few other of Jeffries' books, the main one that comes to mind being Never Seduce a Scoundrel . After literally only 24 hours of knowing one another, Maria and Oliver are getting hot and heavy in his carriage on the ride between the investigator's office and the dress shop - they practically do everything but have sex. Going that fast is not usually something I like when reading contemporary romances, so in historicals forget it! We're supposed to be watching them fall in love, but all I really saw was a strong case for lust, which is great but definitely not why I buy romance books.
"THE HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL" SERIES
I enjoyed the family's interactions and am hoping that the other siblings' books will be better. I'm particularly looking forward to Minerva and Celia's stories, as I think they'll be strong and unusual heroines and I'm hoping that one of them will have Jackson Pinter (the investigator) as their hero. I really liked him in Wed Him Before You Bed Him and was happy to see him again here. He seems like he would be a very interesting and definitely not run-of-the-mill hero.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Though it pains me to say this because I'm a Sabrina Jeffries fan, skip this book and read one (or more) of the following instead:
~ By Sabrina Jeffries: Wed Him Before You Bed Him, The Pirate Lord, or In the Prince's Bed
~ Fake engagements: Mary Balogh's A Summer to Remember, Slightly Sinful or At Last Comes Love; Amanda Quick's The Paid Companion
~ Where the bad-boy-turned-good is done right: Suzanne Enoch's London's Perfect Scoundrel, Always a Scoundrel, The Rake, or Taming Rafe; Gaelen Foley's Lord of Fire ; Mary Jo Putney's The Rake or Thunder and Roses; Lisa Kleypas' Worth Any Price
I'm not even going to split my comments into "Pros" and "Cons," because frankly I don't know what I would put under the first section. I loved Lord Stoneville in "The School for Heiresses" series and was one of the many who thought - and hoped - that he was the mysterious benefactor "Cousin Michael" that would be revealed in Wed Him Before You Bed Him , the final book of that series. I was very happy with who it ended up being and how that book turned out, and all the more excited by the idea that Stoneville's story still lay ahead!
What didn't I like exactly?
1) THE CHARACTERS --- They were not at all three-dimensional and if you're a longtime historical romance reader, many of them feel very, very familiar. You have Freddy, the clumsy can't-hold-his-tongue completely clueless side character; Maria, the innocent, pure, spitfire of a heroine who somehow instantly sees through the hero's devil-may-care facade to the lost-boy who feels guilty and only wants love; and the tortured hero who has been sleeping his way through society until he meets the woman who immediately changes his views on everything and makes him realize the burden he carries is not his fault.
2) STONEVILLE'S WICKED WAYS --- For those of us who read "The School for Heiresses" series, we're very familiar with (and dare I say fond of) Stoneville's bad-boy ways. Here, we hardly see any of that - we're *told* repeatedly what a rake and charmer he is, and everyone harps on this fact, but after meeting Maria (in the first few pages) he so quickly begins to experience the I-feel-about-a-woman-the-way-I-never-have-before phenomena that the remarkable change he is supposedly undergoing is not very remarkable at all. If you've never been introduced to his character before, you'll be left floundering, and if you have ... well Wed Him Before You Bed Him came out 6 months ago and maybe it's just me, but I've read so many other romances since then that his wicked ways are not all that fresh in my mind.
3) THE ROMANCE --- I did not find this romance at all believable because everything happens *SO* quickly! It's almost impossible (IMHO) to have a book span 1-2 weeks of time and contain a credible romance, however when it does work it's only because the characters have known each other for a lengthy time before the book starts, so although the reader is meeting them for the first time they already have a history together, whatever that history may be.
Also, echoing what I wrote in another review for an equally disappointing book (Suzanne Enoch's The Care and Taming of a Rogue): "We're never really shown why he is THE ONE for her and she is THE ONE for him." I didn't understand why Maria is the first one to be able to see past Stoneville's defenses; we're told on two different occasions that he's surprised when she remarks on things that even his closest friends haven't noticed - I'm sorry, is she psychic or is everyone else just absolutely clueless? I think even Dr. Phil could have picked up on some of those clues and made those insights into Oliver's personality. Likewise, I'm not sure why Oliver is all of a sudden drawn to this one young woman when for the past two decades he's viewed the female sex as valuable for pretty much only one thing - and even that is done without any attachment, as he only has bed partners and no short- or long-term mistresses. What's so special about *her* in particular?
4) THE ROMANTIC ACTION --- Another romance-related problem I had was one I've had with a few other of Jeffries' books, the main one that comes to mind being Never Seduce a Scoundrel . After literally only 24 hours of knowing one another, Maria and Oliver are getting hot and heavy in his carriage on the ride between the investigator's office and the dress shop - they practically do everything but have sex. Going that fast is not usually something I like when reading contemporary romances, so in historicals forget it! We're supposed to be watching them fall in love, but all I really saw was a strong case for lust, which is great but definitely not why I buy romance books.
"THE HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL" SERIES
I enjoyed the family's interactions and am hoping that the other siblings' books will be better. I'm particularly looking forward to Minerva and Celia's stories, as I think they'll be strong and unusual heroines and I'm hoping that one of them will have Jackson Pinter (the investigator) as their hero. I really liked him in Wed Him Before You Bed Him and was happy to see him again here. He seems like he would be a very interesting and definitely not run-of-the-mill hero.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Though it pains me to say this because I'm a Sabrina Jeffries fan, skip this book and read one (or more) of the following instead:
~ By Sabrina Jeffries: Wed Him Before You Bed Him, The Pirate Lord, or In the Prince's Bed
~ Fake engagements: Mary Balogh's A Summer to Remember, Slightly Sinful or At Last Comes Love; Amanda Quick's The Paid Companion
~ Where the bad-boy-turned-good is done right: Suzanne Enoch's London's Perfect Scoundrel, Always a Scoundrel, The Rake, or Taming Rafe; Gaelen Foley's Lord of Fire ; Mary Jo Putney's The Rake or Thunder and Roses; Lisa Kleypas' Worth Any Price
September 4, 2020
Sırf bu kardeşler için bile okunur! 🙆🏼♀️ Ben çok sevdim bu yazarı. Tarzı çok hoşuma gitti. Ekstra bir süpriz beklentiniz olmasın ama genel olarak sizi hiç sıkmayacağına kalıbımı basarım.🤭🌸 Kitabın sonunda ortaya atıp kaçtıkları sır da tam bir merak konusu!🙍🏼♀️ İşine geliyorsa devam etme şimdi. 🤷🏼♀️
June 7, 2022
➥ 2 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
I'm so sad I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would 😭. "The Truth About Lord Stoneville" had a great premise and a promising plotline, but many things were unfortunately badly executed. My main problem being the hero. This review might contain light spoilers.
I was absolutely thrilled to have found this book's physical copy, so that I could tab it, yet I ended up using most of my tabs to keep track of moments I loathed.
But, I'd like to first begin with some things that I enjoyed. Firstly, the writing was quite decent. I've never finished a full-length historical romance book in a day, yet I read this one in one sitting. I enjoyed the writing addictive and flowy writing.
I also enjoyed the beginning where the main characters meet and the hero ends up having to do up the heroine's dress.
I think if we had had more moments like these, the book might have been a lot better. Maybe with more sexual tension though. Oh, and respect.
I also enjoyed when Oliver kissed Maria when the Grandmother was walking in. It was lovely seeing Maria melt in his arms and Oliver enjoy having her in them. But what I most enjoyed, was that our heroine rightfully kneed Oliver in the balls for not asking permission first. Oh, and portraying her to be a whore and peasant in front of his whole family...But anyway, I also enjoyed the side characters (although they also have plenty of misogyny embedded into themselves), my favourite side characters being Minerva and Freddy <3
But, now let me begin to pour out my hatred for many aspects of this book. Firstly, I didn't enjoy the fact that our heroine was American and that our hero was English. The constant comparison that the heroine made to herself and British women tired me and had no relevance.
What? Why does the heroine think that English women are more stupid than her? The hero's view of her has gotten to her head, because she truly thinks she's any different, any better than English women. Why would she presume that all English women are at his feet? I'd really think not.
We see this again where our heroine is being quirky and doing the chores/acts that the servants are there to help her with (making her bed, getting her dressed, starting the fire), and the hero has a moment where he decides to explain that in England, the servants think of making their masters happy as their purpose in life...yeah. And that the heroine should let them do their job, or else they worry they've failed their purpose and that they're doing something wrong. And he does this while emphasising that England isn't like America, and that that is how it's done here...
Was that necessary? Really, a whole rant the author inserted about servants adoring being able to be at service to people they respect. That's a lie. Just like the way he thinks all his whores fell in love with him. No one is out there, dying to serve anyone. It is a job for them, a way to earn income for themselves and their families. Obviously, since it's a relatively safe job that pays well, they'll try their best to keep it. But I'm sure none of them believe their purpose in life is to serve you.
Now, you might think, "Gloria! Stop being so critical. It's not that deep, it's just a romance book, enjoy it." And I really really wanted to 😭 but I didn't. And I tend to forget why I didn't enjoy a book so I'm taking note of every detail that bothered me, sorry.
Moving along, the hero is very rash and uncaring when it comes to making statements and decisions that mainly harm the heroine. He is a man in a society that is made to adjust and support them, so I really do not appreciate how lightly he takes the matter of her safety and public image.
In addition to how annoying it is that everyone talks about how girls are all over this bitch, the hero calls the heroine a "chit" all the time. There comes to a point where you recognise it as misogny, because he really cannot help but think of the heroine as a chit, and I find that so frustrating. I don't want to read about a man like that getting his happily ever after. I want a man who is respectful, charming and, god, not misogynistic (but that seems to be too much to ask, apparently.) We all know no one is falling in love with this dick, ok?
And then he says things like this that, again, I just find really disrespectful and unfunny.
How does this author have that much internal misogny LMAO. I'm tired, the fuck? Anyway, now lets talk about how he thinks about women.
Nice. Love that. So much. Then, he thinks he's doing Maria the grand honour...by offering her to be his mistress. Live sex doll yas 😜😜😜. And when she's like 😀 "no", he's all like "WHAT?!?!?!?"
Ok! Cute! I'm bored, lmao. Is it that hard to write a hero that is a decent human being? 💀 What's funny is that the heroine thinks she's cracked his shell now, and that she knows him. And it's so cringey pls.
Like...gurl. You're not special, sorry 😭😭. And no one cares if this lil boy wallows in his self pity to make himself feel better about being an awful person. Trauma is not an excuse to treat everyone badly.
Then, once their relationship is pretty developed and certain, he goes to a whorehouse and opera house to find a woman to take his mind off the heroine 😀😀😀. It just keeps getting worse. And he goes into shock when he doesn't like the whores as much as Maria?
Ok, buddy. It's just so dumb, we as women need to collectively raise our standards. Anyway, I'll finish this review later because I've got to go out now, but just know I'm not done 😭😭.
I'm back :) HAHA
I remember having many many thoughts about this book right before I wrote my review and now they seem to have gone, poof. But I do remember that I had a particular problem with how the hero handled the marriage. I don't mind jealousy in romance books, it can be done very tastefully to show how much the hero loves and cares for the heroine. But here, it felt as though the hero was being defensive of his property. The ex-fiance trope and addition was annoying in itself, but the hero's obsession with him also bored me.
