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Hold Your Breath #2
Unmasking the Marquess
London, 1820
Some people are born with backbone. Others have to fight for it.
List in-hand of suitable bachelors, Lady Reanna Halstead, the epitome of naivety, is thrust into London society with demands to gain a husband. To her utter amazement, she manages to capture the attentions of the Marquess of Southfork. Her love, dreams, and future are soon pinned on her marriage to this one man. One handsome, kind, fantastic man.
One man, who has a very different idea of what this marriage will be.
He will be hated, before he is loved.
Killian Hayward, Marquess of Southfork, is only one step away from completing the revenge he has fought his entire life for. All he has to do is marry Lady Halstead. The one woman that is the key to his revenge. To his peace.
The one woman that will threaten the very foundation of his entire existence.
The Hold Your Breath series continues.
A thousand reasons to hold your breath, and one to let it go.
Historical romance with strong women, undeniable men, and hold your breath adventure.
Author's note: Unmasking the Marquess is a stand-alone story. No need to read Stone Devil Duke before this (but I hope you put it on your to-be-read list!).
Some people are born with backbone. Others have to fight for it.
List in-hand of suitable bachelors, Lady Reanna Halstead, the epitome of naivety, is thrust into London society with demands to gain a husband. To her utter amazement, she manages to capture the attentions of the Marquess of Southfork. Her love, dreams, and future are soon pinned on her marriage to this one man. One handsome, kind, fantastic man.
One man, who has a very different idea of what this marriage will be.
He will be hated, before he is loved.
Killian Hayward, Marquess of Southfork, is only one step away from completing the revenge he has fought his entire life for. All he has to do is marry Lady Halstead. The one woman that is the key to his revenge. To his peace.
The one woman that will threaten the very foundation of his entire existence.
The Hold Your Breath series continues.
A thousand reasons to hold your breath, and one to let it go.
Historical romance with strong women, undeniable men, and hold your breath adventure.
Author's note: Unmasking the Marquess is a stand-alone story. No need to read Stone Devil Duke before this (but I hope you put it on your to-be-read list!).
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2014
518 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
December 19, 2017
This is the most disgusting crappy excuse of a "romance" novel ! The hero should have died and his mistress should have been gutted like a fish and left to rot at the side of the road. What a waste of a few hours skimming through this pile of garbage. Angst is good in a novel, but outrageous cruelty is fucking disgusting. This "hero" was cruel. The "hero" turned a group of orphans out of the humble cottage that the heroine had cleaned up for them to live in, then he left her with little money and told her to transport the kids to a nearby orphanage. When the heroine went on her knees and begged him to reconsider ( the woman literally begged on bent knees because she cared about those homeless kids), the f*cking bastard ignored her while his whorebag mistress stood there enjoying the private show. Mother F*cker ! This novel made want to turn the air blue with a rampage of cuss words. Did I mention how much I wanted to see his mistress be tortured? That whore cackled like the witch faced c*nt that she was and it just riled my every last nerve. The fact that the "hero" had not been having sex ( at that time ) with the dirty slut did not matter because he had paid the prostitute to humiliate the heroine by lying and telling her how much sex they had been having. When the prostitute took her insults too far and made the heroine cry the "hero" finally dumped the whore and sent her on her way. That still did not pacify my need for vengeance. I still say that the former mistress deserved to be boiled in oil and then dumped for sharks to feed on. This bitch had me thinking of all the various ways Jason Voorhies and Freddie Krueger had tortured their victims.
That was not the worst that was done to the heroine because of the "hero's" evil villainy. The poor heroine wanted to save the homeless kids and knew that the only way she could do so was to take them to London because she had her own house and money there. She had been lucky to have received that inheritance from her aunt. Her aunt was also smart enough to keep that legacy totally separate so that no one, including the hero and the heroine's evil father, would be able to take it from her. The heroine didn't have any money so she had a huge problem transporting the kids to London. She was lucky that the stable boy at the "hero's" estate had allowed her to use a horse ( instead of the old mule that the "hero" had provided ) but there were too many kids for one horse to pull on a ramshackle wagon all the way to London. The kind heroine decides that the toddlers and the younger kids would sit on the wagon while she and the 2 older boys would walk. This poor woman developed huge blisters on the soles of her feet because she walked all the way to London. Her feet had swollen so much that her boots had to be cut from them by the doctor. The doctor even told the "hero" that she was lucky that her toes didn't have to be amputated. The little money the "hero" had given her was used to buy food for the kids on the journey. This heroine was an angel, who saved these downtrodden starving kids and their love saved her sanity when she thought she had little for which to live. The oldest boy was her little soldier too; I loved how the little guy tried to beat she thit out of the "hero's" ass.
At points in this novel I started wondering if I was in a Dickens or Hardy novel. This level of physical suffering is too extreme for a romance novel. In fact I try to stay away from romance novels that focus on too much physical suffering but this one was unexpected and I kept reading because I needed to see how the c*nt "hero" would redeem himself. I couldn't forgive the "hero" even when he grovelled. I didn't even care that he had been cruel to her because her dad had caused his father's death and forced his mother to become a whore. He should have simply put a bullet in her father's head and just left the poor sweet woman alone in peace. His brand of vengeance was too f*cked up and sinister. Her father was just as bad ! Her father had her kidnapped and placed in an asylum and then sold her to a vile bastard who threw her into a tub of very hot water because he decided that he needed to wash away the asylum's filth before he raped her. This poor woman ! Ok, at least she was saved from being raped but the kind of physical suffering she endured was over the top ridiculous. I still can't believe she had the kind heart to forgive this beast of a "hero".
I can't, with a good conscience, recommend this for those readers who are sweet little romantics and read romance novels to feel all good and bubbly inside. This novel will torment your soul if you're a sensitive reader with triggers for human suffering. I'm aware that there's a lot of cruel shit that happens to people in the world but I don't like reading about it in romance novels.
If I'm in the mood for human suffering, I will read an old Richard Laymon novel or something that's horrifyingly crazy by Edward Lee ( my personal horror master ). However I separate my genres and when I read romance, I like it light, fluffy and happy with a tinge of angst...
That was not the worst that was done to the heroine because of the "hero's" evil villainy. The poor heroine wanted to save the homeless kids and knew that the only way she could do so was to take them to London because she had her own house and money there. She had been lucky to have received that inheritance from her aunt. Her aunt was also smart enough to keep that legacy totally separate so that no one, including the hero and the heroine's evil father, would be able to take it from her. The heroine didn't have any money so she had a huge problem transporting the kids to London. She was lucky that the stable boy at the "hero's" estate had allowed her to use a horse ( instead of the old mule that the "hero" had provided ) but there were too many kids for one horse to pull on a ramshackle wagon all the way to London. The kind heroine decides that the toddlers and the younger kids would sit on the wagon while she and the 2 older boys would walk. This poor woman developed huge blisters on the soles of her feet because she walked all the way to London. Her feet had swollen so much that her boots had to be cut from them by the doctor. The doctor even told the "hero" that she was lucky that her toes didn't have to be amputated. The little money the "hero" had given her was used to buy food for the kids on the journey. This heroine was an angel, who saved these downtrodden starving kids and their love saved her sanity when she thought she had little for which to live. The oldest boy was her little soldier too; I loved how the little guy tried to beat she thit out of the "hero's" ass.
At points in this novel I started wondering if I was in a Dickens or Hardy novel. This level of physical suffering is too extreme for a romance novel. In fact I try to stay away from romance novels that focus on too much physical suffering but this one was unexpected and I kept reading because I needed to see how the c*nt "hero" would redeem himself. I couldn't forgive the "hero" even when he grovelled. I didn't even care that he had been cruel to her because her dad had caused his father's death and forced his mother to become a whore. He should have simply put a bullet in her father's head and just left the poor sweet woman alone in peace. His brand of vengeance was too f*cked up and sinister. Her father was just as bad ! Her father had her kidnapped and placed in an asylum and then sold her to a vile bastard who threw her into a tub of very hot water because he decided that he needed to wash away the asylum's filth before he raped her. This poor woman ! Ok, at least she was saved from being raped but the kind of physical suffering she endured was over the top ridiculous. I still can't believe she had the kind heart to forgive this beast of a "hero".
I can't, with a good conscience, recommend this for those readers who are sweet little romantics and read romance novels to feel all good and bubbly inside. This novel will torment your soul if you're a sensitive reader with triggers for human suffering. I'm aware that there's a lot of cruel shit that happens to people in the world but I don't like reading about it in romance novels.
If I'm in the mood for human suffering, I will read an old Richard Laymon novel or something that's horrifyingly crazy by Edward Lee ( my personal horror master ). However I separate my genres and when I read romance, I like it light, fluffy and happy with a tinge of angst...
May 24, 2016
I'm a sucker for the books where the hero hurts the innocent heroine out of some misguided revenge against her family. This one definitely had that, but the hero was too weak for me. If you like the alpha males, this guy isn't one. He's not even a beta... It was too bad, too, because there are too few books where the hero has to actually try to get the heroine back for more than a page.
Also, the language was odd. It did not feel like 1800s England. Definitely more modern in thinking and speaking patterns than I'm happy with in a historical.
There was lots of crazy. The kitchen sink treatment. Which, hey, not judging. I seek out the crazy. But I was confused with the mess in the last 3rd when the heroine's evil father has her kidnapped. Very convoluted and an overload (yes, I said it - "an overload"). Just one more comment on that: I'm not a doctor, but pretty sure if you get dunked in 'boiling' water, you'll be horribly scarred for life IF you survive it. You won't just have some blisters and have to wear smelly cream for a few days while it heals.
Others have enjoyed this, but it just wasn't my cuppa.
Also, the language was odd. It did not feel like 1800s England. Definitely more modern in thinking and speaking patterns than I'm happy with in a historical.
There was lots of crazy. The kitchen sink treatment. Which, hey, not judging. I seek out the crazy. But I was confused with the mess in the last 3rd when the heroine's evil father has her kidnapped. Very convoluted and an overload (yes, I said it - "an overload"). Just one more comment on that: I'm not a doctor, but pretty sure if you get dunked in 'boiling' water, you'll be horribly scarred for life IF you survive it. You won't just have some blisters and have to wear smelly cream for a few days while it heals.
Others have enjoyed this, but it just wasn't my cuppa.
February 3, 2020
What an a**-h*le!! Truly a king of them all.
He does some very cruel, unforgivable things - quite calmly and casually.
And then midway, he acts as if it's no big deal and wants to make nice with her. And her new spine melts sooner than soon.
**spoilerish**
Hero - Oh, I have a big fat sob story of a childhood. I waaaant, I neeeed to avenge my family!
So, since I'm a whiny weak little loser and hurting the villain of my life isn't enough, let me marry and torture his daughter who is quite oblivious of everything! It's like if fate has been cruel to me, let me kick a puppy to get back at fate/God.
Does it matter to the villain/ bad parent if I mistreat the daughter?? Maybe not but I'm having too much fun humiliating and hurting my innocent wife - way beyond any call of duty. And, being the loser that I am I brought in the big guns like my skanky mistress to bring my wife to her knees - literally.