So, then he takes her virginity lol. Because he doesn't want her to be available anymore? And she cannot marry another now that she's not virginal, so 😀 yay. He was quite coercive when doing this and it felt like our heroine was in shock the whole time. And the fact that he does this all out of selfishness? Just because he wants her? I would not be flattered at all, she's clearly just an object to him, one that he wants and will have. Because he's a man, of course. And then, in the morning, he went off to get a sort of license to marry her, meanwhile, she'd had little to no say in the matter. Then she runs away (slay) and he gets mad and finds her and crawls through her window and fucks her 😃. Ok, that sounds a little worse than it actually was, but his entitlement and selfishness still astonish me. It's like he truly beleive the world revolves around him.
When I was thinking about the positive of this book, I felt that there was enough kissing/tension to keep me entertained (clearly). But, the sex still managed to disappoint me. Not only was it strongly lacking in the romantic aspect, the scenes were also unoriginal and quite short. And the dirty talk killed me. Everyone adores chapter 55 in A Court of Mist and Fury but I find it so cringey when sex scenes are posessive and dramatic. Which this one also was.
Now, this is why I sometimes just prefer friends with benefits romances lmao. They never make it as cringey and dramatic as this. But, if you're looking for a hero that is an actual delight during, I'd definitely recommend Dancing With Danger. The sex scenes managed to be hot and romantic, without being cringey. Yet, that was clearly not the case here. Another thing that bothered me were the petnames. Not the petnames themselves, because "Angel" is actually one of my favourites, but it was just so poorly executed. I did not like them coming out of the hero's mouth. He also calls her a teasing "minx" which wasn't as endearing as the author probably intended.
Ah, now everything is coming back to me. After the hero proposes, the heroine asks him if he can promise her fidelity and he says that he doesn't know if he can do that. He isn't sure about whether or not he can resist cheating 😍. Wow, to what heights may we not ascend!! Obviously, the heroine asks this because he has kind of cheated on her before. While their relationship had pretty much been determined, although it wasn't final, the hero goes to a whorehouse and opera house (as I mentioned) to get his mind off the heroine. He doesn't actually end up fucking one, but the intention was there and, in my opinion, unforgivable.
So, that's bullshit. I truly cannot understand what was going through the author's mind when writing this. Should I feel sorry for him? Empathise with him for not being able to guarantee he wouldn't cheat? It's not difficult. He has to make a conscious effort to do it. It's like an abuser saying that they can't guarantee they won't hit you the next time they're mad. Why the fuck not? You can choose to simply not do it, it's not hard.
Although I enjoyed the side characters, it was very clear that they all have their own brand of outright, or internalised misogyny too. I was not fond of the grandmother who set this whole thing up. She was inconsiderate and it was her fault that his parents were killed, lmao. But then again, it bothers me that most of the unlikable characters in this book are women. The annoying grandmother, the hero's mother etc. But anyway, I nearly went green from anger when the grandmother tried to convince Maria to just marry Oliver.
It's just infuriating. Even the women in this book want the heroine to be a baby-popper and her feelings are quickly dismissed. It was just so tiring. I'm not really on the hunt for feminist hrs, I just want one that's not misogynistic. Please send recs my way 😭!
Anyway, in one instance, this is the stupid hero's internal monologue, and I've just had enough.
So, he talks about women like they're pesky dogs, calls the "females", and then chooses to simply ignore what they've said. Love that 😍😍!
And then, of couse, we see them excuse men's wrong-doings as if it's nothing. The well known "boys will be boys" formula.
Then there's the hero's sexual assault. Which, still, does not excuse for his shitty personality, but why is his sexual assault used as a plot-point and pity moment. It's so contrived, like what? I'm not going to spoil it, but I think it's really silly and irresponsible for the author to make it out to be something little when it was definitely not. It's all so messed up.
Someone shoot me if you ever see me with a man who thinks-
-when it only the heroine's business!! He can shut the fuck up, thanks. I just reached the word limit? And I'm pissed. I have so much more to say :(
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“You forgot something when you left Halstead Hall,” he said hoarsely.
“What?” Her heart leapt into her throat as he strode purposefully toward her.
“Me.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
I'm so sad I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would 😭. "The Truth About Lord Stoneville" had a great premise and a promising plotline, but many things were unfortunately badly executed. My main problem being the hero. This review might contain light spoilers.
➥ Oliver Sharpe (H) was a true disappointment for me. I'm sure many others would not mind his character faults, but characters like his are those that bother me the most. Oliver is presented as a rake, always talking about how he breaks women's hearts and how they're all over him (very annoying), yet I did not find him charming or charismatic once. His arrogance was not one that I could find endearing or playful, but rather one that felt built on misogyny, self-pity and entitlement. I understand that heroes with daddy/mommy issues or ones with difficult pasts are greatly loved in historical romance, but unfortunately, I've only seen their trauma be used as an excuse for their coldness and disrespect towards others. I really much prefer heroes like Raphael, who are charming and playful. I did not enjoy the way that Oliver manipulated Maria and coerced her into doing so many things.
➥ Maria Butterfield was a decent heroine. She wasn't the funniest (Emma, I love you), but she said many things that needed to be said. When Oliver said something rude or misogynistic, she would respond very logically and well, but it always went unacknowledged and that really bothered me. She just ended up giving in at some point, and stopped trying.
I was absolutely thrilled to have found this book's physical copy, so that I could tab it, yet I ended up using most of my tabs to keep track of moments I loathed.
But, I'd like to first begin with some things that I enjoyed. Firstly, the writing was quite decent. I've never finished a full-length historical romance book in a day, yet I read this one in one sitting. I enjoyed the writing addictive and flowy writing.
I also enjoyed the beginning where the main characters meet and the hero ends up having to do up the heroine's dress.
"Freddy, come fasten me up, will you?"
Her cousin's back stiffened. "I can't do that!"
"Oh, for God's sake." Lord Stoneville strode over. "I knew you Americans were prudish but this is absurd."
Before she could even protest, he began fastening her gown. To her horror, the faint scent of his spicy cologne and his fingers working efficiently over the buttons made an odd sort of heat rise up from her belly. That couldn't be good.
"You seem to know how to do up a woman's gown very well." She struggled to sound nonchalant. "I take it you've had plenty of practice.
"You know us debauchers," he said dryly. "Practice, practice, practice."
I think if we had had more moments like these, the book might have been a lot better. Maybe with more sexual tension though. Oh, and respect.
I also enjoyed when Oliver kissed Maria when the Grandmother was walking in. It was lovely seeing Maria melt in his arms and Oliver enjoy having her in them. But what I most enjoyed, was that our heroine rightfully kneed Oliver in the balls for not asking permission first. Oh, and portraying her to be a whore and peasant in front of his whole family...But anyway, I also enjoyed the side characters (although they also have plenty of misogyny embedded into themselves), my favourite side characters being Minerva and Freddy <3
But, now let me begin to pour out my hatred for many aspects of this book. Firstly, I didn't enjoy the fact that our heroine was American and that our hero was English. The constant comparison that the heroine made to herself and British women tired me and had no relevance.
Any other woman might have thrown herself at his feet for them. Any English woman. Americans were a different breed entirely.
What? Why does the heroine think that English women are more stupid than her? The hero's view of her has gotten to her head, because she truly thinks she's any different, any better than English women. Why would she presume that all English women are at his feet? I'd really think not.
We see this again where our heroine is being quirky and doing the chores/acts that the servants are there to help her with (making her bed, getting her dressed, starting the fire), and the hero has a moment where he decides to explain that in England, the servants think of making their masters happy as their purpose in life...yeah. And that the heroine should let them do their job, or else they worry they've failed their purpose and that they're doing something wrong. And he does this while emphasising that England isn't like America, and that that is how it's done here...
He propped one hip on his desk. "Whenever you make your own bed, they assume that it's because you disapprove of how they do it. The same is true for building the fire or fetching tea. They want to serve you, and when you don't allow them to, they think they've failed you."
"That's absurd. I'm always telling them I don't need any help."
"Precisely. And with those words, you take away their purpose in life, which hurts their pride."
She winced as she thought of the anxious look Betty always wore. "Surely, no one's ultimate purpose in life is to be a servant."
"In England, it is." His voice gentled. I know it's hard for you as an American to understand this, but English servants are very proud of what they do, of the family they serve, of how important their positions are within the family. When you deny them the chance to do their duty, you make them feel as if you don't respect them."
Was that necessary? Really, a whole rant the author inserted about servants adoring being able to be at service to people they respect. That's a lie. Just like the way he thinks all his whores fell in love with him. No one is out there, dying to serve anyone. It is a job for them, a way to earn income for themselves and their families. Obviously, since it's a relatively safe job that pays well, they'll try their best to keep it. But I'm sure none of them believe their purpose in life is to serve you.
Now, you might think, "Gloria! Stop being so critical. It's not that deep, it's just a romance book, enjoy it." And I really really wanted to 😭 but I didn't. And I tend to forget why I didn't enjoy a book so I'm taking note of every detail that bothered me, sorry.
Moving along, the hero is very rash and uncaring when it comes to making statements and decisions that mainly harm the heroine. He is a man in a society that is made to adjust and support them, so I really do not appreciate how lightly he takes the matter of her safety and public image.
"I rather like her (says his sister). So it does not seem fair for her to be put in a position where she could be-"
"Ruined by a scoundrel like me," he finished for her. (Again with the self-pity, lmao shut up.)
"Compromised," she corrected. "I know that you wouldn't deliberately ruin a respecable woman. But you must admit you have a talent for making fall in love with you, and then breaking their hearts." 🙄🙄
"Oh for God's sake, I don't make women do anything. They just don't listen when I say I'm not interested in marriage. Surely, you didn't think I would actually marry the chit."
In addition to how annoying it is that everyone talks about how girls are all over this bitch, the hero calls the heroine a "chit" all the time. There comes to a point where you recognise it as misogny, because he really cannot help but think of the heroine as a chit, and I find that so frustrating. I don't want to read about a man like that getting his happily ever after. I want a man who is respectful, charming and, god, not misogynistic (but that seems to be too much to ask, apparently.) We all know no one is falling in love with this dick, ok?
And then he says things like this that, again, I just find really disrespectful and unfunny.
"Ignore these clod-plates. What can you expect from a group of men? (A lot better tbh.) They would prefer we let them roughshod over us."
"I assure you, I rarely (ONLY RARELY?) feel the need to roughshod over a woman," Oliver drawled. "I've kissed one or two when they weren't prepared for it, but every man does that." 😀
How does this author have that much internal misogny LMAO. I'm tired, the fuck? Anyway, now lets talk about how he thinks about women.
He yearned for no woman. They were only playmates to while away the time. 😍
Nice. Love that. So much. Then, he thinks he's doing Maria the grand honour...by offering her to be his mistress. Live sex doll yas 😜😜😜. And when she's like 😀 "no", he's all like "WHAT?!?!?!?"
"He's actually offered to make her his mistress! He who never kept a mistress in his life (so special!), who'd joked to his friends that mistresses were more trouble than they were worth since one woman was as good as another."
Ok! Cute! I'm bored, lmao. Is it that hard to write a hero that is a decent human being? 💀 What's funny is that the heroine thinks she's cracked his shell now, and that she knows him. And it's so cringey pls.
"You do that a great deal, don't you?"
He swallowed the rest of his wine. "What?"
"Close up into yourself when someone tries to peer into your soul. Make a joke of it."
Like...gurl. You're not special, sorry 😭😭. And no one cares if this lil boy wallows in his self pity to make himself feel better about being an awful person. Trauma is not an excuse to treat everyone badly.
Then, once their relationship is pretty developed and certain, he goes to a whorehouse and opera house to find a woman to take his mind off the heroine 😀😀😀. It just keeps getting worse. And he goes into shock when he doesn't like the whores as much as Maria?
"He spent his entire night on the town without once plunging his cock into a willing whore, without even wanting to. It was insanity!"
Ok, buddy. It's just so dumb, we as women need to collectively raise our standards. Anyway, I'll finish this review later because I've got to go out now, but just know I'm not done 😭😭.
I'm back :) HAHA
I remember having many many thoughts about this book right before I wrote my review and now they seem to have gone, poof. But I do remember that I had a particular problem with how the hero handled the marriage. I don't mind jealousy in romance books, it can be done very tastefully to show how much the hero loves and cares for the heroine. But here, it felt as though the hero was being defensive of his property. The ex-fiance trope and addition was annoying in itself, but the hero's obsession with him also bored me.
"You said you would leave me to sleep alone," she says.
"Not so you can think about him and what you owe him. I'll make love to you before I let that happen. Because one way or another, I mean to have you as my wife." Raw determination shone in his harsh features. "Even if I have to ruin you to manage it."
So, then he takes her virginity lol. Because he doesn't want her to be available anymore? And she cannot marry another now that she's not virginal, so 😀 yay. He was quite coercive when doing this and it felt like our heroine was in shock the whole time. And the fact that he does this all out of selfishness? Just because he wants her? I would not be flattered at all, she's clearly just an object to him, one that he wants and will have. Because he's a man, of course. And then, in the morning, he went off to get a sort of license to marry her, meanwhile, she'd had little to no say in the matter. Then she runs away (slay) and he gets mad and finds her and crawls through her window and fucks her 😃. Ok, that sounds a little worse than it actually was, but his entitlement and selfishness still astonish me. It's like he truly beleive the world revolves around him.
When I was thinking about the positive of this book, I felt that there was enough kissing/tension to keep me entertained (clearly). But, the sex still managed to disappoint me. Not only was it strongly lacking in the romantic aspect, the scenes were also unoriginal and quite short. And the dirty talk killed me. Everyone adores chapter 55 in A Court of Mist and Fury but I find it so cringey when sex scenes are posessive and dramatic. Which this one also was.
"Yes, angel. You're mine now. Mine, do you understand? Mine...mine...mine..." *insert orgasm*
Now, this is why I sometimes just prefer friends with benefits romances lmao. They never make it as cringey and dramatic as this. But, if you're looking for a hero that is an actual delight during, I'd definitely recommend Dancing With Danger. The sex scenes managed to be hot and romantic, without being cringey. Yet, that was clearly not the case here. Another thing that bothered me were the petnames. Not the petnames themselves, because "Angel" is actually one of my favourites, but it was just so poorly executed. I did not like them coming out of the hero's mouth. He also calls her a teasing "minx" which wasn't as endearing as the author probably intended.
Ah, now everything is coming back to me. After the hero proposes, the heroine asks him if he can promise her fidelity and he says that he doesn't know if he can do that. He isn't sure about whether or not he can resist cheating 😍. Wow, to what heights may we not ascend!! Obviously, the heroine asks this because he has kind of cheated on her before. While their relationship had pretty much been determined, although it wasn't final, the hero goes to a whorehouse and opera house (as I mentioned) to get his mind off the heroine. He doesn't actually end up fucking one, but the intention was there and, in my opinion, unforgivable.
"Last night, you said that going to the brothel was 'appallingly bad form,' and it would never happen again. Did you mean that?"
He tensed. It was a monumental question. "I meant that I would never embarrass you in such fashion again."
Her eyes darkened. "In other words, your visits to the brothel would be more discreet in the future, is that it?"
"No! Yes...God preserve me, I don't know." Panic swelled in him anew. She wanted him to promise to be faithful to her. "When I said that, I wasn't considering we might marry."
"So," she said, her voice cold, "you mean for us to have a fashionable English marriage like that of your parents."
"Certainly not," he said sharply. "Damn it, Maria, you're asking me something I can't answer." Rising from the bed, he dragged on his drawers. For the first time in his life, being naked made him feel vulnerable, "Why do you think I've never married? It's because I don't want to have the same sort of marriage as my parents. And I don't know if I...I'm not sure if I'm capable of..."
"Fidelity?"
His gaze locked with hers. "Precisely."
So, that's bullshit. I truly cannot understand what was going through the author's mind when writing this. Should I feel sorry for him? Empathise with him for not being able to guarantee he wouldn't cheat? It's not difficult. He has to make a conscious effort to do it. It's like an abuser saying that they can't guarantee they won't hit you the next time they're mad. Why the fuck not? You can choose to simply not do it, it's not hard.
Although I enjoyed the side characters, it was very clear that they all have their own brand of outright, or internalised misogyny too. I was not fond of the grandmother who set this whole thing up. She was inconsiderate and it was her fault that his parents were killed, lmao. But then again, it bothers me that most of the unlikable characters in this book are women. The annoying grandmother, the hero's mother etc. But anyway, I nearly went green from anger when the grandmother tried to convince Maria to just marry Oliver.
Mrs. Plumtree searched her face. "Beneath all his reckless remarks, he is a good man (no). And he genuinely wants to marry you (who cares) - after last night at the ball I am certain of that much. So accept his offer, for God's sake. And give me great-grandchildren. That is all I want."
"And what about what I want?" (exactly!!!)
"You want him. I can see it whenever you look at him." (yawn)
It's just infuriating. Even the women in this book want the heroine to be a baby-popper and her feelings are quickly dismissed. It was just so tiring. I'm not really on the hunt for feminist hrs, I just want one that's not misogynistic. Please send recs my way 😭!
Anyway, in one instance, this is the stupid hero's internal monologue, and I've just had enough.
Just what he needed-another female (🚩) plaguing him. Ignoring her, he poured himself more brandy.
So, he talks about women like they're pesky dogs, calls the "females", and then chooses to simply ignore what they've said. Love that 😍😍!
And then, of couse, we see them excuse men's wrong-doings as if it's nothing. The well known "boys will be boys" formula.
"Young men don't think before they act. They're impulsive and selfish and randy as goats. I have four male cousins and when they were at that age, all the moral training in the world would have flown right out of their heads."
Then there's the hero's sexual assault. Which, still, does not excuse for his shitty personality, but why is his sexual assault used as a plot-point and pity moment. It's so contrived, like what? I'm not going to spoil it, but I think it's really silly and irresponsible for the author to make it out to be something little when it was definitely not. It's all so messed up.
Someone shoot me if you ever see me with a man who thinks-
"As your husband, I should have a say in it."
-when it only the heroine's business!! He can shut the fuck up, thanks. I just reached the word limit? And I'm pissed. I have so much more to say :(
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
May 12, 2019
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“You forgot something when you left Halstead Hall,” he said hoarsely.
“What?” Her heart leapt into her throat as he strode purposefully toward her.
“Me.”
I buddy read this, to read all my thoughts, comments, and quotes - Truth About Lord Stoneville buddy read
This was definitely trope-y but the author infused enough charm and enticement between Oliver and Maria to have me liking this. The grandmother Hetty was a joy and the siblings also were fun to read about interacting and I'm going to want to continue on reading in the series. There isn't really anything new here and some depth is missing but there can be comfort and satisfaction in trope reading and this provided that.
“You forgot something when you left Halstead Hall,” he said hoarsely.
“What?” Her heart leapt into her throat as he strode purposefully toward her.
“Me.”
I buddy read this, to read all my thoughts, comments, and quotes - Truth About Lord Stoneville buddy read
This was definitely trope-y but the author infused enough charm and enticement between Oliver and Maria to have me liking this. The grandmother Hetty was a joy and the siblings also were fun to read about interacting and I'm going to want to continue on reading in the series. There isn't really anything new here and some depth is missing but there can be comfort and satisfaction in trope reading and this provided that.
August 16, 2016
Actually 4,5 stars!!! I loved it!!!
***Review will follow***
***Review will follow***
July 10, 2020
Reseña completa:
https://masromance.blogspot.com/2020/...
Me ha encantado, Oliver es un amor, lo quieres desde el primer momento. Tan convencido de que es un león cuando lo cierto es que es un corderito....jejejejeje
María una protagonista valiente.
Al principio he pensado, buuf otro más, pero rápidamente la historia me ha enganchado con unos personajes protagonistas estupendos y unos secundarios sorprendentes...
Me ha parecido un libro muy divertido, sobre todo todas las escenas propiciadas por los hermanos y la abuela... que hacen que él sienta unos celos terribles.
Altamente recomendable.
https://masromance.blogspot.com/2020/...
Me ha encantado, Oliver es un amor, lo quieres desde el primer momento. Tan convencido de que es un león cuando lo cierto es que es un corderito....jejejejeje
María una protagonista valiente.
Al principio he pensado, buuf otro más, pero rápidamente la historia me ha enganchado con unos personajes protagonistas estupendos y unos secundarios sorprendentes...
Me ha parecido un libro muy divertido, sobre todo todas las escenas propiciadas por los hermanos y la abuela... que hacen que él sienta unos celos terribles.
Altamente recomendable.
January 26, 2010
3.5 - 4 stars.
This was a cute romantic historical that fans of Sabrina Jeffries will likely enjoy it. But will they LOVE it? Probably not, but they won’t hate it either. I hope.
This story had many good points and it kept me engaged until the end. It was a light steamy read, albeit predictable and at times disjointed. We meet Lord Stoneville once again (he was a side character in her previous series), and this time he is out to thwart his grandmother who controls the purse strings for the entire family. As background for the entire series, she tells all five of her grandkids that they must marry within 1-years time in order for everyone to get their inheritance. Otherwise, they are looking at gentile-poverty and living well below their desired standards. Lord Stoneville has no interest in marriage, and attempts to dissuade granny by coming home with an unacceptable American commoner he met in a brothel.
This story had so much potential, and I should have been laughing throughout this book. The base ingredients included so much good stuff! Thwarting a granny? An unacceptable fake fiancé? A rake with no conscience?! A star author who writes great steamy scenes? That’s a great recipe, right?! But it just didn’t come together as you would hope, and worse it never made me laugh. Not even one chuckle or giggle. SJ's signature humor was sadly missing.
Instead it had a more somber tone as Lord Stoneville dwells on and on (and on and on) about his past, blaming himself for his parents death when he was only 16. Of course, he is not to blame and everyone but him can clearly see that. I have to say that this is one of my least favorite plot lines. However, a fake fiancé falls under one of my favorite plot lines, so I kept reading! But it fell flat, and the fake fiancé bit didn’t really amount to much. She never creates any big scene that proves her unacceptable. Instead, her storyline focuses on her lost/missing American fiancé who is clearly doing her wrong. (OK, so she doesn’t know what fork to use when eating, and she does dress in a risqué gown out of necessity, but for the most part she comes across as an upstanding and likable person.) And thwarting granny? Well, no rug was pulled out from under that smart lady’s feet. And Steam? I will give SJ bonus points for some great steamy scenes. Wow, she didn’t hold back on writing those parts of the book!
While it was a good story with likable characters, I could not help but think about what could have been. I love Sabrina Jeffries books for many reasons, but mainly because they are steamy, fun romps with interesting characters that I can easily care for. This had some of those elements, but not all. Overall, a better than average historical read, but not a favorite by this author.
This was a cute romantic historical that fans of Sabrina Jeffries will likely enjoy it. But will they LOVE it? Probably not, but they won’t hate it either. I hope.