And now, I've decided I may just be able to live with her and want her to make goo-goo eyes at me again. So what if I lied and threw few ILYs her way to get her to the altar and then rejected her quite sadistically. It wasn't all that a big thing, really. Now, I'm even trying to be nice to the (her adopted orphan) kids. I'm quite upset that she doesn't get my point and forgive all and come to heel. Women!
And groveling is for men, real men. Moreover, as I say why ask for forgiveness when I kinda sorta know I've done the unforgivable. Bah!
Heroine- I am going to be the biggest Mary sue ever. The queen of all such beings! Innocent, wide-eyed, vulnerable, trusting, clinging, unworldly and temptingly shatter-able so that the H can do his worst and I shatter and then I'll grow this backbone thing (temporarily) and live my life my way and to make things even more poignant- let me take over a passel of orphans to raise and bring more angst by living, walking (all the way to London), eating (or not) and sleeping (barely) for them.
Mcs from Book #1 - The duke and his duchess! Okay, so this guy will naturally allow his friend, the H, a lot of leeway on how he wishes to go about his vengeance and hardly care how a random woman is treated but his duchess? She proclaims herself a friend of the h and still maintains that she loves/adores/understands/cares for the loser H. Yes, she does try her best to make him desist from marrying her so coldly but later? She knows how abominably he's treating his wife and still coddles him and treats him as a dear friend? A woman enabling/letting off another woman's abuser in such a way is unforgivable.
ETA Mistress - What a skank! And crude and trashy with it. With a voice to match, apparently. What would a cold and quiet sort a man want with such a woman? Looks, good sex yes but he would have to hear that constant uncouth screeching too. I didn't get it. Doesn't go with his character. Of course, his own character and convictions kept going the roller coaster way. We are to believe he didn't sleep with this mistress or any other woman after his wedding (almost a year ago) but the adjoining room in his London home (the marchioness' room) still has his mistress' possessions in it. Why? Forget the complete anachronism and unclassy-ness of this matter, but why didn't he get the room cleared in all this while? Was she habitating there despite the no-sex.
Sometimes, the small things irk the most!
He does some very cruel, unforgivable things - quite calmly and casually.
And then midway, he acts as if it's no big deal and wants to make nice with her. And her new spine melts sooner than soon.
**spoilerish**
Hero - Oh, I have a big fat sob story of a childhood. I waaaant, I neeeed to avenge my family!
So, since I'm a whiny weak little loser and hurting the villain of my life isn't enough, let me marry and torture his daughter who is quite oblivious of everything! It's like if fate has been cruel to me, let me kick a puppy to get back at fate/God.
Does it matter to the villain/ bad parent if I mistreat the daughter?? Maybe not but I'm having too much fun humiliating and hurting my innocent wife - way beyond any call of duty. And, being the loser that I am I brought in the big guns like my skanky mistress to bring my wife to her knees - literally.
And now, I've decided I may just be able to live with her and want her to make goo-goo eyes at me again. So what if I lied and threw few ILYs her way to get her to the altar and then rejected her quite sadistically. It wasn't all that a big thing, really. Now, I'm even trying to be nice to the (her adopted orphan) kids. I'm quite upset that she doesn't get my point and forgive all and come to heel. Women!
And groveling is for men, real men. Moreover, as I say why ask for forgiveness when I kinda sorta know I've done the unforgivable. Bah!
Heroine- I am going to be the biggest Mary sue ever. The queen of all such beings! Innocent, wide-eyed, vulnerable, trusting, clinging, unworldly and temptingly shatter-able so that the H can do his worst and I shatter and then I'll grow this backbone thing (temporarily) and live my life my way and to make things even more poignant- let me take over a passel of orphans to raise and bring more angst by living, walking (all the way to London), eating (or not) and sleeping (barely) for them.
Mcs from Book #1 - The duke and his duchess! Okay, so this guy will naturally allow his friend, the H, a lot of leeway on how he wishes to go about his vengeance and hardly care how a random woman is treated but his duchess? She proclaims herself a friend of the h and still maintains that she loves/adores/understands/cares for the loser H. Yes, she does try her best to make him desist from marrying her so coldly but later? She knows how abominably he's treating his wife and still coddles him and treats him as a dear friend? A woman enabling/letting off another woman's abuser in such a way is unforgivable.
ETA Mistress - What a skank! And crude and trashy with it. With a voice to match, apparently. What would a cold and quiet sort a man want with such a woman? Looks, good sex yes but he would have to hear that constant uncouth screeching too. I didn't get it. Doesn't go with his character. Of course, his own character and convictions kept going the roller coaster way. We are to believe he didn't sleep with this mistress or any other woman after his wedding (almost a year ago) but the adjoining room in his London home (the marchioness' room) still has his mistress' possessions in it. Why? Forget the complete anachronism and unclassy-ness of this matter, but why didn't he get the room cleared in all this while? Was she habitating there despite the no-sex.
Sometimes, the small things irk the most!
July 6, 2022
7/5/22
I read it again and it was still so emotional for me. I cried again, copiously!!! Just heartbreaking and I don't believe him about not touching the mistress. He let her redecorate the room next to his at his townhouse and the things she said to him about his pathetic performance the night before after she made the heroine beg again. But I digress. He still really worked to get her back I guess. And I do believe he loved her at the end. But that first part of the book was painful to read, even twice .
Heartbreaking story
I cried through approximately 40% of this story. It will tear you up. The Hero is one of the worst heroes I have ever read about. I gave this five stars simply because the author made me feel so much. I loved the heroine and the last 60% of the book was filled with the hero's grovel. I want to write more but I am emotionally exhausted right now. Will be back.
I read it again and it was still so emotional for me. I cried again, copiously!!! Just heartbreaking and I don't believe him about not touching the mistress. He let her redecorate the room next to his at his townhouse and the things she said to him about his pathetic performance the night before after she made the heroine beg again. But I digress. He still really worked to get her back I guess. And I do believe he loved her at the end. But that first part of the book was painful to read, even twice .
Heartbreaking story
I cried through approximately 40% of this story. It will tear you up. The Hero is one of the worst heroes I have ever read about. I gave this five stars simply because the author made me feel so much. I loved the heroine and the last 60% of the book was filled with the hero's grovel. I want to write more but I am emotionally exhausted right now. Will be back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2023
4-Powerful-Stars
Re-read July 2023 after the disappointing performance of book #3.
At the risk of upsetting a lot of readers who hated this book, I am afraid to say that I liked it. Probably, I was prepared for the alpha-hole hero, the pain & suffering, and the incredulity of the plot. But, like it, I did quite a bit, actually.
My Thoughts
- My God, this author writes such intensely emotional stories. They are gritty and do not let you get comfortable at all. We are far from glittering ballrooms, parlour games and house party excursions.
- This was a world of horrible experiences, gut-wrenching revenge and darkness of characters.
- My heart went out to Reanna. Shit, this girl was a victim of ill-thought-out revenge. But she withstood it all and with a straight back no less. I have the utmost respect for women who are self-reliant in the face of difficulty and can stand resolute. I am glad she did not forgive Killian easily, that she withheld herself from jumping into his arms while making him work for it.
- I wanted to hate Killian. I did hate him initially. I would have continued to hate him had he not spent most of the book grovelling for forgiveness on his knees, rubbing his nose at her feet, backing his words with actions and delivering on his promises.
- This intensity is what made the romance powerful. The fakeness melted away, paving the way for rawness to come forth.
*This is not a light-hearted book by any means, but I can appreciate a darker theme every once in a while.
Re-read July 2023 after the disappointing performance of book #3.
At the risk of upsetting a lot of readers who hated this book, I am afraid to say that I liked it. Probably, I was prepared for the alpha-hole hero, the pain & suffering, and the incredulity of the plot. But, like it, I did quite a bit, actually.
My Thoughts
- My God, this author writes such intensely emotional stories. They are gritty and do not let you get comfortable at all. We are far from glittering ballrooms, parlour games and house party excursions.
- This was a world of horrible experiences, gut-wrenching revenge and darkness of characters.
- My heart went out to Reanna. Shit, this girl was a victim of ill-thought-out revenge. But she withstood it all and with a straight back no less. I have the utmost respect for women who are self-reliant in the face of difficulty and can stand resolute. I am glad she did not forgive Killian easily, that she withheld herself from jumping into his arms while making him work for it.
- I wanted to hate Killian. I did hate him initially. I would have continued to hate him had he not spent most of the book grovelling for forgiveness on his knees, rubbing his nose at her feet, backing his words with actions and delivering on his promises.
- This intensity is what made the romance powerful. The fakeness melted away, paving the way for rawness to come forth.
*This is not a light-hearted book by any means, but I can appreciate a darker theme every once in a while.
October 4, 2020
killian needs jail time sorry
July 12, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (I counted 2 scenes that are close together as one)
Humor: Not much
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
You don’t have to, but I think it would be a touch better in order. I didn’t and the story stands well on its own and the author notes it can be read as a standalone. But I did wonder how much page time either Killian or Reanna get in book 1, since their engagement is already established at the beginning. Also, the characters from book 1, Devin and Aggie are in this book a decent amount. I guess I will have to read that one sometime to make a full judgement ;)
Basic plot:
Killian has deep trauma caused by one man….Reanna’s father. And to finish his revenge, he will marry Reanna, and cut her father off from everything he holds dear.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1820)
- Mix between country setting and London
- Lots of drama – if there’s not tons of relationship angst and turmoil then there’s villain activity
- Mid steam – 3-4 full scenes, though there’s a dry spell in the middle of the book
- Children in the story – heroine opens an orphanage
- You’re okay with a jerk hero – he’s purposefully cruel, repeatedly, as a part of his revenge against the heroine’s father
Ages:
- Hero says he lived for more than 25 years in hatred and he found his father dead when he was 6 so I would guess he’s around 31? Heroine is ‘years older than the bright lights of the ton’ so I would guess early to mid 20s for her?
My thoughts:
Well, I’ve finally read the infamous jerk hero book and have an opinion!
Yes, he’s a jerk. No he’s not the worst jerk I’ve read. Yes he feels remorse. Yes he could have done MORE to repent and grovel to the heroine. Did I forgive him? For the most part.
I have read some REAL JERKS! Sean Culhane anyone?? (Stormfire/Christine Monson) Or, #1 jerk to me, Gavin Montgomery (The Velvet Promise/Jude Deveraux). So yes, Killian does harmful things but that wasn’t what I struggled with about this book.
I didn’t really understand the timing of Killians behavior. The revenge and hurtful actions in the beginning, okay. But when he seemed to regret his actions and turn everything around, I didn’t get that gutting soul searching I wanted. I wanted to die inside with him and really feel the remorse.
I do think he did a lot to make up for his behavior. In many books, we get hardly any apologies or actions to make up for bad treatment.. But, he also does a lot to the heroine and is extremely emotionally cruel, so it’s not surprising a lot of people don’t forgive him. Real life, of course, run for your life Reanna. Lock yourself in your aunt’s house and never come out. But as this is fiction I can play with the idea of forgiving someone doing this to someone else.