This story had many good points and it kept me engaged until the end. It was a light steamy read, albeit predictable and at times disjointed. We meet Lord Stoneville once again (he was a side character in her previous series), and this time he is out to thwart his grandmother who controls the purse strings for the entire family. As background for the entire series, she tells all five of her grandkids that they must marry within 1-years time in order for everyone to get their inheritance. Otherwise, they are looking at gentile-poverty and living well below their desired standards. Lord Stoneville has no interest in marriage, and attempts to dissuade granny by coming home with an unacceptable American commoner he met in a brothel.
This story had so much potential, and I should have been laughing throughout this book. The base ingredients included so much good stuff! Thwarting a granny? An unacceptable fake fiancé? A rake with no conscience?! A star author who writes great steamy scenes? That’s a great recipe, right?! But it just didn’t come together as you would hope, and worse it never made me laugh. Not even one chuckle or giggle. SJ's signature humor was sadly missing.
Instead it had a more somber tone as Lord Stoneville dwells on and on (and on and on) about his past, blaming himself for his parents death when he was only 16. Of course, he is not to blame and everyone but him can clearly see that. I have to say that this is one of my least favorite plot lines. However, a fake fiancé falls under one of my favorite plot lines, so I kept reading! But it fell flat, and the fake fiancé bit didn’t really amount to much. She never creates any big scene that proves her unacceptable. Instead, her storyline focuses on her lost/missing American fiancé who is clearly doing her wrong. (OK, so she doesn’t know what fork to use when eating, and she does dress in a risqué gown out of necessity, but for the most part she comes across as an upstanding and likable person.) And thwarting granny? Well, no rug was pulled out from under that smart lady’s feet. And Steam? I will give SJ bonus points for some great steamy scenes. Wow, she didn’t hold back on writing those parts of the book!
While it was a good story with likable characters, I could not help but think about what could have been. I love Sabrina Jeffries books for many reasons, but mainly because they are steamy, fun romps with interesting characters that I can easily care for. This had some of those elements, but not all. Overall, a better than average historical read, but not a favorite by this author.
June 7, 2019
3.5 Relaxed Stars
I think there was potential for the story and events to lead to so much laughter and amusement but sadly that didn’t happen, although there were moments that had me smiling. The tale is somewhat sombre as Oliver aka Lord Stoneville’s present is marred by his guilt, . Oliver feels that he is his father’s son – debauched and irredeemable. When his maternal grandmother gives him and his siblings the ultimatum to marry or lose their inheritances, well Oliver decides that a fake fiancé is the perfect way of appeasing his grandmother without truly falling into her trap/scheme.
Oliver’s character formation by the author is tropey (some may consider it highly tropey), but for me with this read, it didn’t make me want to grind my teeth in annoyance, whilst I didn’t find myself loving Oliver, I did like him. Oliver’s focuses once he came to his senses I enjoyed, and I liked the fact that Maria as a heroine from the onset refused to take any crap from Oliver. Did I want a little more depth to the plot and character interactions – yes, but still a nice read overall.
Freddy, Maria’s cousin, did make me roll my eyes a tad, but just a tad, and I it’s clear the author included him for some comic relief, and whilst I didn’t find myself laughing, there were one or two very small smiles.
There was enough charm from and between the characters that for me this was overall an enjoyable read, particularly in the second half. For that reason, I do see myself re-reading this at some point.
I think there was potential for the story and events to lead to so much laughter and amusement but sadly that didn’t happen, although there were moments that had me smiling. The tale is somewhat sombre as Oliver aka Lord Stoneville’s present is marred by his guilt, . Oliver feels that he is his father’s son – debauched and irredeemable. When his maternal grandmother gives him and his siblings the ultimatum to marry or lose their inheritances, well Oliver decides that a fake fiancé is the perfect way of appeasing his grandmother without truly falling into her trap/scheme.
Oliver’s character formation by the author is tropey (some may consider it highly tropey), but for me with this read, it didn’t make me want to grind my teeth in annoyance, whilst I didn’t find myself loving Oliver, I did like him. Oliver’s focuses once he came to his senses I enjoyed, and I liked the fact that Maria as a heroine from the onset refused to take any crap from Oliver. Did I want a little more depth to the plot and character interactions – yes, but still a nice read overall.
Freddy, Maria’s cousin, did make me roll my eyes a tad, but just a tad, and I it’s clear the author included him for some comic relief, and whilst I didn’t find myself laughing, there were one or two very small smiles.
There was enough charm from and between the characters that for me this was overall an enjoyable read, particularly in the second half. For that reason, I do see myself re-reading this at some point.
May 13, 2024
My love for heroes who refuse to admit they're in love even when it's smacking them repeatedly upside the head knows no bounds. Lord Stoneville is such a hero. A rake with a Painful Secret that for Romance Reasons he doesn't reveal to anyone. He just goes about raking all over England disassociating until Maria, a sassy American heiress looking for her lost fiancee, burst into his life. He immediately makes her an indecent proposal. Fake relationship ensues.
I read the fifth book in this series because I am a chaotic book goblin and loved it. I was intrigued by the rest of the family and I'm so glad I decided to read from the beginning. This has such strong Ravenel vibes and I'm trash for a dysfunctional siblings with tragic pasts that stick together through thick and thin 🥹 All this plus a matchmaking meddling grandma, the previously mentioned heir who can't with Feelings falling hard and fast, likeable secondary characters and sweet and swoony declarations. If you love an emotionally constipated hero, a sassy (but not to the point of idiocy) heroine and carriage finger bangs then this book is for you. My complaint is that it took a bit to get going and the leads were frustratingly intransigent at times. But the good book vibes don't lie. Can't wait to read book 2.
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Fake relationship
Class Difference
Rake
I read the fifth book in this series because I am a chaotic book goblin and loved it. I was intrigued by the rest of the family and I'm so glad I decided to read from the beginning. This has such strong Ravenel vibes and I'm trash for a dysfunctional siblings with tragic pasts that stick together through thick and thin 🥹 All this plus a matchmaking meddling grandma, the previously mentioned heir who can't with Feelings falling hard and fast, likeable secondary characters and sweet and swoony declarations. If you love an emotionally constipated hero, a sassy (but not to the point of idiocy) heroine and carriage finger bangs then this book is for you. My complaint is that it took a bit to get going and the leads were frustratingly intransigent at times. But the good book vibes don't lie. Can't wait to read book 2.
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Fake relationship
Class Difference
Rake
March 11, 2012
For everything I heard about this book, I wasn't expecting much from Ms. Jeffries new series. I picked it up only because it was about the rakish Lord Stoneville who had graced the previous books as the notoriously wild bachelor who I was hoping to see as Cousin Michael. The fact is, SB made Stoneville's story even better since it has a largely new cast of siblings and suitors (with future love stories), a grandmother forcing them to marry (or suffer being cut off), and an American heroine. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for the American-British pairing.
Blond, buxom Maria, named after the Virgin Mary, ventures into a brothel (now what do you say about Irony) with only her cousin to protect her as she searches for a lead on her missing fiance. Lo and behold, she meets our shameless hero, Oliver (it's not often you find a HR hero named 'Oliver', kinda reminded me of Oliver Wood *drool) who proposes to have her pose as his fiancee to convince his grandmother to cease her new stipulations to marry off her grandchildren within the year. In return, he would help her find her missing fiance.
When you really think about the situation, especially from Maria's side, Oliver is hardly complimentary toward her person as he parades her to his grandmother, it all seems so unlikely and just plain crazy that they would end up together. But I guess that was the point. Stoneville was thought to NEVER marry, and he gets up and affiances with an unknown American.
Stoneville's past is a bit melodramatic and the self-loathing is a little over the top, and Mr. Hyatt's character is very cliche, but I still enjoyed it, possibly for the very reason. SJ just never takes her stories too seriously and lets us just enjoy the fantasy and humor she creates.
The future pairings are already clear for the girls, though I am pretty sure the Halstead boys will meet their one true love soon enough. I really enjoyed this but it's a book that should be enjoyed for its melodrama. I loved the cast and pairing, however unlikely, and I cannot wait until the next books.
Blond, buxom Maria, named after the Virgin Mary, ventures into a brothel (now what do you say about Irony) with only her cousin to protect her as she searches for a lead on her missing fiance. Lo and behold, she meets our shameless hero, Oliver (it's not often you find a HR hero named 'Oliver', kinda reminded me of Oliver Wood *drool) who proposes to have her pose as his fiancee to convince his grandmother to cease her new stipulations to marry off her grandchildren within the year. In return, he would help her find her missing fiance.
When you really think about the situation, especially from Maria's side, Oliver is hardly complimentary toward her person as he parades her to his grandmother, it all seems so unlikely and just plain crazy that they would end up together. But I guess that was the point. Stoneville was thought to NEVER marry, and he gets up and affiances with an unknown American.
Stoneville's past is a bit melodramatic and the self-loathing is a little over the top, and Mr. Hyatt's character is very cliche, but I still enjoyed it, possibly for the very reason. SJ just never takes her stories too seriously and lets us just enjoy the fantasy and humor she creates.
The future pairings are already clear for the girls, though I am pretty sure the Halstead boys will meet their one true love soon enough. I really enjoyed this but it's a book that should be enjoyed for its melodrama. I loved the cast and pairing, however unlikely, and I cannot wait until the next books.
July 24, 2018
This book was amazing!!! 😍 5 stars. I’m keeping it forever.
The storyline involves a broken Marquess, Oliver, who is ordered by his grandmother to marry before a year passed. The heroine, Maria, crosses paths with him while searching for her missing fiancé. She is from America.
I loved this story so much. First of all, I loved every character in the book. The entire family I enjoyed. I especially love feisty old ladies that the hero has a soft spot for (“Gran”). I truly enjoyed the heroine and am head over heels with the hero. I even enjoyed the heroines cousin 🙂
I loved how you spend so much time in the hero’s head. I would say it’s at least 50% if not more. Going through his emotions and feelings with him made this book all the more dear to me. He struggles with holding everyone at arms length because of his traumatizing past with his parents. He wants to be the devil everyone says he is to protect himself. But those glimpses into his heart and his struggles...wow. My heart just clenched about 1/3 of the way through the book and I swear it didn’t stop until the book was almost done.
I thought this book was sexy! I just checked when the first sex scene was and it’s past 270 pages lol. I swear you will not feel it! There’s tension galore! You want them to be together so bad and when it happens you’re like yessss! The story is mostly about them falling in love, the action and resolution to the problem happens at the very end of the book. I loved that it didn’t take away from watching them fall in love. I was totally absorbed by them. I wanted to put myself in the heroines shoes. He needs her, he wants her, he is all consumed with her and it makes you feel those feelings of falling in love.
I love Oliver. *Sigh*
The storyline involves a broken Marquess, Oliver, who is ordered by his grandmother to marry before a year passed. The heroine, Maria, crosses paths with him while searching for her missing fiancé. She is from America.
I loved this story so much. First of all, I loved every character in the book. The entire family I enjoyed. I especially love feisty old ladies that the hero has a soft spot for (“Gran”). I truly enjoyed the heroine and am head over heels with the hero. I even enjoyed the heroines cousin 🙂
I loved how you spend so much time in the hero’s head. I would say it’s at least 50% if not more. Going through his emotions and feelings with him made this book all the more dear to me. He struggles with holding everyone at arms length because of his traumatizing past with his parents. He wants to be the devil everyone says he is to protect himself. But those glimpses into his heart and his struggles...wow. My heart just clenched about 1/3 of the way through the book and I swear it didn’t stop until the book was almost done.