Bottom line – did I leave the book thinking they would be happy together? Yes, I did.
I thought this book had A LOT going on in it. There was a lot of stuff. A lot. And it seemed to be thrown in for crazy dramatic effect and then quickly moved on to the next thing. Like what happened with the child abusers? They are still just hanging out near the country manor waiting to steal more children? And what happened to the spirit lady? I wish Jackson had taken just a few of these things and really developed them and left the rest of the story to the emotional aspect of their relationship. I really wanted to feel gutted and I wanted to feel how emotional it was to allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other. And I think all those little plot things kind of got in the way of that.
Another minor complaint was how time passed in the story. It would randomly be 5 weeks later. A month later. 6 months later. Some of the time gaps just didn’t seem necessary and I felt like I had missed things about their relationship during that time
I can’t say I loved the writing here. I don’t really care if language feels a bit modern so I’m not sure what it was here. But I’m definitely going to give her more chances because I feel like I COULD really love some of her books. The potential was there in this one but it just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (I counted 2 scenes that are close together as one)
Humor: Not much
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
You don’t have to, but I think it would be a touch better in order. I didn’t and the story stands well on its own and the author notes it can be read as a standalone. But I did wonder how much page time either Killian or Reanna get in book 1, since their engagement is already established at the beginning. Also, the characters from book 1, Devin and Aggie are in this book a decent amount. I guess I will have to read that one sometime to make a full judgement ;)
Basic plot:
Killian has deep trauma caused by one man….Reanna’s father. And to finish his revenge, he will marry Reanna, and cut her father off from everything he holds dear.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1820)
- Mix between country setting and London
- Lots of drama – if there’s not tons of relationship angst and turmoil then there’s villain activity
- Mid steam – 3-4 full scenes, though there’s a dry spell in the middle of the book
- Children in the story – heroine opens an orphanage
- You’re okay with a jerk hero – he’s purposefully cruel, repeatedly, as a part of his revenge against the heroine’s father
Ages:
- Hero says he lived for more than 25 years in hatred and he found his father dead when he was 6 so I would guess he’s around 31? Heroine is ‘years older than the bright lights of the ton’ so I would guess early to mid 20s for her?
My thoughts:
Well, I’ve finally read the infamous jerk hero book and have an opinion!
Yes, he’s a jerk. No he’s not the worst jerk I’ve read. Yes he feels remorse. Yes he could have done MORE to repent and grovel to the heroine. Did I forgive him? For the most part.
I have read some REAL JERKS! Sean Culhane anyone?? (Stormfire/Christine Monson) Or, #1 jerk to me, Gavin Montgomery (The Velvet Promise/Jude Deveraux). So yes, Killian does harmful things but that wasn’t what I struggled with about this book.
I didn’t really understand the timing of Killians behavior. The revenge and hurtful actions in the beginning, okay. But when he seemed to regret his actions and turn everything around, I didn’t get that gutting soul searching I wanted. I wanted to die inside with him and really feel the remorse.
I do think he did a lot to make up for his behavior. In many books, we get hardly any apologies or actions to make up for bad treatment.. But, he also does a lot to the heroine and is extremely emotionally cruel, so it’s not surprising a lot of people don’t forgive him. Real life, of course, run for your life Reanna. Lock yourself in your aunt’s house and never come out. But as this is fiction I can play with the idea of forgiving someone doing this to someone else.
Bottom line – did I leave the book thinking they would be happy together? Yes, I did.
I thought this book had A LOT going on in it. There was a lot of stuff. A lot. And it seemed to be thrown in for crazy dramatic effect and then quickly moved on to the next thing. Like what happened with the child abusers? They are still just hanging out near the country manor waiting to steal more children? And what happened to the spirit lady? I wish Jackson had taken just a few of these things and really developed them and left the rest of the story to the emotional aspect of their relationship. I really wanted to feel gutted and I wanted to feel how emotional it was to allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other. And I think all those little plot things kind of got in the way of that.
Another minor complaint was how time passed in the story. It would randomly be 5 weeks later. A month later. 6 months later. Some of the time gaps just didn’t seem necessary and I felt like I had missed things about their relationship during that time
I can’t say I loved the writing here. I don’t really care if language feels a bit modern so I’m not sure what it was here. But I’m definitely going to give her more chances because I feel like I COULD really love some of her books. The potential was there in this one but it just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
May 29, 2021
I’m really perplexed by this book. There are several things that confused me and made me feel uncomfortable.
- the language. English is not my language but I had the impression that the language used in the dialogues is far too modern for a historical romance. Expressions like: bloody hell, s**t, what the bloody fu****g hell, and the hero calling the heroine Ree, mmm all this sounds incongruous. Sometimes it was like watching an episode of Jersey Shore.
- the heroine: in the beginning she was besotted with the hero and after he rejected her badly she begged him on her knees (??????) and wrote him for six months even if he never answered once. She has a personality disorder called dependent trait: afraid to be abandoned and with a very low self esteem, she thinks it’s her fault if he left her after treating her like dirt, and tries to have him back (please, heroine, call on my study and I’ll help you for free!) afterwards she forgave him, after all the humiliations he made her suffer. She acts like a headless chicken, accepting humiliations and pains without any sense at all. Some of the situations she went through she could easily have avoided, sorry my English has gone out of the window...
- the hero. That’s the weakest point of the story. There are heroes who, to punish someone, hurt the people they love. These heroes are or psychopaths or psychotics or both. Anyway not sane people. The best example ever: Heathcliff. In whutering heights he marries Isabella to hurt Edgar. He really treats her badly and hates even his own son. Heathcliff never redeems himself, there no happy ending here. And it’s perfect because it’s how it should be: a man who is cruel and hurt innocent is a psychopath and psychopaths never change. So no happy ending, ok? Here the hero should be a new Heathcliff because he hurts the heroine in an awful way ( when he comes back with his bit** mistress he scorns her and let the w***e hurt her and beg her on her knees, he also hurts the children she was sheltering in his property, what a man) he almost causes her to have her feet amputated, then immediately he changes and he wants her back. What? No! This is not how it works! He’s a base psychopath, evil and mean. He doesn’t change. He can’t. This is simply a plot impossible to believe.
- too many things happens to the heroine and at a certain time I couldn’t see the point. She’s debased by the hero and his mistress, she’s thrown out of her house with her orphans, she walks 8 days and almost loses her feet because of the wounds, she’s kidnapped and locked in an asylum and then kidnapped and boiled alive... no, please stop this nonsense.I suggest another title: Reanna vs the world. I only read another book where the heroine was so harassed: Lily by Patricia Gaffney. I almost passed out when she was beaten by the evil servant. Sorry, never again.
- the language. English is not my language but I had the impression that the language used in the dialogues is far too modern for a historical romance. Expressions like: bloody hell, s**t, what the bloody fu****g hell, and the hero calling the heroine Ree, mmm all this sounds incongruous. Sometimes it was like watching an episode of Jersey Shore.
- the heroine: in the beginning she was besotted with the hero and after he rejected her badly she begged him on her knees (??????) and wrote him for six months even if he never answered once. She has a personality disorder called dependent trait: afraid to be abandoned and with a very low self esteem, she thinks it’s her fault if he left her after treating her like dirt, and tries to have him back (please, heroine, call on my study and I’ll help you for free!) afterwards she forgave him, after all the humiliations he made her suffer. She acts like a headless chicken, accepting humiliations and pains without any sense at all. Some of the situations she went through she could easily have avoided, sorry my English has gone out of the window...
- the hero. That’s the weakest point of the story. There are heroes who, to punish someone, hurt the people they love. These heroes are or psychopaths or psychotics or both. Anyway not sane people. The best example ever: Heathcliff. In whutering heights he marries Isabella to hurt Edgar. He really treats her badly and hates even his own son. Heathcliff never redeems himself, there no happy ending here. And it’s perfect because it’s how it should be: a man who is cruel and hurt innocent is a psychopath and psychopaths never change. So no happy ending, ok? Here the hero should be a new Heathcliff because he hurts the heroine in an awful way ( when he comes back with his bit** mistress he scorns her and let the w***e hurt her and beg her on her knees, he also hurts the children she was sheltering in his property, what a man) he almost causes her to have her feet amputated, then immediately he changes and he wants her back. What? No! This is not how it works! He’s a base psychopath, evil and mean. He doesn’t change. He can’t. This is simply a plot impossible to believe.
- too many things happens to the heroine and at a certain time I couldn’t see the point. She’s debased by the hero and his mistress, she’s thrown out of her house with her orphans, she walks 8 days and almost loses her feet because of the wounds, she’s kidnapped and locked in an asylum and then kidnapped and boiled alive... no, please stop this nonsense.I suggest another title: Reanna vs the world. I only read another book where the heroine was so harassed: Lily by Patricia Gaffney. I almost passed out when she was beaten by the evil servant. Sorry, never again.
August 1, 2025
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I am a huge sucker for deplorable a$$hole H’s and this delivered!
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: Although other characters were aware of the H’s motives from the beginning, there was no dissuading him from his dastardly mistreatment of the h. It was like an imminent train wreck. There was a ton of OTT drama including a diabolical OW, an evil father, and an evil wannabe OM. I loved it! It read like a historical soap opera.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I loved the h. She was guileless and innocent, but after suffering outright rejection and humiliation after humiliation, she grew a backbone and became pragmatic. The h, if he really did ever redeem himself (questionable because there was no valid excuse for what he did), did have some redeeming qualities and he turned doting and groveled quite a bit. I love the angst and grovel.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I was astonished at how mean the H was to the h. This book outdid many HP’s and older romance books. Im reading on here that author got a lot of flack for this one, but I truly appreciated its entertainment value. Slow clap to the author! She really WENT there. The h suffers physically and emotionally more in this book than most others (excluding dark romances) I’ve read in recent memory.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: unwanted wife, arranged marriage, cheating (not technical, but close enough), bride used for retribution, regretful H, big MU, suffering h
* What did you think about the ending?: Though a bit convoluted with the asylum and subsequent kidnapping (I didn’t see that all that was necessary for the plot), the h saves the day in the end and the H is remorseful as ever. Would’ve loved an extended epilogue with a big happy family, but I will likely reread this book anyway.
* What is your impression of the author?: I always enjoy this author. She often writes sweeter H’s, but I love the big MU’s she often utilizes in her plots. This book was different in a very good way.
Triggers: cheating (though he said he never actually did it, it’s implied he tried so it’s the same in my book)
* How did the book make you feel?: I am a huge sucker for deplorable a$$hole H’s and this delivered!
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: Although other characters were aware of the H’s motives from the beginning, there was no dissuading him from his dastardly mistreatment of the h. It was like an imminent train wreck. There was a ton of OTT drama including a diabolical OW, an evil father, and an evil wannabe OM. I loved it! It read like a historical soap opera.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I loved the h. She was guileless and innocent, but after suffering outright rejection and humiliation after humiliation, she grew a backbone and became pragmatic. The h, if he really did ever redeem himself (questionable because there was no valid excuse for what he did), did have some redeeming qualities and he turned doting and groveled quite a bit. I love the angst and grovel.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I was astonished at how mean the H was to the h. This book outdid many HP’s and older romance books. Im reading on here that author got a lot of flack for this one, but I truly appreciated its entertainment value. Slow clap to the author! She really WENT there. The h suffers physically and emotionally more in this book than most others (excluding dark romances) I’ve read in recent memory.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: unwanted wife, arranged marriage, cheating (not technical, but close enough), bride used for retribution, regretful H, big MU, suffering h
* What did you think about the ending?: Though a bit convoluted with the asylum and subsequent kidnapping (I didn’t see that all that was necessary for the plot), the h saves the day in the end and the H is remorseful as ever. Would’ve loved an extended epilogue with a big happy family, but I will likely reread this book anyway.
* What is your impression of the author?: I always enjoy this author. She often writes sweeter H’s, but I love the big MU’s she often utilizes in her plots. This book was different in a very good way.
Triggers: cheating (though he said he never actually did it, it’s implied he tried so it’s the same in my book)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2021
I'm a sucker for Cruel Hero stories, and I'm so lucky that my good friend recommended this baby to me . I adored this awesome Cruel Hero story.
Killian was such a hurtful, cruel hero. He devastated his sweet, innocent wife who had no idea that he only married her as a revenge plot against her father.
Reanna was such a sweetheart though. She was devastated beyond belief, but after mourning her broken marriage, she dusted herself off and bettered herself in all the ways could.
This story took a crazy turbulent twist toward the ending, and then ended with a nice HEA. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this story.
March 29, 2022
This is angst hell lol. I would give this a 4 for the beginning half of the story but I don't think the hero grovelled just enough for my liking. Instead, he realized he did love the heroine and became Mr. Nice Guy. I wanted him on his knees doing the pretty. Instead he just kind of showed up to her townhouse and was like, I love you. Trust me. I'm good now.
And the heroine. She was a bit of a martyr.
The feet scene made me sputter in laughter. It's not meant to, but Reanna is a bit more "noble"/self-sacrificing than she is practical, at times. The only time she had a backbone was when it came to the children. I wished she told the hero off and stood up for herself. Instead she admits she can't stop loving him and is scared he will break her heart again. Ok but can you first read him to filth for being such a mindf**k!! And you know. I'm not even sure if the hero ever told the heroine that he did not cheat on her, only pretended to.
And the heroine. She was a bit of a martyr.
The feet scene made me sputter in laughter. It's not meant to, but Reanna is a bit more "noble"/self-sacrificing than she is practical, at times. The only time she had a backbone was when it came to the children. I wished she told the hero off and stood up for herself. Instead she admits she can't stop loving him and is scared he will break her heart again. Ok but can you first read him to filth for being such a mindf**k!! And you know. I'm not even sure if the hero ever told the heroine that he did not cheat on her, only pretended to.
August 30, 2021
I loved this book, but your mood will probably influence your enjoyment. Are you looking for a historical soap opera or a historical romance?
This is a solid angsty, soapy, revenge read. I say soapy because character actions/reactions are OTT producing buckets of drama-llama. It’s an easy read and quite entertaining, but it doesn’t generate deep emotional feels. Their actions aren’t always logical, so you’ll have go with some stuff.
The blurb sets this up, and everything is explained in the first chapter. Reanna is madly in love with her fiancé Killian, but he is looking for revenge against her father. This sets up Reanna’s heartbreak and Killian’s bastardly ways.
I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll just say that Killian is a total jerkface for most of the book. About the only real positive thing I can say is that some of the “hurt” comes about indirectly from his decisions (like I don’t think he ever wanted her physically hurt), but his actions still put Reanna through a world of hurt. Reanna starts out a smidge pathetic, but IMO she does grow a little backbone.
Bottom Line- If you can stomach a cruel H, enjoy soap operas, and want to ride the angsty drama-llama waves, give this a shot… but if you want a swoony romance then keep looking. The couple gets their HEA, but we don’t get much of an epilogue because each book flows into the next couple. I gobbled it up, but I LOVE soapy/harlequin reads, and didn't take it seriously/personally. I’ve never watched Downton Abbey, but I might need to binge sometime soon.
This is a solid angsty, soapy, revenge read. I say soapy because character actions/reactions are OTT producing buckets of drama-llama. It’s an easy read and quite entertaining, but it doesn’t generate deep emotional feels. Their actions aren’t always logical, so you’ll have go with some stuff.
The blurb sets this up, and everything is explained in the first chapter. Reanna is madly in love with her fiancé Killian, but he is looking for revenge against her father. This sets up Reanna’s heartbreak and Killian’s bastardly ways.
I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll just say that Killian is a total jerkface for most of the book. About the only real positive thing I can say is that some of the “hurt” comes about indirectly from his decisions (like I don’t think he ever wanted her physically hurt), but his actions still put Reanna through a world of hurt. Reanna starts out a smidge pathetic, but IMO she does grow a little backbone.
Bottom Line- If you can stomach a cruel H, enjoy soap operas, and want to ride the angsty drama-llama waves, give this a shot… but if you want a swoony romance then keep looking. The couple gets their HEA, but we don’t get much of an epilogue because each book flows into the next couple. I gobbled it up, but I LOVE soapy/harlequin reads, and didn't take it seriously/personally. I’ve never watched Downton Abbey, but I might need to binge sometime soon.
dnf
December 27, 2023DNF @ 75%, no rating
Another book that starts out a doozy but after a while manages to thoroughly lose my interest. This one has a spectacularly cruel hero, one that unleashes cruelty in the name of revenge--collateral damage be dammed. But his horrid behavior is NOT why I'm DNFing. I love antiheroes. I'm not easily scandalized by them. After all, they're only playing their part. In fact, I say, the meaner, the better. The issue is I've lost complete interest in the story and the characters. The heroine's over-the-top do-gooder antics are starting to really annoy me. And too many things are just not adding up. I'm not even going to bother skimming the rest because I don't really care what happens, and that sucks.
Read review by Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves
Another book that starts out a doozy but after a while manages to thoroughly lose my interest. This one has a spectacularly cruel hero, one that unleashes cruelty in the name of revenge--collateral damage be dammed. But his horrid behavior is NOT why I'm DNFing. I love antiheroes. I'm not easily scandalized by them. After all, they're only playing their part. In fact, I say, the meaner, the better. The issue is I've lost complete interest in the story and the characters. The heroine's over-the-top do-gooder antics are starting to really annoy me. And too many things are just not adding up. I'm not even going to bother skimming the rest because I don't really care what happens, and that sucks.
Read review by Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves
September 25, 2018
How can I describe my feelings? I've read last year but I remember most of it. Saintly and loving heroine and the most cruel, horrible, asshole, giant jerk Hero bozuntusu (I mean so called hero).
Of course he grovelled. Was it enough? NO! But Ms. Jackson wrote one of the best trainwrecky angsty book. It was like Arabesk. (a Turkish movie that mocked with angsty Turkish movies with using all the cliches ever used )
Anyway, for the love of tears I shed, 3,5 stars.
Of course he grovelled. Was it enough? NO! But Ms. Jackson wrote one of the best trainwrecky angsty book. It was like Arabesk. (a Turkish movie that mocked with angsty Turkish movies with using all the cliches ever used )
Anyway, for the love of tears I shed, 3,5 stars.
January 21, 2023
⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm trying to looking at this objectively, without any of the emotional stuff I was going through while reading this (iykyk and that's if you were reading my updates lololololol).
The romance, I didn't quite feel, although this was a grovelling novel and that's what I signed up for. Like in all aspects in life, I'm a masochist, because I KNOW the MMC is going to do something atrocious to the FMC, and I KNOW she's going to forgive him at some point, because reconciliation is the point of these novels. And, most importantly, I am well aware that if any of these things were happening to me in real life, I'd have landed in jail and there'd be one more body 6 feet under. But the beauty of fiction is that it isn't reality so it's unfair to use reality's metrics to evaluate something.
Sooooo let's evaluate it with something a little different 🎉🎉🎉 Introducing....
🎊 THE FIORE READING EVALUATION FOR GROVELLING ROMANCE NOVELS 🎊
How Assholeish was (H)e: 3/5. Bad. Not the worst. Could've been much worse.
How Bad did S(h)e Suffer: 4/5. Like, bodily harm is bad. I remember when I first read link: Smokey the violence against the h in that one had my jaw dropping. Here, it's not as bad, because , but I'm still going to say that H in Unmasked went to a similar level as the H in Smokey but not on a 1:1 ratio. Maybe a 1.25:1 ratio. Smokey being the 1.25. No, Smokey was out here grovelling like 10 min after what happened LOLOLOL which beats Killian's idk, was it 8 months? A year? Time moved weird. Also yes these are the two weirdest books to compare with each other but give me a break, it's 3 am and I got a winter class going so my brain is already in pieces.
How Satisfying was the Grovel: 3/5. I appreciate how H set aside funds for the kiddos as a way to not influence h's decision. Still used them to an extent tho lol.
Should He have Worked Harder: YES. SHE BEGGED ON HER KNEES. TWICE. WHEN DID HE?
Okay with these numbers it's averaging out to a nice 3.3 stars so I'll round it down to a 3. I'll tweak this evaluation later. Note to self: add in how I feel about the secondary characters *cough* couple from book 1 *cough* and pacing.
Anyway HAPPY READING !!!
I'm trying to looking at this objectively, without any of the emotional stuff I was going through while reading this (iykyk and that's if you were reading my updates lololololol).
The romance, I didn't quite feel, although this was a grovelling novel and that's what I signed up for. Like in all aspects in life, I'm a masochist, because I KNOW the MMC is going to do something atrocious to the FMC, and I KNOW she's going to forgive him at some point, because reconciliation is the point of these novels. And, most importantly, I am well aware that if any of these things were happening to me in real life, I'd have landed in jail and there'd be one more body 6 feet under. But the beauty of fiction is that it isn't reality so it's unfair to use reality's metrics to evaluate something.
Sooooo let's evaluate it with something a little different 🎉🎉🎉 Introducing....
🎊 THE FIORE READING EVALUATION FOR GROVELLING ROMANCE NOVELS 🎊
How Assholeish was (H)e: 3/5. Bad. Not the worst. Could've been much worse.
How Bad did S(h)e Suffer: 4/5. Like, bodily harm is bad. I remember when I first read link: Smokey the violence against the h in that one had my jaw dropping. Here, it's not as bad, because , but I'm still going to say that H in Unmasked went to a similar level as the H in Smokey but not on a 1:1 ratio. Maybe a 1.25:1 ratio. Smokey being the 1.25. No, Smokey was out here grovelling like 10 min after what happened LOLOLOL which beats Killian's idk, was it 8 months? A year? Time moved weird. Also yes these are the two weirdest books to compare with each other but give me a break, it's 3 am and I got a winter class going so my brain is already in pieces.
How Satisfying was the Grovel: 3/5. I appreciate how H set aside funds for the kiddos as a way to not influence h's decision. Still used them to an extent tho lol.