I thought this book was sexy! I just checked when the first sex scene was and it’s past 270 pages lol. I swear you will not feel it! There’s tension galore! You want them to be together so bad and when it happens you’re like yessss! The story is mostly about them falling in love, the action and resolution to the problem happens at the very end of the book. I loved that it didn’t take away from watching them fall in love. I was totally absorbed by them. I wanted to put myself in the heroines shoes. He needs her, he wants her, he is all consumed with her and it makes you feel those feelings of falling in love.
I love Oliver. *Sigh*
March 18, 2022
The Truth About Lord Stoneville
4 Stars
Series note: This is a spin-off of the School for Heiresses series. The hero has a minor role in some of those books. Nevertheless, the plot of this book is unrelated and it can be read as a standalone.
Yes, the characters are rather stereotypical and the plot is not particularly original, but this is a light, fast-paced, and enjoyable read nonetheless.
The basic premise revolving around the Sharpe siblings (the eponymous Hellions of Halstead Hall) and the ultimatum issued by their wealthy grandmother to marry or else is amusing, especially considering that they all really need a kick in the pants!
While Oliver and Maria stock characters - he is the unrepentant rake in dire need of true love to overcome his tortured past, and she is the spirited yet innocent American heiress unwilling to put up with his nonsense - they are still likable and appealing. Likewise, their fake engagement romance is predictable, but they have solid chemistry and their banter is entertaining.
The other Sharpes are very engaging. The strong sense of care and affection between them is delightful, and I look forward to reading their books.
In sum, this is recommended for anyone interested in a fun historical romance without any unnecessary angst.
4 Stars
Series note: This is a spin-off of the School for Heiresses series. The hero has a minor role in some of those books. Nevertheless, the plot of this book is unrelated and it can be read as a standalone.
Yes, the characters are rather stereotypical and the plot is not particularly original, but this is a light, fast-paced, and enjoyable read nonetheless.
The basic premise revolving around the Sharpe siblings (the eponymous Hellions of Halstead Hall) and the ultimatum issued by their wealthy grandmother to marry or else is amusing, especially considering that they all really need a kick in the pants!
While Oliver and Maria stock characters - he is the unrepentant rake in dire need of true love to overcome his tortured past, and she is the spirited yet innocent American heiress unwilling to put up with his nonsense - they are still likable and appealing. Likewise, their fake engagement romance is predictable, but they have solid chemistry and their banter is entertaining.
The other Sharpes are very engaging. The strong sense of care and affection between them is delightful, and I look forward to reading their books.
In sum, this is recommended for anyone interested in a fun historical romance without any unnecessary angst.
June 29, 2019
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO!!
Este libro me devolvió la VIDA!!!
Estaba a punto de darme una resaca por la serie de Trono de CristalGracias Sarah J. Mass pero gracias a mi vieja confiable, o sea romance histórico calmó mi actitud hater y me devolvió por el buen camino.
Lord Stoneville y sus cuatro hermanos menores han recibido un ultimátum por parte de su abuela que es la que los mantiene o dejan su vida llena de escándalos y sienta cabeza en un plazo de un año o los deshereda.
Oliver Sharpe Marqués de Stoneville es un libertino llevando un vida de placeres y el matrimonio es en lo último que piensa hacer pero viéndose acorralado por su abuela y esta no especificando que tipo de mujer quiere para que sea su esposa, éste decide darle una lección y contratar a una chica de mala reputación.
María una chica estadounidense que llega en busca de su prometido que ha desaparecido se cruza en el camino de Oliver, encontrándose en una posición no muy favorable Oliver le hace una proposición que se haga pasar por su prometida delante de su familia en cambio no la denuncia ya que este reúne todos los requisitos para no ser del agrado de la abuela.
Este es un romance fingido de los que tanto me encantan.
Olive y María tenían una gran química, y a pesar de que su atracción se da muy rápido no impidió que lo disfrutara.
María era una chica inocente, con principios morales, respetuosa, pero también era muy valiente y no se deja de nadie.
Oliver OH MY GUCCI!! Lo amé , o sea es un marqués mi segundos favoritos después de los Duques (Gracias a Gabriel de 9 reglas) Es un libertino como a mí me gusta, cínico, arrogante pero que en el fondo es más bueno que el pan, él no cree en el amor pero se enamora hasta las manitas, según no es romántico y dice las cosas más bonitas del mundo.
Tras la historia de romance ay un trasfondo de misterio, ya que los padres de Oliver murieron cuando él tenía 16 años se cree que la mamá lo mató y después ella se suicidó pero como digo todo es un misterio que en este libro no se resuelve y dan a entender que seguirán con esto hasta el próximo.
Este libro me devolvió la VIDA!!!
Estaba a punto de darme una resaca por la serie de Trono de Cristal
Lord Stoneville y sus cuatro hermanos menores han recibido un ultimátum por parte de su abuela que es la que los mantiene o dejan su vida llena de escándalos y sienta cabeza en un plazo de un año o los deshereda.
Oliver Sharpe Marqués de Stoneville es un libertino llevando un vida de placeres y el matrimonio es en lo último que piensa hacer pero viéndose acorralado por su abuela y esta no especificando que tipo de mujer quiere para que sea su esposa, éste decide darle una lección y contratar a una chica de mala reputación.
María una chica estadounidense que llega en busca de su prometido que ha desaparecido se cruza en el camino de Oliver, encontrándose en una posición no muy favorable Oliver le hace una proposición que se haga pasar por su prometida delante de su familia en cambio no la denuncia ya que este reúne todos los requisitos para no ser del agrado de la abuela.
Este es un romance fingido de los que tanto me encantan.
Olive y María tenían una gran química, y a pesar de que su atracción se da muy rápido no impidió que lo disfrutara.
María era una chica inocente, con principios morales, respetuosa, pero también era muy valiente y no se deja de nadie.
Oliver OH MY GUCCI!! Lo amé , o sea es un marqués mi segundos favoritos después de los Duques (Gracias a Gabriel de 9 reglas) Es un libertino como a mí me gusta, cínico, arrogante pero que en el fondo es más bueno que el pan, él no cree en el amor pero se enamora hasta las manitas, según no es romántico y dice las cosas más bonitas del mundo.
Tras la historia de romance ay un trasfondo de misterio, ya que los padres de Oliver murieron cuando él tenía 16 años se cree que la mamá lo mató y después ella se suicidó pero como digo todo es un misterio que en este libro no se resuelve y dan a entender que seguirán con esto hasta el próximo.
October 4, 2016
A pesar de ser un libro en el que la trama se sabe desde un principio y no tiene ningún enredo añadido, lo cierto es que he disfrutado muchísimo a la hora de leerlo.
Normalmente cuando alguno de los protagonistas y más ellas, son americanas, el libro me suele gustar más porque siempre aportan más toques de humor y sentido común que algunas protagonistas propias de la sociedad británica.
Oliver al principio era un personaje que no me gustaba nada, pero a medida que vas leyendo, te das cuenta de por qué la autora le ha hecho ser cómo es, y es que ese pasado violento de sus padres es para que no quiera saber nada de matrimonios.
Maria, en cambio, ha sido un personaje que me ha gustado desde el principio y me ha ido gustando más y más a medida que la historia ha ido avanzando. No es la típica protagonista que se deja mangonear por la gente ni por el protagonista, tiene ideas propias y las dice claramente.
Su primo es otro personaje que más que gustarme, me ha hecho gracia y desesperado a partes iguales en algún momento, y me ha hecho mucha gracia como ha acabado su historia y los hermanos y la abuela de Oliver me han parecido adorables y me han hecho reir mucho.
Nathan..bueno, desde el principio ya supuse como sería, como digo, la trama del libro era bastante obvia, pero eso no quita que me haya gustado su final.
Entretenido, fácil de leer, con unos personajes muy bien trazados, es una novela que se disfruta sola a pesar de algunas escenas un poco inverosímiles para la época (nunca entenderé porque algunas protagonistas de histórica saben en su primera experiencia sexual más que si fueran experimentadas XD).
Normalmente cuando alguno de los protagonistas y más ellas, son americanas, el libro me suele gustar más porque siempre aportan más toques de humor y sentido común que algunas protagonistas propias de la sociedad británica.
Oliver al principio era un personaje que no me gustaba nada, pero a medida que vas leyendo, te das cuenta de por qué la autora le ha hecho ser cómo es, y es que ese pasado violento de sus padres es para que no quiera saber nada de matrimonios.
Maria, en cambio, ha sido un personaje que me ha gustado desde el principio y me ha ido gustando más y más a medida que la historia ha ido avanzando. No es la típica protagonista que se deja mangonear por la gente ni por el protagonista, tiene ideas propias y las dice claramente.
Su primo es otro personaje que más que gustarme, me ha hecho gracia y desesperado a partes iguales en algún momento, y me ha hecho mucha gracia como ha acabado su historia y los hermanos y la abuela de Oliver me han parecido adorables y me han hecho reir mucho.
Nathan..bueno, desde el principio ya supuse como sería, como digo, la trama del libro era bastante obvia, pero eso no quita que me haya gustado su final.
Entretenido, fácil de leer, con unos personajes muy bien trazados, es una novela que se disfruta sola a pesar de algunas escenas un poco inverosímiles para la época (nunca entenderé porque algunas protagonistas de histórica saben en su primera experiencia sexual más que si fueran experimentadas XD).
March 1, 2020
Uzun zaman önce okunup unutulmuş kitapları yeniden okumak 😆
September 28, 2018
Oliver <3 Çok zeki olduğunu zanneden, ava giderken avlanan sevgili lordum. Sen cidden o büyükannen olacak çatma şeytanı kandırıp dize getirebileceğini mi düşünüyordun?
Historical temalı kitaba XXI. yüzyıl modası bir gelinlikten kapak yapmakta ayrı bir trajikomedi.
Historical temalı kitaba XXI. yüzyıl modası bir gelinlikten kapak yapmakta ayrı bir trajikomedi.
July 16, 2022
Who doesn’t love fake engagement, reformed rake, American heiress, scheming grandma, and meddling siblings?!
This was a great start to the Hellions of Halstead Hall and I’m itching for the next book. There’s a great dark family mystery here unfolding that’s going to run parallel in the background of this series that I’m PUMPED for.
Oliver is a guilt ridden rake who hides all his inner turmoil with bedding random women and gambling. As rakes do. And of course, his grandma is annoyed with his rakish and hellion ways, and tells him and his siblings they have to be married by the end of the year or she’s cutting them off. As Grandmas do.
I love a good family marriage ultimatum. 🥰
Maria is an American who is looking for her vanished fiancé in England. She’s a little desperate, a little tight on funds, and has all of the American spirit we want in these historicals. The meet cute isn’t so much cute as it is “WTF? That escalated quickly!” But the story moves pretty briskly along after these two join up to help each other.
Maria will pretend to be Oliver’s fiancé to get grandma off his back and Oliver will help Maria find her fiancé. Easy peasy.
So obvs these two fall ridiculously, whiplash, crazy, unbelievably fast for each other and obvs I didn’t care (too much). If the woman is staying under the man’s roof, there’s no time for getting to know each other, there is only making out and siblings setting up situations to make Oliver jealous and realize his true feelings.
Four stars because it’s a hard feat introducing FIVE Sharpe siblings at the start of the series and being able to pull it off with each having their own individual quirk and moment in the story. Docking a star because the meeting and HEA are seriously within eight days or some crap and I blinked at the end thinking…wait, why are these two so drawn to each other…? Maria has that “IVE BEDDED A HUNDRED WOMEN BUT THIS VIRGIN IS THE MOST SENSUAL OF ALL” factor that Oliver can’t explain and we just have to believe him. I guess because she was quick to defend him and not believe rumors about him…? Minus a star cause that’s paper thin, but four stars cause what the heck, I like a good reformed rake.
This was a great start to the Hellions of Halstead Hall and I’m itching for the next book. There’s a great dark family mystery here unfolding that’s going to run parallel in the background of this series that I’m PUMPED for.
Oliver is a guilt ridden rake who hides all his inner turmoil with bedding random women and gambling. As rakes do. And of course, his grandma is annoyed with his rakish and hellion ways, and tells him and his siblings they have to be married by the end of the year or she’s cutting them off. As Grandmas do.
I love a good family marriage ultimatum. 🥰
Maria is an American who is looking for her vanished fiancé in England. She’s a little desperate, a little tight on funds, and has all of the American spirit we want in these historicals. The meet cute isn’t so much cute as it is “WTF? That escalated quickly!” But the story moves pretty briskly along after these two join up to help each other.
Maria will pretend to be Oliver’s fiancé to get grandma off his back and Oliver will help Maria find her fiancé. Easy peasy.
So obvs these two fall ridiculously, whiplash, crazy, unbelievably fast for each other and obvs I didn’t care (too much). If the woman is staying under the man’s roof, there’s no time for getting to know each other, there is only making out and siblings setting up situations to make Oliver jealous and realize his true feelings.
Four stars because it’s a hard feat introducing FIVE Sharpe siblings at the start of the series and being able to pull it off with each having their own individual quirk and moment in the story. Docking a star because the meeting and HEA are seriously within eight days or some crap and I blinked at the end thinking…wait, why are these two so drawn to each other…? Maria has that “IVE BEDDED A HUNDRED WOMEN BUT THIS VIRGIN IS THE MOST SENSUAL OF ALL” factor that Oliver can’t explain and we just have to believe him. I guess because she was quick to defend him and not believe rumors about him…? Minus a star cause that’s paper thin, but four stars cause what the heck, I like a good reformed rake.
August 15, 2017
Este libro es el único que leí de Sabrina Jeffries y fue hace tiempo.
Me gusto muchísimo, tanto que lamente y lamento que aún no se hayan traducido el resto de los libros que componen la serie.
Me gusto muchísimo, tanto que lamente y lamento que aún no se hayan traducido el resto de los libros que componen la serie.
April 19, 2020
This was a very enjoyable historical romance. I love the ultimatum trope when the head of the family, in this case Grandmother, sets rules that state the grown up grandchildren have to marry or be cut off from financial support. I loved the characters - willful, stubborn and very adventurous. Besides this little caveat there is also the mysterious circumstances of their parents deaths that haunts each sibling. So there is enough emotions, pain and self recriminations to choke a horse. Loved it.
Oliver is the oldest son and the heir to the marquessate. He is plagued by many demons, riddled with guilt and is out there to prove his general unworthiness. So when Gran sets her foot down, he devises oh so clever plan to bring the most unsuitable bride to back Gran into the corner. I liked that despite his sometimes rude behavior he was a decent man. He was so lost in his feelings and past mistakes that he couldn't see a way out, couldn't see that he can be more than just a wastrel and a rake.
Here comes Maria - American heiress, smart virago in a small package. Sharpe men like to bargain, so Maria takes her chance to get what she wants from Oliver and vice versa. I loved that their mutual use of each other slowly changed into feelings of desire and admiration. Maria saw a man worth loving and fighting for and Oliver saw that Maria was the woman for him.
I liked their arguments, debates and general conversations aimed to insult but that somehow always sounded as a bit of foreplay. They were funny, witty and yet always subtle. I loved Sharpe family, their joie de vivre and constant ability to prank and joke about the most serious issues. Very close knit family that stood up for each other. I liked Maria's independent spirit and her backbone. Oliver just needed to find his spark that he lost with his parents deaths, and he finally did it with Maria's help. Of course it wasn't without troubles, quarrels, passionate encounters that ended with slamming doors and broken hearts. But in the end both MCs knew what they wanted and went for it - life together. I loved the story, the characters and wonderfully written prose. The story was steadily paced, moderately steamy and moderately angsty. This author did justice to these characters.
Oliver is the oldest son and the heir to the marquessate. He is plagued by many demons, riddled with guilt and is out there to prove his general unworthiness. So when Gran sets her foot down, he devises oh so clever plan to bring the most unsuitable bride to back Gran into the corner. I liked that despite his sometimes rude behavior he was a decent man. He was so lost in his feelings and past mistakes that he couldn't see a way out, couldn't see that he can be more than just a wastrel and a rake.
Here comes Maria - American heiress, smart virago in a small package. Sharpe men like to bargain, so Maria takes her chance to get what she wants from Oliver and vice versa. I loved that their mutual use of each other slowly changed into feelings of desire and admiration. Maria saw a man worth loving and fighting for and Oliver saw that Maria was the woman for him.
I liked their arguments, debates and general conversations aimed to insult but that somehow always sounded as a bit of foreplay. They were funny, witty and yet always subtle. I loved Sharpe family, their joie de vivre and constant ability to prank and joke about the most serious issues. Very close knit family that stood up for each other. I liked Maria's independent spirit and her backbone. Oliver just needed to find his spark that he lost with his parents deaths, and he finally did it with Maria's help. Of course it wasn't without troubles, quarrels, passionate encounters that ended with slamming doors and broken hearts. But in the end both MCs knew what they wanted and went for it - life together. I loved the story, the characters and wonderfully written prose. The story was steadily paced, moderately steamy and moderately angsty. This author did justice to these characters.
February 11, 2012
My first read by the author. After three chapters I couldn't read it any longer. Lots of readers enjoyed this series. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for being so patient.
IMHO, it was a super-fast-turbo-paced story. Parents die, kids blame grandmother, kids grow up, make themselves very busy, avoid marriage, grandma's pissed off, kids get ultimatum: marry or no money, deadline in one year, oldest son first in line, he loves whores, meet the heroine at brothel, heroine of course accidentally there, after some fighting and arguing they are pretending as a couple soon to be married. Why? Because the hero wants to make his grandma really pissed knowing he just met his fiance at a brothel. Why the heroine wants to? Because she needs his help to find her long lost fiance. So they come home together (just few hours after their first shocking encounter) and then they are having some kind of romance marathon racing.
I didn't buy a thing.
The writing also failed to show me anything. It just told me the story, nothing more. I didn't feel any kind of emotion toward the characters. I'm not sure if I want to read more books by the author. I couldn't even finish one.
IMHO, it was a super-fast-turbo-paced story. Parents die, kids blame grandmother, kids grow up, make themselves very busy, avoid marriage, grandma's pissed off, kids get ultimatum: marry or no money, deadline in one year, oldest son first in line, he loves whores, meet the heroine at brothel, heroine of course accidentally there, after some fighting and arguing they are pretending as a couple soon to be married. Why? Because the hero wants to make his grandma really pissed knowing he just met his fiance at a brothel. Why the heroine wants to? Because she needs his help to find her long lost fiance. So they come home together (just few hours after their first shocking encounter) and then they are having some kind of romance marathon racing.
I didn't buy a thing.
The writing also failed to show me anything. It just told me the story, nothing more. I didn't feel any kind of emotion toward the characters. I'm not sure if I want to read more books by the author. I couldn't even finish one.
January 29, 2020
What a fun family
The start of a wonderful series about five siblings raised by their grandmother. Great character arc for Oliver, the protagonist. Enjoyable secondary characters that will continue the series forward.
The start of a wonderful series about five siblings raised by their grandmother. Great character arc for Oliver, the protagonist. Enjoyable secondary characters that will continue the series forward.
November 15, 2024
This book was much better than I expected. I remember reading the beginning and not liking it a few years ago, but as soon as the heroine meets the hero's family, the story turns amazing. I loved being part if their interactions and I am looking forward to reading each sibling's story.
4.5 stars.
4.5 stars.
January 8, 2021
Оливър Шарп, Маркиз Стоунвил и Мария Бътърфийлд
Хети Плхъмтри е жена с мисия. Съ��руга на богат пивовар, омъжила единствената си дъщеря за маркиз. Когато обаче дъщеря й и съпругът й умират, Хети трябва да поеме грижите за своите пет внука. След години в които внуците й, си печелят славата като "Палавнциите от Халстед Хол", Хети решава, че е време да сложи край на разюзденото им поведение. Тя им поставя ултиматум. Ако искат да продължат да се наслаждават на свободата, която им осигуряват парите й, и петимата трябва да се задомят до 12 месеца, иначе ще ги обезнаследи. Хети иска да има правнуци и няма никакво намерение да чака повече.
Оливър Шарп, Маркиз Стоунвил е наследника и главата на семейството. През целият си живот той се е обвинявал за смъртта на родителите си, пазейки тайна, която не може да се насили да сподели с който и да е. Не му помага и факта, че обществото шушука зад гърба му, спекулирайки най-ужасни неща. По тази причина той е решен никога да не се жени, и да се държи винаги по най-скандален начин, за да оправдае лошата си слава. Сега обаче баба му е решена да го види женен и той е готов да впрегне цялата си воля да я разубеди. Какво по-добро от това да заведе у дома жена, която е срещнал в публичен дом, която е устата англичанка и на всичкото отгоре, католичка? Със сигурност баба му веднага ще се откаже от намерението си да го види задомен... нали?
Мария Бътърфийлд е дъщеря на богат собственик на корабна компания. Когато баща й ненадейно умира, тя е принудена да напусне Америка и да се отправи към Англия в търсене на годеника си, от който от месеци няма никаква вест. Баща й, е подготвял годеника й Нейтън за свой наследник, и тъй като Нейтън притежава половината от корабната компания, Мария няма да има достъп до наследството си, и своята част от компанията, докато Нейтън не се върне у дома. Тревожейки се, че нещо може да му се е случило, тя тръгва по следите му, само за да се озове, заедно с братовчед си, в един публичен дом, където няма друг избор освен да приеме предложението за помощ на един джентълмен. Оливър иска да я представи на баба си, като своя годеница, вярвайки, че така ще откаже старата жена от намеренията й, а в замяна той ще помогне на Мария да открие годеника си, който сякаш е потънал в дън земя. Обединявайки усилията си обаче, никой от тях няма представа, че скоро всичко ще се промени коренно и за двама им.
Книгата не беше лоша. Не е от онези, които те грабват здраво, и не те пускат, докато не я изчетеш, но все пак биваше. Започнах да чета книгата в хартиен формат, по изданието на СББ Медиа Ад, но просто нещо в самото изразяване на преводачката не ми допадна. Не знам защо, но просто докато четях, историята не ми вървеше гладко. На моменти ми доскучаваше. Реших да започна да слушам книгата в оригинал, на аудиокнига. От 15та глава. И тъй като ми бе любопитно, защо БГ превода някак не успяваше да ме грабне, реших, докато слушам да чета написаното и да сравня. Чудех се в самата книга ли е проблема или в превода. Бяха ШОКИРАНА и ВЪЗМУТЕНА, когато забелязах, че почти на всеки абзац има липсващи изречения. Едни такива описателни моменти, или размисли на героите, допълнения, нищо критично, но все пак в останалият текст се усещаше липсата им. Позволих си да чета така паралелно само няколко странички, не съм от типа хора, които обичат да обругават чуждия труд, но наистина не разбирам, защо нашата версия на книгата е съкратена. Надявам се, това да е умишлено, като например, да е трябвало книгата да е с определена дължина, и преводачката да е била принудена да избира от кои изречения да се лиши, а не поредната липса на професионалност от страна на БГ издателите, които не се интересуват какво е качеството на книгите, които поднасят на читателите си.