Should He have Worked Harder: YES. SHE BEGGED ON HER KNEES. TWICE. WHEN DID HE?
Okay with these numbers it's averaging out to a nice 3.3 stars so I'll round it down to a 3. I'll tweak this evaluation later. Note to self: add in how I feel about the secondary characters *cough* couple from book 1 *cough* and pacing.
Anyway HAPPY READING !!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2022
4 stars
I don't know why I took so much time to decide to start this one, since it was a recommendation I saw some months ago. To be honest, it must be because of the uninspiring cover, but oh well, better late than never.
This one hurt. A lot. If I thought that the heroes of Unforgivable and When She Loved Me had been a$$holes for abandoning callously their heroines after wedding them, Killian topped them all. First class a$$holery. Not only he pushed Reanna away callously with no explanation and exiled her to his remote country estate and ignored her existence for months as if she was nothing, he actively sought to hurt her and humiliate her publicly by flouting a mistress to her face and forcing her out of what has been her home for months. All for what? To try to have her hate him so that he would less hate himself for being attracted to her against his will (and against his lifelong thirst for revenge against her father). And guess what? He succeeded. I was quasi-embarassed when she was feverishly preparing his visit at the estate when he had ignored her so far. As much as my heart broke for her when Killian threw all the horrible words at her (along with that vile OW's posturing), I was glad that this was the catalyst for her to develop a backbone and finally open her eyes to her situation. It hurt yes, but it helped her stand with her eyes wide opened. She needed to find her rage at long last as well as her pride. Needless to say that this was accompanied by my tears and snots.
Now, onto the grovel part. It was angsty, it was painful but it worked. Killian was of course a cruel bastard (despite his having strong psychological reasons for reacting and doing what he did) but he did redeem himself. His big saving grace for me was that he never cavorted with that OW after he wedded Reanna (though he probably tried to prove himself something, but just could not do it because he was already obsessed with Reanna). I can understand that he was single-minded into his revenge for so long that he really never considered what he was standing to lose when he hurt Reanna. It was no excuse, but he did man up to his sins in a very humble way. Almost immediately when the worst clash was happening between him and Reanna, he realised that he could not go on hurting and rejecting her. Of course there were harsh, painful consequences for Reanna (perfect to up the angst though), but ever since, Killian worked hard to redeem himself sincerely in the eyes of his wife and conquer back her love. Special clap to Reanna to have made him work hard for it. And it worked. Their love was not easy but the angst/grovel was worthy of it and now made so strong they will never lose each other's trust.
On the last obstacle in their way at the very end of the book, I am of mixed feelings. On one hand it was quite OTT, with some very curious twists:
👢 Why wait 1 month to contact Killian and place Reanna in an asylum in the meantime? To torture them both psychologically? Her dad and that gold-tooth man are certainly first class perverts.
👢 How could that gold-tooth man be sure that Killian would reject Reanna as he was speaking to her dad? What if he swore his undying love as she was listening? That's a very weak plot twist imho.
👢 How can the dad say that it was not the plan to give Reanna to the gold-tooth man when it was exactly what he agreed on when she was kidnapped by him? That he would have her broken and not pronounce Killian's name again before being given to that disgusting man? Did he mean to double-cross him? Btw why was that man obsessed with Reanna and her forgetting her husband? That part of the plot was not developped enough to make it believable.
But the silver lining of that last part, nevermind its OTT-ness, was the way Reanna took charge of the situation and vindicated Killian. She deserves all the applause for her ruthlessness and decisiveness!
A satisfying book, to be taken just with a pinch of salt and some handkerchiefs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
I've never hated an MMC quite as much as I hated Killian. If the author succeeded in something is in creating one of the most hated and irredeemable MMCs that ever existed.
Long story short. Reanna's dad caused the death of both of Killian's parents and the financial ruin of his family. He vows to get revenge one way or another. Over 20 years later, he succeeds, Reanna's dad is in a scandalous ruin so he sends her off to find a wealthy old husband but Killian knowing who she is charms her and convinces her to marry him so that he can have his final revenge on her father through her.
So far so good. The author really builds us up to feel all this hatred that consumes Killian and the need for his revenge, not taking into consideration that he is ruining an innocent woman.
My reservations are as follows:
- The author has good ideas but the execution is lacking, the plot is flat and the MMC has no depth to his character.
- Aggie, presumed friend of Reanna, did nothing to avoid the misery she was sure Killian was going to put Reanna through.
- So many time jumps where there is zero interaction between the MCs.
- Killian exiles Reanna to the country side for the better part of a year and all of a sudden he appears with his mistress (we later on know that he did not touch any woman ever since he met Reanna in her debut season), he throws her out again, makes her beg him on her knees a couple of times, allows his mistress to treat her horribly and humiliate her.
- There are just a handful of Killian's POVs when there should have been a few more to know exactly when he decided he did Reanna wrong and that he needed his wife back.
- We never witness Killian softening towards Reanna or what made him decide that he has been unfair to her or whether he started having feelings for her. Nada.
- We needed more groveling because what he made our Reanna go through is to be honest irredeemable in my eyes.
- Why did Reanna keep the boots on for so long (a couple of weeks) knowing she had bloody blisters full of puss?!
- When Killian apologised for his behaviour and Reanna forgave him, he never did apologise for parading his mistress in front of her or for the way that evil witch humiliated her without him being phased by her behaviour!! SHAMEFUL!!!!
- Lastly, why for the love of God, were the mistress' things in Reanna's bed chambers in their London Townhouse if he claims he hasn't been with her since he met Reanna? And since Aggie and Devon are his best friends and neighbours, why didn't they warn him of the repercussions of such actions? Especially Aggie, presumed friend of Reanna!
There are so many things that didn't add up, that were too cruel to be part of this plot, and were just incohesive all together.
This book's only saving grace is Reanna, an absolute saint. Her heart is bigger than the whole of Britain. She loved Killian wholeheartedly with no reservations or conditions. When he cast her aside she worked on herself, on what made her happy and found that happiness in a bunch of orphans whom she shelters and takes care of.
She swallows her pride for these children. She grows a backbone for these children. She almost lost her feet for these children. She's a fierce lioness!
I gave 5 well deserved 🌟 to Reanna and none to Killian and the plot. Thus earning this book a total of 2.5 🌟.
She's drunk on alcohol and laudanum:
Her eyes flew open, lazily tracking across the room as she rolled onto her back. When her eyes met his face, her lips instantly widened into a smile. "Oh. You. It is you."
Killian froze.
She pulled her hand up from the bed, her fingers
touching his jaw.
"Your face is...is still beautiful. Still so handsome.
Warm. Rough."
She let her fingers trail up, palm on his cheek, but as
quickly as the smile had appeared, it flashed away,
sadness taking root. "You. You killed my heart."
She snatched her hand away and rolled back to her
side.
😢😢😢😢😢😢
This scene broke my heart:
"You did well, Reanna. There is just one more foot
to go."
The scissors slipped at that moment, and new
waves of agony washed over Reanna's face, her
body arching.
"Oh god, why?" Her eyes found focus on Killian
above her. "Why? What did I ever do to you, Killian? What did I ever do to you?"
Her head went down as she tried to curl into a ball,
her body only burrowing deeper into Killian's hold,
her voice pleading. "What did I ever do to you?
What did I ever do to you?" Sobs convulsed her
body. "Why? What did I do?"
The sobs overtook the words.
Halfway through the second foot, she passed out.
Holding full force the pain he had created, Killian
had never been more grateful for anything in his life.
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
"I once thought...Killian, I once thought you were the world. My whole world. But now,..now I do not see anything in you. I cannot allow myselfto see anything in you. Since the day after we were married you have g1ven me nothing but pain, I do not know how to get beyond that. And I hate you for asking me to do it."
____________________________________________
Chest aching, Reanna went to her knees, slipping
herself between his legs as her arms lifted. Slowly,
her hands slid along both sides of his jawbone,
moving upward to fully cup his face, Killian's eyes closed as he drew in air. His hands went over hers.
"This. This is all I want. Your hands holding me. A
home. I am at your mercy, Ree. Whatever. When-
ever."
📝 ticking another Bingo square
15) "A book from every continent (Europe)"
Squares Count: 57
🔴┃🔴┃87┃13┃68┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃76┃44
🔴┃86┃04┃45┃🔴┃98┃🔴┃🔴┃85┃75
88┃51┃🔴┃02┃🔴┃🔴┃24┃🔴┃82┃01
100┃🔴┃17┃🔴┃🔴┃49┃64┃🔴┃🔴┃38
🔴┃🔴┃62┃🔴┃21┃73┃28┃🔴┃90┃77
03┃🔴┃🔴┃69┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃23┃🔴
18┃🔴┃22┃🔴┃93┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃58
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃05┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃81┃🔴
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃06┃🔴┃89┃🔴
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃55┃27┃20┃🔴┃11┃83
Long story short. Reanna's dad caused the death of both of Killian's parents and the financial ruin of his family. He vows to get revenge one way or another. Over 20 years later, he succeeds, Reanna's dad is in a scandalous ruin so he sends her off to find a wealthy old husband but Killian knowing who she is charms her and convinces her to marry him so that he can have his final revenge on her father through her.
So far so good. The author really builds us up to feel all this hatred that consumes Killian and the need for his revenge, not taking into consideration that he is ruining an innocent woman.
My reservations are as follows:
- The author has good ideas but the execution is lacking, the plot is flat and the MMC has no depth to his character.
- Aggie, presumed friend of Reanna, did nothing to avoid the misery she was sure Killian was going to put Reanna through.
- So many time jumps where there is zero interaction between the MCs.
- Killian exiles Reanna to the country side for the better part of a year and all of a sudden he appears with his mistress (we later on know that he did not touch any woman ever since he met Reanna in her debut season), he throws her out again, makes her beg him on her knees a couple of times, allows his mistress to treat her horribly and humiliate her.
- There are just a handful of Killian's POVs when there should have been a few more to know exactly when he decided he did Reanna wrong and that he needed his wife back.
- We never witness Killian softening towards Reanna or what made him decide that he has been unfair to her or whether he started having feelings for her. Nada.
- We needed more groveling because what he made our Reanna go through is to be honest irredeemable in my eyes.
- Why did Reanna keep the boots on for so long (a couple of weeks) knowing she had bloody blisters full of puss?!
- When Killian apologised for his behaviour and Reanna forgave him, he never did apologise for parading his mistress in front of her or for the way that evil witch humiliated her without him being phased by her behaviour!! SHAMEFUL!!!!
- Lastly, why for the love of God, were the mistress' things in Reanna's bed chambers in their London Townhouse if he claims he hasn't been with her since he met Reanna? And since Aggie and Devon are his best friends and neighbours, why didn't they warn him of the repercussions of such actions? Especially Aggie, presumed friend of Reanna!
There are so many things that didn't add up, that were too cruel to be part of this plot, and were just incohesive all together.
This book's only saving grace is Reanna, an absolute saint. Her heart is bigger than the whole of Britain. She loved Killian wholeheartedly with no reservations or conditions. When he cast her aside she worked on herself, on what made her happy and found that happiness in a bunch of orphans whom she shelters and takes care of.
She swallows her pride for these children. She grows a backbone for these children. She almost lost her feet for these children. She's a fierce lioness!
I gave 5 well deserved 🌟 to Reanna and none to Killian and the plot. Thus earning this book a total of 2.5 🌟.
She's drunk on alcohol and laudanum:
Her eyes flew open, lazily tracking across the room as she rolled onto her back. When her eyes met his face, her lips instantly widened into a smile. "Oh. You. It is you."
Killian froze.
She pulled her hand up from the bed, her fingers
touching his jaw.
"Your face is...is still beautiful. Still so handsome.
Warm. Rough."
She let her fingers trail up, palm on his cheek, but as
quickly as the smile had appeared, it flashed away,
sadness taking root. "You. You killed my heart."
She snatched her hand away and rolled back to her
side.
😢😢😢😢😢😢
This scene broke my heart:
"You did well, Reanna. There is just one more foot
to go."
The scissors slipped at that moment, and new
waves of agony washed over Reanna's face, her
body arching.
"Oh god, why?" Her eyes found focus on Killian
above her. "Why? What did I ever do to you, Killian? What did I ever do to you?"
Her head went down as she tried to curl into a ball,
her body only burrowing deeper into Killian's hold,
her voice pleading. "What did I ever do to you?
What did I ever do to you?" Sobs convulsed her
body. "Why? What did I do?"
The sobs overtook the words.
Halfway through the second foot, she passed out.
Holding full force the pain he had created, Killian
had never been more grateful for anything in his life.
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
"I once thought...Killian, I once thought you were the world. My whole world. But now,..now I do not see anything in you. I cannot allow myselfto see anything in you. Since the day after we were married you have g1ven me nothing but pain, I do not know how to get beyond that. And I hate you for asking me to do it."
____________________________________________
Chest aching, Reanna went to her knees, slipping
herself between his legs as her arms lifted. Slowly,
her hands slid along both sides of his jawbone,
moving upward to fully cup his face, Killian's eyes closed as he drew in air. His hands went over hers.
"This. This is all I want. Your hands holding me. A
home. I am at your mercy, Ree. Whatever. When-
ever."
📝 ticking another Bingo square
15) "A book from every continent (Europe)"
Squares Count: 57
🔴┃🔴┃87┃13┃68┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃76┃44
🔴┃86┃04┃45┃🔴┃98┃🔴┃🔴┃85┃75
88┃51┃🔴┃02┃🔴┃🔴┃24┃🔴┃82┃01
100┃🔴┃17┃🔴┃🔴┃49┃64┃🔴┃🔴┃38
🔴┃🔴┃62┃🔴┃21┃73┃28┃🔴┃90┃77
03┃🔴┃🔴┃69┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃23┃🔴
18┃🔴┃22┃🔴┃93┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃58
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃05┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃81┃🔴
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃06┃🔴┃89┃🔴
🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃🔴┃55┃27┃20┃🔴┃11┃83
May 30, 2021
Revenge story that makes little sense, too often there’s no logic, as is the case here. There is no reasoning with the hero to deviate from a plan that will ruin the daughter, as if that will be the final blow against the father. Of, course, it’s a fail. The father doesn’t care and has no issue using his daughter on the same level. The hero knows her father was going to pimp her out to basically the highest bidder. Marrying her will kill the father’s plan. Isn’t that enough? Apparently not.
The hero is horrendous in his treatment of his wife. The OW is equal to any Disney villain, a caricature.
Guilt is too late.
The hero is horrendous in his treatment of his wife. The OW is equal to any Disney villain, a caricature.
Guilt is too late.
August 15, 2025
3 🌟 for this unevenly paced historical romance. Revenge-focused Marquess marries beautiful, guileless daughter of sworn enemy, falls for her, but squashes her heart anyway to fulfill his lifelong ambitions of retribution. Our FMC patches her broken heart together, which we are told but not shown (we OG Angst Whores want to immerse ourselves in the gory details, so that was a lost opportunity), then gets her groove on for her personal Act Two: saving orphans from the cruel world. MMC eventually sees the err of his ways and works toward repair.
This book was interesting not only because of the marital betrayal and repair, but also because of the inclusion of several weird and violent scenes that happen suddenly and without a lot of explanation, mostly to our battered and bruised FMC who is just trying to live her best damn life. Almost elements of horror, maybe? That was curious to me.
For genuine historical readers, I would say to you, This Ain’t It. The speech, the culture, the eventual marital relationship, and other elements were modern to my untrained brain. I imagine that could irritate some readers who gravitate toward authentic historicals.
All in all, a solid read that kept me turning the pages.
This book was interesting not only because of the marital betrayal and repair, but also because of the inclusion of several weird and violent scenes that happen suddenly and without a lot of explanation, mostly to our battered and bruised FMC who is just trying to live her best damn life. Almost elements of horror, maybe? That was curious to me.
For genuine historical readers, I would say to you, This Ain’t It. The speech, the culture, the eventual marital relationship, and other elements were modern to my untrained brain. I imagine that could irritate some readers who gravitate toward authentic historicals.
All in all, a solid read that kept me turning the pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2022
So angsty 👍 you wish the hero would grow bald, loose his teeth and gain a big belly and the heroine would drop her jaw and “nah, I’m out of here, bye”.
Reread October 2020 because I remembered how horrible the hero was and wanted to relive it again. He married his enemy’s daughter, the infatuated and innocent and clueless heroine, for revenge and sent her away after the wedding night because you can’t get attached to her obviously.
He brings a truly disgusting mistress to visit his innocent wife and humiliates her thoroughly. He makes her beg on her knees! In front of the disgusting mistress!
The begging didn’t help, he threw orphaned children out on the street (the wife sheltered them on his abandoned property) and made the heroine and the children walk (!!!) to London, a weeklong journey where she hurts her feet badly.
Instead of dismissing him and finding a new hero, the heroine pines for him and writes love letters that he doesn’t read (too busy with disgusting mistress). So stupid!
Very good read, if you want to throw the book in the wall.
Reread October 2020 because I remembered how horrible the hero was and wanted to relive it again. He married his enemy’s daughter, the infatuated and innocent and clueless heroine, for revenge and sent her away after the wedding night because you can’t get attached to her obviously.
He brings a truly disgusting mistress to visit his innocent wife and humiliates her thoroughly. He makes her beg on her knees! In front of the disgusting mistress!
The begging didn’t help, he threw orphaned children out on the street (the wife sheltered them on his abandoned property) and made the heroine and the children walk (!!!) to London, a weeklong journey where she hurts her feet badly.
Instead of dismissing him and finding a new hero, the heroine pines for him and writes love letters that he doesn’t read (too busy with disgusting mistress). So stupid!
Very good read, if you want to throw the book in the wall.
January 15, 2018
I knew this would be horrid, but it was even worse than I expected. In fact, this was one of the most unromantic romance books I have ever read!
Reanna the nit wit and Killian the other nit wit. Between the two of them, they may be able to rub two brain cells together.
OK so here we go... Reanna's dad is a big time scumbucket. But she doesnt't know this as she wasn't raised by him. Killian hates her dad, and marries her for revenge. They have a wonderful wedding night until Killian realizes that he is supposed to hate her and he hates her with gusto.
Leaves her to fend for herself on a forgotten estate until a year later he shows up with his nasty mistress (seriously why are the mistresses always so nasty? How can the H keep it hard when having sex with such trolls??). Some orphans show up like she's an orphan magnet, and he kicks her out, meaning her to walk them all to the nearest orphanage which is a terrible place.
She decides to walk them to London.
He feels guilty, sort of, and kicks his mistress to the curb. But it's too late when he tries to find his wife.
Eventually, he finds her in London, but the h's sh*t end of the sick isn't anywhere near at an end.
Seriously, the horrible skin afflictions she is forced to endure are so over the top, unrealistic and just gross.
Safety
Reanna the nit wit and Killian the other nit wit. Between the two of them, they may be able to rub two brain cells together.
OK so here we go... Reanna's dad is a big time scumbucket. But she doesnt't know this as she wasn't raised by him. Killian hates her dad, and marries her for revenge. They have a wonderful wedding night until Killian realizes that he is supposed to hate her and he hates her with gusto.
Leaves her to fend for herself on a forgotten estate until a year later he shows up with his nasty mistress (seriously why are the mistresses always so nasty? How can the H keep it hard when having sex with such trolls??). Some orphans show up like she's an orphan magnet, and he kicks her out, meaning her to walk them all to the nearest orphanage which is a terrible place.
She decides to walk them to London.
He feels guilty, sort of, and kicks his mistress to the curb. But it's too late when he tries to find his wife.
Eventually, he finds her in London, but the h's sh*t end of the sick isn't anywhere near at an end.
Seriously, the horrible skin afflictions she is forced to endure are so over the top, unrealistic and just gross.
Safety
July 6, 2022
This book is on the - books I cannot forget - shelf. It is a revenge trope but is managed a bit differently because of the hero's inability to separate the heroine (pawn) from her father's misdeeds.
This book is a puzzle. You know one of those that have only black and white objects in it with a splash of red to make you think you can handle it? You start off hopeful, then hate it so. much. But you persevere and *finally* get done with it. You are tired, a bit wrung out and vacillate between being glad you finished and a bit regretful you started it at all.
That's what reading this book is like.
I read this last year and wanted to put a chokehold on the hero and throw him in the Thames. I was so angry at him (and was convinced the author who wrote this hero had a devious evil mind because *how could she!*) that I didn't review it. I wasn't sure if I forgave the hero. I wasn't sure if I forgave the author. And I wasn't sure if I even liked the book.
Finally - I reread it as part of a read-a-long type deal on a Facebook group except I think I went rogue and read too fast haha! 😳 I was curious to know what I forgot, what I remembered, and could I forgive the hero.
I am not fond of reviews with spoilers and am too dumb to figure out how to mark certain sections as spoilers PLUS I am writing this on the phone app - so without giving anything away - here are those answers.
The hero was a grade A asshole. This is what I remembered the most. I remembered every single bad thing he did. I remembered it feeling like gratuitous assholery and it was.
I forgot about the events in the last 85% of the books and how they help make the story work.
As for the hero - I don't known that he was redeemed more than he was understood. So do I forgive the hero.
Hell no. But the heroine did so I am grudgingly accepting her decision (doesn't count as a spoiler because this HR and there is *always a HEA).
So why 4 stars and not 5? The first half was (literally) heart pounding, teeth grinding amazing. The second half lacked much of the emotion of the first half and it just felt jarring.
This book is a puzzle. You know one of those that have only black and white objects in it with a splash of red to make you think you can handle it? You start off hopeful, then hate it so. much. But you persevere and *finally* get done with it. You are tired, a bit wrung out and vacillate between being glad you finished and a bit regretful you started it at all.
That's what reading this book is like.
I read this last year and wanted to put a chokehold on the hero and throw him in the Thames. I was so angry at him (and was convinced the author who wrote this hero had a devious evil mind because *how could she!*) that I didn't review it. I wasn't sure if I forgave the hero. I wasn't sure if I forgave the author. And I wasn't sure if I even liked the book.