Колкото до историята, пак казвам, не блестеше с нещо запомнящо се, но бе интересна, на моменти забавна, и в оригинал доста по-порочна, отколкото в нашенския превод. Въпреки, че не успя да ме грабне, като други книги на авторката, смятам да дам шанс и на останалите книги, за двете сестри и двамата братя на Оливър. Не ми се чака да бъдат издадени у нас и смятам да ги изчета в оригинал, но въпреки всичко, ако бъдат издадени, за което силно се надявам, ще си ги купя, дори и поорязани... толкова рядко се издава историческа литература у нас, че няма да пропусна шанса да си допълня колекцията... пък и корицата на книгата е страхотна, <3
Хети Плхъмтри е жена с мисия. Съ��руга на богат пивовар, омъжила единствената си дъщеря за маркиз. Когато обаче дъщеря й и съпругът й умират, Хети трябва да поеме грижите за своите пет внука. След години в които внуците й, си печелят славата като "Палавнциите от Халстед Хол", Хети решава, че е време да сложи край на разюзденото им поведение. Тя им поставя ултиматум. Ако искат да продължат да се наслаждават на свободата, която им осигуряват парите й, и петимата трябва да се задомят до 12 месеца, иначе ще ги обезнаследи. Хети иска да има правнуци и няма никакво намерение да чака повече.
Оливър Шарп, Маркиз Стоунвил е наследника и главата на семейството. През целият си живот той се е обвинявал за смъртта на родителите си, пазейки тайна, която не може да се насили да сподели с който и да е. Не му помага и факта, че обществото шушука зад гърба му, спекулирайки най-ужасни неща. По тази причина той е решен никога да не се жени, и да се държи винаги по най-скандален начин, за да оправдае лошата си слава. Сега обаче баба му е решена да го види женен и той е готов да впрегне цялата си воля да я разубеди. Какво по-добро от това да заведе у дома жена, която е срещнал в публичен дом, която е устата англичанка и на всичкото отгоре, католичка? Със сигурност баба му веднага ще се откаже от намерението си да го види задомен... нали?
Мария Бътърфийлд е дъщеря на богат собственик на корабна компания. Когато баща й ненадейно умира, тя е принудена да напусне Америка и да се отправи към Англия в търсене на годеника си, от който от месеци няма никаква вест. Баща й, е подготвял годеника й Нейтън за свой наследник, и тъй като Нейтън притежава половината от корабната компания, Мария няма да има достъп до наследството си, и своята част от компанията, докато Нейтън не се върне у дома. Тревожейки се, че нещо може да му се е случило, тя тръгва по следите му, само за да се озове, заедно с братовчед си, в един публичен дом, където няма друг избор освен да приеме предложението за помощ на един джентълмен. Оливър иска да я представи на баба си, като своя годеница, вярвайки, че така ще откаже старата жена от намеренията й, а в замяна той ще помогне на Мария да открие годеника си, който сякаш е потънал в дън земя. Обединявайки усилията си обаче, никой от тях няма представа, че скоро всичко ще се промени коренно и за двама им.
Книгата не беше лоша. Не е от онези, които те грабват здраво, и не те пускат, докато не я изчетеш, но все пак биваше. Започнах да чета книгата в хартиен формат, по изданието на СББ Медиа Ад, но просто нещо в самото изразяване на преводачката не ми допадна. Не знам защо, но просто докато четях, историята не ми вървеше гладко. На моменти ми доскучаваше. Реших да започна да слушам книгата в оригинал, на аудиокнига. От 15та глава. И тъй като ми бе любопитно, защо БГ превода някак не успяваше да ме грабне, реших, докато слушам да чета написаното и да сравня. Чудех се в самата книга ли е проблема или в превода. Бяха ШОКИРАНА и ВЪЗМУТЕНА, когато забелязах, че почти на всеки абзац има липсващи изречения. Едни такива описателни моменти, или размисли на героите, допълнения, нищо критично, но все пак в останалият текст се усещаше липсата им. Позволих си да чета така паралелно само няколко странички, не съм от типа хора, които обичат да обругават чуждия труд, но наистина не разбирам, защо нашата версия на книгата е съкратена. Надявам се, това да е умишлено, като например, да е трябвало книгата да е с определена дължина, и преводачката да е била принудена да избира от кои изречения да се лиши, а не поредната липса на професионалност от страна на БГ издателите, които не се интересуват какво е качеството на книгите, които поднасят на читателите си.
Колкото до историята, пак казвам, не блестеше с нещо запомнящо се, но бе интересна, на моменти забавна, и в оригинал доста по-порочна, отколкото в нашенския превод. Въпреки, че не успя да ме грабне, като други книги на авторката, смятам да дам шанс и на останалите книги, за двете сестри и двамата братя на Оливър. Не ми се чака да бъдат издадени у нас и смятам да ги изчета в оригинал, но въпреки всичко, ако бъдат издадени, за което силно се надявам, ще си ги купя, дори и поорязани... толкова рядко се издава историческа литература у нас, че няма да пропусна шанса да си допълня колекцията... пък и корицата на книгата е страхотна, <3
December 11, 2015
DNF @ 69%
[Insert aggravated sigh] This is is one of those books where a character(s) constantly has to remind you that the main character(s) has a purpose, so you don’t notice nothing is happening. *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story* *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story* *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story*
I don’t buy the romance. It’s a poor example of one of my favorite clichés— kindhearted and strong woman who sees the “real” hero behind his debauched reputation. Neither of the main characters have personalities beside what they are supposed to represent. Maria— the innocent virgin who is “special” and “different.” Oliver— the rake with a tragic past who “wants to change” and “move on.” Again, I don’t buy it. It was too sudden and contrived.
Juliana’s review perfectly explains what I find weak about The Truth About Lord Stoneville.
I didn’t take pleasure in reading this story and wasn’t impressed. The only time I remotely enjoyed the book was because of Freddy.
Freddy is your typical family idiot who has nothing to do but eat, complain, and be clumsy in order to bring comedy relief and make the heroine appear appealing. Someone has to know the heroine, right? Can you imagine how uninteresting she would be if she was a lone character without anyone to support her very kind, very classy, and very special qualities?
Anywayyyys, I was able to tolerate him when he won me over by defending Oliver. It’s not precisely defending Oliver that won me over— because I can give a rat’s ass— but defending someone despite the gossip and antagonism one hears. Freddy wasn’t judgmental and easily swayed.
“I told him he was a scurrilous lout, and if he couldn’t see that you were a good sort of chap, then he was as blind as a town crier with a broken lantern. And he didn’t belong in the Blue Swan with all those amiable gents, neither.”
For a moment, speech utterly failed Oliver. He could only imagine Desmond’s reaction to that little lecture. “And . . . er . . . what did he say?”
“He looked surprised, then muttered something about playing cards and trotted off to a card room. Good riddance, too— he was eating up all the macaroons.”
When I reached the end of the page, I had to stop and chuckle for a good full minute in the car. Freddy is so ridiculous. I don’t know whether I should slap him or throw a dinner party in his honor. Thank you, Freddy, for making The Truth About Lord Stoneville momentarily enjoyable.
[Insert aggravated sigh] This is is one of those books where a character(s) constantly has to remind you that the main character(s) has a purpose, so you don’t notice nothing is happening. *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story* *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story* *lust between main characters* *character interaction to remind you there is a story*
I don’t buy the romance. It’s a poor example of one of my favorite clichés— kindhearted and strong woman who sees the “real” hero behind his debauched reputation. Neither of the main characters have personalities beside what they are supposed to represent. Maria— the innocent virgin who is “special” and “different.” Oliver— the rake with a tragic past who “wants to change” and “move on.” Again, I don’t buy it. It was too sudden and contrived.
Juliana’s review perfectly explains what I find weak about The Truth About Lord Stoneville.
I didn’t take pleasure in reading this story and wasn’t impressed. The only time I remotely enjoyed the book was because of Freddy.
Freddy is your typical family idiot who has nothing to do but eat, complain, and be clumsy in order to bring comedy relief and make the heroine appear appealing. Someone has to know the heroine, right? Can you imagine how uninteresting she would be if she was a lone character without anyone to support her very kind, very classy, and very special qualities?
Anywayyyys, I was able to tolerate him when he won me over by defending Oliver. It’s not precisely defending Oliver that won me over— because I can give a rat’s ass— but defending someone despite the gossip and antagonism one hears. Freddy wasn’t judgmental and easily swayed.
“I told him he was a scurrilous lout, and if he couldn’t see that you were a good sort of chap, then he was as blind as a town crier with a broken lantern. And he didn’t belong in the Blue Swan with all those amiable gents, neither.”
For a moment, speech utterly failed Oliver. He could only imagine Desmond’s reaction to that little lecture. “And . . . er . . . what did he say?”
“He looked surprised, then muttered something about playing cards and trotted off to a card room. Good riddance, too— he was eating up all the macaroons.”
When I reached the end of the page, I had to stop and chuckle for a good full minute in the car. Freddy is so ridiculous. I don’t know whether I should slap him or throw a dinner party in his honor. Thank you, Freddy, for making The Truth About Lord Stoneville momentarily enjoyable.
August 10, 2016
This was my first read by Sabrina Jeffries and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It wasn't the most original historical romance out there, but it served its purpose and it did it well in that it provided many pleasurable hours of reading that I needed very much after a very long and busy week.
The hero, Oliver, Lord Stoneville, was a rake and a rogue. He lived a care-free life, bedding as many women as possible and never caring for any of them, until the heroine came along and swept him off his feet, of course. No matter how many times I come across this theme, I'm never bored of it. What is better than a rake in a historical romance? To me they come second only to those stiff and all prim and proper gentlemen of the likes of Mr. Darcy that can't help falling in love with the feisty heroine.
The heroine, Maria, impressed me from the first moment and I'm glad I didn't change my mind until the end of the novel. It's easy to have a good hero, but a great heroine is not so common, I'm afraid. Maria was just lovely! She was kind, honest, sweet, but at the same time she had spunk.
But the character that impressed me the most was Mr. Pinter. I haven't been this impressed by a secondary character since forever. He clearly falls to my favorite category of heroes in HRs (the one I mentioned above) and I'm really frustrated that he's the hero of the fifth book! Those who know me, know that I don't read out of order and I need to read his story now. I'm so excited he's paired up with Celia who I found a very intriguing character.
I loved this book and I enjoyed Sabrina Jeffries' writing style. It was a great HR with just the right amount of humor (especially when Maria's cousin, Freddy, was involved), but the reason I'm starting the next book right away is because book #5 can't come soon engough.
The hero, Oliver, Lord Stoneville, was a rake and a rogue. He lived a care-free life, bedding as many women as possible and never caring for any of them, until the heroine came along and swept him off his feet, of course. No matter how many times I come across this theme, I'm never bored of it. What is better than a rake in a historical romance? To me they come second only to those stiff and all prim and proper gentlemen of the likes of Mr. Darcy that can't help falling in love with the feisty heroine.
The heroine, Maria, impressed me from the first moment and I'm glad I didn't change my mind until the end of the novel. It's easy to have a good hero, but a great heroine is not so common, I'm afraid. Maria was just lovely! She was kind, honest, sweet, but at the same time she had spunk.