Finally - I reread it as part of a read-a-long type deal on a Facebook group except I think I went rogue and read too fast haha! 😳 I was curious to know what I forgot, what I remembered, and could I forgive the hero.
I am not fond of reviews with spoilers and am too dumb to figure out how to mark certain sections as spoilers PLUS I am writing this on the phone app - so without giving anything away - here are those answers.
The hero was a grade A asshole. This is what I remembered the most. I remembered every single bad thing he did. I remembered it feeling like gratuitous assholery and it was.
I forgot about the events in the last 85% of the books and how they help make the story work.
As for the hero - I don't known that he was redeemed more than he was understood. So do I forgive the hero.
Hell no. But the heroine did so I am grudgingly accepting her decision (doesn't count as a spoiler because this HR and there is *always a HEA).
So why 4 stars and not 5? The first half was (literally) heart pounding, teeth grinding amazing. The second half lacked much of the emotion of the first half and it just felt jarring.
May 15, 2025
2.75⭐️ What I loved most about this book was the ✨ANGST✨. Oh boy was this angsty. To the point where it made me shed a tear or two. This poor girl went through it because of the men in her life. She suffered a lot and I felt so bad for her.
However, even though I absolutely loved the angst in it, I totally understand why many people rated it low or why they hated the mmc. For half of the book, Killian was a total PIECE OF SHIT! I honestly hated him with a passion, but I also knew that once this type of hero comes to his senses, he would be absolutely obsessed with the fmc. Which was exactly the case in this one. He realized his mistakes and did a complete 180, he groveled (although not enough and not how I would have liked him to grovel but that’s beside the point) and the heroine forgave him eventually.
My problem though, was that I didn’t get WHY and at WHAT POINT his feelings changed so out of the blue. It wasn’t clear to me what made him suddenly want to be with her after not giving two shits about her for more than half a year. He didn’t even contact her during their separation, didn’t even read her letters, nothing…but suddenly he felt remorse? Why? Well, don’t look at me, I don’t have a clue! 🤷🏼♀️
The author just told us that all of the sudden he developed a conscience and that was that. We had to accept it without a real reason. So that was very puzzling to me.
I, for one, didn’t mind the fact that the mmc was an asshole (like all the other readers) because I happen to like a good antihero who eventually redeems himself. Sadly, in this book, that trope wasn’t executed as well as I would have hoped.
But that wasn’t the reason for my low rating.
No, the reason was the author’s writing style. I couldn’t really connect to the main characters because of her writing. It was kind of confusing at times and certain parts of the book didn’t make sense to me. Sometimes, there was no continuation to some of her scenes, she would abruptly start or end a scene without explaining things. She simply skipped right to another scene, set weeks or months in the future, and the reader only found out what happened in a summary of 1 or 2 sentences. So a lot of the times, it felt like she brushed over big, important chunks of the book and we were left in the dark and had to guess stuff. It was kind of annoying.
Anyway, great angst, poor writing. That’s all you need to know.
“You are sending me away and you will not even tell me why? Just tell me why, maybe I can—”
“You can do nothing.”
“But is this something I did?”
“What you can do is leave quietly.”
“Quietly? What…” Her hand reached out at him, grasping the edge of the desk. “But after what happened last night.”
“What happened last night was nothing more than what happens in a thousand brothels, a thousand times a day.”
His words cut into her, cut straight into her chest and began to smother the very breaths she took. She recoiled, gasping, her body trying to remain erect. Tears welled in her eyes. “But I thought…I thought it was…I thought you enjoyed it.”
“I did, but it was nothing compared to what I can get at any street corner.”
“No, no—I won’t accept this—you love me.”
“I do nothing of the kind, my lady. I think it is time that you remove yourself from the study and begin preparations for your journey.”
She leaned forward again, both hands gripping the desk, desperation making her movements jerky. Tears streamed down her face. “No, Killian, you cannot mean what you’re saying. You’re drunk, or something has happened, tell me—you are not yourself—”
“I am more myself today than you have ever known of me, my lady. Now remove yourself from my sight.”
See? Deliciously angsty!😮💨
This was an unplanned BR with my darling friends Lori and Olga!🫶🏻
However, even though I absolutely loved the angst in it, I totally understand why many people rated it low or why they hated the mmc. For half of the book, Killian was a total PIECE OF SHIT! I honestly hated him with a passion, but I also knew that once this type of hero comes to his senses, he would be absolutely obsessed with the fmc. Which was exactly the case in this one. He realized his mistakes and did a complete 180, he groveled (although not enough and not how I would have liked him to grovel but that’s beside the point) and the heroine forgave him eventually.
My problem though, was that I didn’t get WHY and at WHAT POINT his feelings changed so out of the blue. It wasn’t clear to me what made him suddenly want to be with her after not giving two shits about her for more than half a year. He didn’t even contact her during their separation, didn’t even read her letters, nothing…but suddenly he felt remorse? Why? Well, don’t look at me, I don’t have a clue! 🤷🏼♀️
The author just told us that all of the sudden he developed a conscience and that was that. We had to accept it without a real reason. So that was very puzzling to me.
I, for one, didn’t mind the fact that the mmc was an asshole (like all the other readers) because I happen to like a good antihero who eventually redeems himself. Sadly, in this book, that trope wasn’t executed as well as I would have hoped.
But that wasn’t the reason for my low rating.
No, the reason was the author’s writing style. I couldn’t really connect to the main characters because of her writing. It was kind of confusing at times and certain parts of the book didn’t make sense to me. Sometimes, there was no continuation to some of her scenes, she would abruptly start or end a scene without explaining things. She simply skipped right to another scene, set weeks or months in the future, and the reader only found out what happened in a summary of 1 or 2 sentences. So a lot of the times, it felt like she brushed over big, important chunks of the book and we were left in the dark and had to guess stuff. It was kind of annoying.
Anyway, great angst, poor writing. That’s all you need to know.
“You are sending me away and you will not even tell me why? Just tell me why, maybe I can—”
“You can do nothing.”
“But is this something I did?”
“What you can do is leave quietly.”
“Quietly? What…” Her hand reached out at him, grasping the edge of the desk. “But after what happened last night.”
“What happened last night was nothing more than what happens in a thousand brothels, a thousand times a day.”
His words cut into her, cut straight into her chest and began to smother the very breaths she took. She recoiled, gasping, her body trying to remain erect. Tears welled in her eyes. “But I thought…I thought it was…I thought you enjoyed it.”
“I did, but it was nothing compared to what I can get at any street corner.”
“No, no—I won’t accept this—you love me.”
“I do nothing of the kind, my lady. I think it is time that you remove yourself from the study and begin preparations for your journey.”
She leaned forward again, both hands gripping the desk, desperation making her movements jerky. Tears streamed down her face. “No, Killian, you cannot mean what you’re saying. You’re drunk, or something has happened, tell me—you are not yourself—”
“I am more myself today than you have ever known of me, my lady. Now remove yourself from my sight.”
See? Deliciously angsty!😮💨
This was an unplanned BR with my darling friends Lori and Olga!🫶🏻
December 24, 2021
The writing itself is weak and corny (lots of repetitive and stilted “I gave you everything. You. Did. Not. Care.” dialogue).
This heroine was tortured by her husband, physically and emotionally. There were moments that actually activated my gag reflex. Ex. (Spoilers)
- He brought his snide mistress to his wife’s house as a taunt. Then, as soon as she left the room, devastated, he violently shoved his mistress.
- When he finds out his wife has been helping orphans, he forces her to get in her knees and beg to be allowed to care for them. Even after she begs, he refuses her, ordering her to take them to an orphanage in a cart.
- She takes them to London, instead, injuring herself in the process, and her husband rails at her for hurting herself.
- The hero’s friends are no better than he is. I was downright chilled when they asked him to be godfather to their child despite knowing how abusive he is to his wife, his mistress, and the children in his care.
After he realizes he played a role in his wife’s injury, he tries to redeem himself, but his redemption arc consists of him doing the bare minimum: caring for the orphans on his estate, for example, and being gentle to his wife. He did not sacrifice anything real for her, and he did not actually court her. His willingness to feed orphans was his grand romantic gesture, and it worked. His wife forgave him, showing herself to be just as naive and spineless at the end of the book as she was in the beginning.
This is an ugly, ugly, ugly story, clearly descended from those 1980s Heather Graham-Judith McNaught novels full of kidnapping, rape, and violence. But this author’s use of language is inferior to Graham’s.
All that said, I do think this deserves one star because it triggered an emotional response. I can’t resist a romance in which the bulk of the angst derives from the heroine’s low self esteem & her unrequited love. If you’re like me, this book might appeal to you on that level, because it did make me cry. But in every other way, it is horrendous.
This heroine was tortured by her husband, physically and emotionally. There were moments that actually activated my gag reflex. Ex. (Spoilers)
- He brought his snide mistress to his wife’s house as a taunt. Then, as soon as she left the room, devastated, he violently shoved his mistress.
- When he finds out his wife has been helping orphans, he forces her to get in her knees and beg to be allowed to care for them. Even after she begs, he refuses her, ordering her to take them to an orphanage in a cart.
- She takes them to London, instead, injuring herself in the process, and her husband rails at her for hurting herself.
- The hero’s friends are no better than he is. I was downright chilled when they asked him to be godfather to their child despite knowing how abusive he is to his wife, his mistress, and the children in his care.
After he realizes he played a role in his wife’s injury, he tries to redeem himself, but his redemption arc consists of him doing the bare minimum: caring for the orphans on his estate, for example, and being gentle to his wife. He did not sacrifice anything real for her, and he did not actually court her. His willingness to feed orphans was his grand romantic gesture, and it worked. His wife forgave him, showing herself to be just as naive and spineless at the end of the book as she was in the beginning.
This is an ugly, ugly, ugly story, clearly descended from those 1980s Heather Graham-Judith McNaught novels full of kidnapping, rape, and violence. But this author’s use of language is inferior to Graham’s.
All that said, I do think this deserves one star because it triggered an emotional response. I can’t resist a romance in which the bulk of the angst derives from the heroine’s low self esteem & her unrequited love. If you’re like me, this book might appeal to you on that level, because it did make me cry. But in every other way, it is horrendous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2024
Intense gut-punch moment within the first few chapters, followed by an even harsher one and subsequent dire perils for the heroine because of the hero's cruelty. A grovel lasting a good 50-60% of the book. So why didn't I love it?
The heroine is cartoonishly too good, too pure for this world, to the point where I wanted her to just be a little bit of a bitch to someone or something. She suffers in silence and almost loses her feet for a band of adorable urchins. Everyone but her husband loves her. She masters chess and horseback riding easily.
The hero was over-the-top cruel. I was with him in his desire to ruin the heroine's father, but his actions towards the heroine were the equivalent of kicking a puppy. And then he does it AGAIN for... I don't even know why, I don't think it was explained. After six months estranged, he brings his mistress to the remote house he sent the heroine to and just rubs her face in his dickishness. I guess because his revenge being over didn't make him feel good or something? Whatever.