But the character that impressed me the most was Mr. Pinter. I haven't been this impressed by a secondary character since forever. He clearly falls to my favorite category of heroes in HRs (the one I mentioned above) and I'm really frustrated that he's the hero of the fifth book! Those who know me, know that I don't read out of order and I need to read his story now. I'm so excited he's paired up with Celia who I found a very intriguing character.
I loved this book and I enjoyed Sabrina Jeffries' writing style. It was a great HR with just the right amount of humor (especially when Maria's cousin, Freddy, was involved), but the reason I'm starting the next book right away is because book #5 can't come soon engough.
June 26, 2014
A very cute historical!
Interesting enough for me to read the next one in the series! :)
I enjoyed very much the heroine, Maria! She was fresh and intelligent. Her reasoning was different from those of other heroines in HR.
I loved Gran Hetty too! Loved the way she wanted to manipulate her grandchildren! It was simple and very crafty. She used their weaknesses against them in a very cunning way!
The wakes part was the why Oliver has become a rake. It was meh... So convoluted and to me it didn't feel real. Moreover, he kept it like a shameful secret from everybody! Not soething I would expect from a rake at all!
Otherwise, the story was light and easy to read. Intriguing enough to be curious about the other siblings and what will they do!
Interesting enough for me to read the next one in the series! :)
I enjoyed very much the heroine, Maria! She was fresh and intelligent. Her reasoning was different from those of other heroines in HR.
I loved Gran Hetty too! Loved the way she wanted to manipulate her grandchildren! It was simple and very crafty. She used their weaknesses against them in a very cunning way!
The wakes part was the why Oliver has become a rake. It was meh... So convoluted and to me it didn't feel real. Moreover, he kept it like a shameful secret from everybody! Not soething I would expect from a rake at all!
Otherwise, the story was light and easy to read. Intriguing enough to be curious about the other siblings and what will they do!
May 9, 2021
Babaanneleri tarafından mirastan men edilmemek için evliliğe zorlanan beş kardeşin anlatıldığı serimizin ilk kitabı olan "Bozulan yeminler" en büyük kardeş Oliver ile Amerikadan nişanlısını bulmaya gelen Maria'nın hikayesini anlatan tatlış, sevimli ama birazcık havada kalmış şekilde bir kitaptı. Uzun bir aradan sonra zorla evliliğe sürüklenen aristokratları okuma aşkım canlandığında aklıma gelen bu seriyi tekrar okuduğum için çok mutluyum. Seri hakkında hatırladığım bölük börçük bilgiler kitabı okumaya başlayınca yerli yerine oturdu. Tabi gönül isterdi ki seride geçen yan karakterlerin anlatıldığı kitapları (bkz. School for Heiress Serisi, Bir Çapkına vuruldum adıyla ilk kitabı basılan ama devamı gelmeyen güzide serimiz) okuyalım ama olmadı. Bu kadar ön bilgiden sonra gelelim serimize.
Kitap ilk olarak Oliver'ın anne ve babasının ölümüyle başlıyor. Oliver anne ve babasının ölümü için kendini suçlarken bu suçluluk duygusuyla kendini babası gibi vurdumduymaz ve çapkın biri yapmaya çalışmış. Tabi biz kitabı okurken "Bu çocuk mu anlayışsız, düşüncesiz, çapkın?" diyebiliriz. Çünkü Oliver okuduğum en düşünceli erkek karakterler arasında ilk 10'a girebilir.
Kızımız da nişanlısını bulmak için taaaa Amerikalardan kuzeni Frankie ile gelmiş aklı başında genç bir kadın. Bu aklı başında özelliğini çok sevdim. Hiç öyle gereksiz saçmalıkla girmiyor diyemem ama nispeten mantıklı bir insan. Karakterlerimizin tanışmasıysa Maria'nın nişanlısını ararken yolunun geneleve düşmesiyle oluyor. İlk tanışma için mükemmel bir yer olmasada olaylar gelişiyor ve anlaşmalı bir nişanlılık sürecine karar veriyorlar. Sonra kitap boyunca bu oyunun gerçeğe dönüşmesini okuyoruz.
Tekrar okurken ismini ilk gördüğüm anda gülümsememi sağlayan Frankie ise kitaptaki herkes tarafından aptal muammelesi görse de aslında aralarındaki en zeki karakter olabilir diye düşünüyorum. Olaylara saf bir şekilde yaklaşması ama hep doğru yorum yapması kitap boyunca beni eğlendiren noktalardan biri oldu. Hani bazen öyle yorum yapıyor ki ağzınız açık kalıyor.
Okurken beni rahatsız eden tek problem olarak olayların biraz hızlı geliştiğini söyleyebilirim. Bunun dışında rahatsız eden bir şey olmadı.
Tatlış, seri boyunca gizemini çözmek istediğimiz anne-baba ölümünün arkasındaki sır perdesiyle okunabilecek güzel ve bitmiş olan bu seriyi herkese tavsiye ederim.
Kitap ilk olarak Oliver'ın anne ve babasının ölümüyle başlıyor. Oliver anne ve babasının ölümü için kendini suçlarken bu suçluluk duygusuyla kendini babası gibi vurdumduymaz ve çapkın biri yapmaya çalışmış. Tabi biz kitabı okurken "Bu çocuk mu anlayışsız, düşüncesiz, çapkın?" diyebiliriz. Çünkü Oliver okuduğum en düşünceli erkek karakterler arasında ilk 10'a girebilir.
Kızımız da nişanlısını bulmak için taaaa Amerikalardan kuzeni Frankie ile gelmiş aklı başında genç bir kadın. Bu aklı başında özelliğini çok sevdim. Hiç öyle gereksiz saçmalıkla girmiyor diyemem ama nispeten mantıklı bir insan. Karakterlerimizin tanışmasıysa Maria'nın nişanlısını ararken yolunun geneleve düşmesiyle oluyor. İlk tanışma için mükemmel bir yer olmasada olaylar gelişiyor ve anlaşmalı bir nişanlılık sürecine karar veriyorlar. Sonra kitap boyunca bu oyunun gerçeğe dönüşmesini okuyoruz.
Tekrar okurken ismini ilk gördüğüm anda gülümsememi sağlayan Frankie ise kitaptaki herkes tarafından aptal muammelesi görse de aslında aralarındaki en zeki karakter olabilir diye düşünüyorum. Olaylara saf bir şekilde yaklaşması ama hep doğru yorum yapması kitap boyunca beni eğlendiren noktalardan biri oldu. Hani bazen öyle yorum yapıyor ki ağzınız açık kalıyor.
Okurken beni rahatsız eden tek problem olarak olayların biraz hızlı geliştiğini söyleyebilirim. Bunun dışında rahatsız eden bir şey olmadı.
Tatlış, seri boyunca gizemini çözmek istediğimiz anne-baba ölümünün arkasındaki sır perdesiyle okunabilecek güzel ve bitmiş olan bu seriyi herkese tavsiye ederim.
July 18, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.
I enjoyed the storyline.
Maria an American coming to London to look for her fiancé runs into our hero at the brothel.
They do not immediately fall in love because how could a self respectable woman do that if she finds a very attractive man in such a place.
He is also not hiding his promiscuity.
Anyway they take their sweet time as well as they should, few mysteries are revealed regarding her fiancé and his love of women and at the end they fall in love.
I enjoyed it in a very slow way. Nothing exhilarating but fun.
I enjoyed the storyline.
Maria an American coming to London to look for her fiancé runs into our hero at the brothel.
They do not immediately fall in love because how could a self respectable woman do that if she finds a very attractive man in such a place.
He is also not hiding his promiscuity.
Anyway they take their sweet time as well as they should, few mysteries are revealed regarding her fiancé and his love of women and at the end they fall in love.
I enjoyed it in a very slow way. Nothing exhilarating but fun.
April 15, 2014
This book brought back the feeling I had when I first discovered and fell in love with Historical Roman two years ago in 2012. There’s something about this book and the writing that takes me back to that when I was excited and immerse in it. I reveled in this story and I read it leisurely (aka unrushed). For some time now the buildup of my TBR list has made me want to read book after book trying to finish books faster than I add to my TBR list. This book, for some inexplicable reason, slowed me down to just enjoy reading.
On to my book review...
This book, if you didn’t already know from my rating, is just splendid! The H/h are feisty and charming. Oliver hides a vulnerable heart and a guilty conscience behind a rogue persona. Maria has pluck and an American attitude (as she ought since she is American) – which works great against Oliver’s personality. There’s so much appeal, sexiness, and chemistry between the H/h and the fact that they try so hard to distance themselves from their need and attraction makes it all even better. When they are physically near, they can’t seem to help but surrender themselves to the other because they are just so drawn that it’s almost like it’s out of their control. However, when they are apart, their inner struggle to stay away from each other and thinking of the other as a forbidden fruit – of sorts – is wonderful reading material!! Just a perfect pairing.
Some other highlights in this book for me are:
Freddy – Oh my! So so so funny! I love him…surprisingly above anything or anyone else. He was my favorite character. He’s the one who made me laugh and smile the most. Even knowing that he was in the room made me anticipate that something funny will be said or done. He is also so endearing, honest, and although he’s naïve in A LOT ways, he did have his useful moments.
The mystery the night Oliver’s parents died - I liked the hidden mystery behind the death of Oliver’s parents and the fact that it remains a mystery into the second book.
The family - the siblings and the grandmother are fantastic, they added so much to the story especially with respect to the humor. I think that they all have a certain vulnerability to them – having lived in a household with a loveless marriage – yet they have a certain strength individually; and although they have been scrutinized by the public they have remained strong as a band of siblings with their grandmother’s help of course. Plus I really like the fact that the romantic blood that runs from their mother’s side of the family is being stirred with their grandmother’s ultimatum.
Great start to a series! Highly recommended :)
On to my book review...
This book, if you didn’t already know from my rating, is just splendid! The H/h are feisty and charming. Oliver hides a vulnerable heart and a guilty conscience behind a rogue persona. Maria has pluck and an American attitude (as she ought since she is American) – which works great against Oliver’s personality. There’s so much appeal, sexiness, and chemistry between the H/h and the fact that they try so hard to distance themselves from their need and attraction makes it all even better. When they are physically near, they can’t seem to help but surrender themselves to the other because they are just so drawn that it’s almost like it’s out of their control. However, when they are apart, their inner struggle to stay away from each other and thinking of the other as a forbidden fruit – of sorts – is wonderful reading material!! Just a perfect pairing.
Some other highlights in this book for me are:
Freddy – Oh my! So so so funny! I love him…surprisingly above anything or anyone else. He was my favorite character. He’s the one who made me laugh and smile the most. Even knowing that he was in the room made me anticipate that something funny will be said or done. He is also so endearing, honest, and although he’s naïve in A LOT ways, he did have his useful moments.
The mystery the night Oliver’s parents died - I liked the hidden mystery behind the death of Oliver’s parents and the fact that it remains a mystery into the second book.
The family - the siblings and the grandmother are fantastic, they added so much to the story especially with respect to the humor. I think that they all have a certain vulnerability to them – having lived in a household with a loveless marriage – yet they have a certain strength individually; and although they have been scrutinized by the public they have remained strong as a band of siblings with their grandmother’s help of course. Plus I really like the fact that the romantic blood that runs from their mother’s side of the family is being stirred with their grandmother’s ultimatum.
Great start to a series! Highly recommended :)
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