The grovel was a pretty good one though, as ultimately his actions do mostly meet the level of pain he caused. I just didn't love either character. And there were too many abrupt time jumps. All of a sudden it's two months later? Three weeks later? Six months gone by? Ehhhh.
The heroine is cartoonishly too good, too pure for this world, to the point where I wanted her to just be a little bit of a bitch to someone or something. She suffers in silence and almost loses her feet for a band of adorable urchins. Everyone but her husband loves her. She masters chess and horseback riding easily.
The hero was over-the-top cruel. I was with him in his desire to ruin the heroine's father, but his actions towards the heroine were the equivalent of kicking a puppy. And then he does it AGAIN for... I don't even know why, I don't think it was explained. After six months estranged, he brings his mistress to the remote house he sent the heroine to and just rubs her face in his dickishness. I guess because his revenge being over didn't make him feel good or something? Whatever.
The grovel was a pretty good one though, as ultimately his actions do mostly meet the level of pain he caused. I just didn't love either character. And there were too many abrupt time jumps. All of a sudden it's two months later? Three weeks later? Six months gone by? Ehhhh.
July 6, 2021
A book I couldn’t put down. Just wish there had been a lot more work involved in Killian’s redemption. He was too despicable to warrant anything less than a long and tortured journey back.
June 3, 2022
Okay, this may be the worst Regency romance I've ever read. The writing isn't great (too many anachronisms that take the reader out of the immersion) and the story is just unbelievable in so many ways. The characters are caricatures, black and white with no gray in a Snidely Whiplash kind of way.
Let's start with Reanna: she's supposed to be the daughter of an earl and the wife of a marquess who is naive and beautiful though she doesn't think so. Most of the time I wanted to just slap her. She becomes a chess master after learning the game from the butler and can ride hell for leather despite never having ridden before. She takes in orphans regardless of their origin and puts them up in Mayfair in her massive townhouse (described as a block long) on Brook Street which was one of the most exclusive areas of London. She calls her maid Miss (oh, and the maid talks like she came from the country despite being an upper-class servant). Her character arc showcases her many idiot moves from walking to London (riding boots for ladies at that time were half-boots) and leaving on the boots until her legs were bloody and a mess, to escaping from an asylum and threatening to kill her father with a knife. She always forgives the people around her (maybe not the father) despite them all treating her terribly. That especially includes her husband, but also Devlin and Aggie who go along with every terrible and dishonorable action Killian takes against his wife.
And Killian is just an unbelievable character. He marries this girl for revenge against her father to ensure she doesn't make a marriage where he can recoup some funds. His virgin wife is a virtuoso in bed (did anyone ever explain sex to this supposedly naive girl?) so he has to not only send her away but then months later appear with his nasty mistress who he's not having sex with since he's torn over his behavior to Reanna (this doesn't redeem his actions). Why any titled man (or any man) would put up with what the mistress says and does (redecorating his house?) including taking her to meet his wife makes him just a weak milquetoast.
Anyway, as you can tell, this book was not for me. I love books with a lot of angst and some groveling but this story was so ridiculous that I didn't DNF (which I should have done) because I couldn't believe it could get any worse. Reader: it did.
Let's start with Reanna: she's supposed to be the daughter of an earl and the wife of a marquess who is naive and beautiful though she doesn't think so. Most of the time I wanted to just slap her. She becomes a chess master after learning the game from the butler and can ride hell for leather despite never having ridden before. She takes in orphans regardless of their origin and puts them up in Mayfair in her massive townhouse (described as a block long) on Brook Street which was one of the most exclusive areas of London. She calls her maid Miss (oh, and the maid talks like she came from the country despite being an upper-class servant). Her character arc showcases her many idiot moves from walking to London (riding boots for ladies at that time were half-boots) and leaving on the boots until her legs were bloody and a mess, to escaping from an asylum and threatening to kill her father with a knife. She always forgives the people around her (maybe not the father) despite them all treating her terribly. That especially includes her husband, but also Devlin and Aggie who go along with every terrible and dishonorable action Killian takes against his wife.
And Killian is just an unbelievable character. He marries this girl for revenge against her father to ensure she doesn't make a marriage where he can recoup some funds. His virgin wife is a virtuoso in bed (did anyone ever explain sex to this supposedly naive girl?) so he has to not only send her away but then months later appear with his nasty mistress who he's not having sex with since he's torn over his behavior to Reanna (this doesn't redeem his actions). Why any titled man (or any man) would put up with what the mistress says and does (redecorating his house?) including taking her to meet his wife makes him just a weak milquetoast.
Anyway, as you can tell, this book was not for me. I love books with a lot of angst and some groveling but this story was so ridiculous that I didn't DNF (which I should have done) because I couldn't believe it could get any worse. Reader: it did.
October 6, 2021
(33% in) Imagine marrying a man you love, having him take your virginity, and then dump you off on a far-flung estate after a cruel conversation where he makes it crystal clear that he doesn’t care about you. Then imagine living at that estate for a year, spending months writing letters he never responds to, only for him to show up suddenly with his mistress and give you the boot to London. On what planet would this be a logical thing to say to him?
“What, was making love to me too much for you? Too genuine? Because I know you felt it. I don’t know a damn thing about men—that much is obvious—but I know you felt what I did that night. And you’re a blasted imbecile to deny it.”
I wanted to like this more because Reanna is one seriously downtrodden heroine, but the angsty drama was a bit over the top in some ways. Not that that is necessarily a drawback to me, but at times it felt like the story was trying too hard to incorporate too many drama tropes. Like, the heroine is a bit of a Mary Sue and of course stunningly beautiful, but then there’s a line or two that implies she doesn’t think she’s pretty when there is no reason for her to be insecure about her appearance. You can’t have it both ways! Same too with the repeated betrayals and trials and tribulations; I felt like Reanna was supposed to simultaneously be an abused martyr waif AND a plucky, determined firebrand. And I was super excited for some extended groveling, but it seemed like sex was used as a shortcut to intimacy. None of this is particularly damning, but that in addition to the modern language (peppered with what I think is some invented cant - “piss whipper”??) made it hard for me to really lose myself in the characters. Brilliant angsty set-up though (2.5 stars)
“What, was making love to me too much for you? Too genuine? Because I know you felt it. I don’t know a damn thing about men—that much is obvious—but I know you felt what I did that night. And you’re a blasted imbecile to deny it.”
I wanted to like this more because Reanna is one seriously downtrodden heroine, but the angsty drama was a bit over the top in some ways. Not that that is necessarily a drawback to me, but at times it felt like the story was trying too hard to incorporate too many drama tropes. Like, the heroine is a bit of a Mary Sue and of course stunningly beautiful, but then there’s a line or two that implies she doesn’t think she’s pretty when there is no reason for her to be insecure about her appearance. You can’t have it both ways! Same too with the repeated betrayals and trials and tribulations; I felt like Reanna was supposed to simultaneously be an abused martyr waif AND a plucky, determined firebrand. And I was super excited for some extended groveling, but it seemed like sex was used as a shortcut to intimacy. None of this is particularly damning, but that in addition to the modern language (peppered with what I think is some invented cant - “piss whipper”??) made it hard for me to really lose myself in the characters. Brilliant angsty set-up though (2.5 stars)
September 8, 2014
Enjoyable romance
First off, I want to explain the reason for my 4 star rating. It has nothing to do with my enjoyment of this story and if not for one thing I would definitely have rated it 5 stars. Normally I am not someone who rates down a story for minor things but I found the swearing being done by Reanna to be out of place for a gently bred young woman from this time period and Reanna was depicted as a very gentle woman so why would she be cussing no matter how angry she was? Other than that one drawback, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have to admit that I did not Like Killian much in the beginning but once I learned of his reasons for seeking revenge, I was inclined to forgive him. The scene with his mistress disgusted me, the fact that he brought her to their home and allowed her to talk to Reanna in such a way more than disturbing and his cruel response to Reanna's request which brought not only emotional but physical pain to her was hardly commendable. Like all heroes, Killian managed to redeem himself in my eyes but I loved that the heroine did not give in right away and fall immediately into his arms. After the despicable way he treated her, it would have been implausible. The suspense towards the end of the book had me staying up late to finish it. All in all, I found Unmasking the Marquees to be a highly entertaining romance taking me from tears, to anger, to joy and finally to suspenseful anticipation of a happy ending.
First off, I want to explain the reason for my 4 star rating. It has nothing to do with my enjoyment of this story and if not for one thing I would definitely have rated it 5 stars. Normally I am not someone who rates down a story for minor things but I found the swearing being done by Reanna to be out of place for a gently bred young woman from this time period and Reanna was depicted as a very gentle woman so why would she be cussing no matter how angry she was? Other than that one drawback, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have to admit that I did not Like Killian much in the beginning but once I learned of his reasons for seeking revenge, I was inclined to forgive him. The scene with his mistress disgusted me, the fact that he brought her to their home and allowed her to talk to Reanna in such a way more than disturbing and his cruel response to Reanna's request which brought not only emotional but physical pain to her was hardly commendable. Like all heroes, Killian managed to redeem himself in my eyes but I loved that the heroine did not give in right away and fall immediately into his arms. After the despicable way he treated her, it would have been implausible. The suspense towards the end of the book had me staying up late to finish it. All in all, I found Unmasking the Marquees to be a highly entertaining romance taking me from tears, to anger, to joy and finally to suspenseful anticipation of a happy ending.
August 23, 2015
This ended up being a great story!
I was really worried about this story at the beginning. But it did end up being a very good book.
The hero, Killian was really quite mean to the naive heroine, Reanna. It was a rough start the way he treated her. I don't usually like it when this happens, however, he put her through a lot stuff and she ultimately made her a much stronger not so naive heroine. For that the book ended up to very good. Watching her grow and making her strong was a plus. Had she stayed the naive heroine would have made a bad story.
The chemistry between the H and H was great. There are some hot and steamy sex scenes too. Lots of dialogue throughout the whole book was great. I like lots of dialogue.
The story line and plot was great and the story flowed very nicely. Easy to read and follow.
I also enjoyed the characters from the previous book showing up and being part of the story. Really enjoying this series. I like that this author is not afraid to write some of the cringing scenes. It makes for some good OMG moments.
I was really worried about this story at the beginning. But it did end up being a very good book.
The hero, Killian was really quite mean to the naive heroine, Reanna. It was a rough start the way he treated her. I don't usually like it when this happens, however, he put her through a lot stuff and she ultimately made her a much stronger not so naive heroine. For that the book ended up to very good. Watching her grow and making her strong was a plus. Had she stayed the naive heroine would have made a bad story.
The chemistry between the H and H was great. There are some hot and steamy sex scenes too. Lots of dialogue throughout the whole book was great. I like lots of dialogue.
The story line and plot was great and the story flowed very nicely. Easy to read and follow.
I also enjoyed the characters from the previous book showing up and being part of the story. Really enjoying this series. I like that this author is not afraid to write some of the cringing scenes. It makes for some good OMG moments.
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