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The Astley Chronicles #1
How to Train Your Viscount
The only one who can help her is the man who broke her heart.
Four years ago, Lady Caroline Astley took one look at Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford, and fell horribly in love, in that particular way you can only fall in love at the age of fifteen.
He didn’t just reject her.
He humiliated her.
But now, in a stroke of rotten luck, he’s the only one who can help her.
It turns out that the “paste” pendant she borrowed from her sister, Anne, was no fake. It’s actually an ancient Egyptian amulet, and now Anne wants to auction it off to save hundreds of widows and orphans. What Caro can’t bear to tell her sister is that the necklace was stolen from right around her neck.
Caro has a few clues, but she doesn’t know an amulet from an obelisk, and the trail has gone cold. Guess who grew up in a house stuffed with Egyptian artifacts? Caro may despise Henry, but she needs him if she’s going to track down the thieves. Which begs the question of which is worse: letting down the orphans or risking her heart all over again.
If you like sizzling Regency romance that makes you laugh and makes you swoon, give How to Train Your Viscount a try!
Note: How to Train Your Viscount falls on the comedic end of the Regency spectrum; you might call it a Regency rom-com. The love scenes are red hot. Our hero’s mother wishes to regretfully forewarn the reader that her son utters several shocking obscenities during the course of the novel.
Four years ago, Lady Caroline Astley took one look at Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford, and fell horribly in love, in that particular way you can only fall in love at the age of fifteen.
He didn’t just reject her.
He humiliated her.
But now, in a stroke of rotten luck, he’s the only one who can help her.
It turns out that the “paste” pendant she borrowed from her sister, Anne, was no fake. It’s actually an ancient Egyptian amulet, and now Anne wants to auction it off to save hundreds of widows and orphans. What Caro can’t bear to tell her sister is that the necklace was stolen from right around her neck.
Caro has a few clues, but she doesn’t know an amulet from an obelisk, and the trail has gone cold. Guess who grew up in a house stuffed with Egyptian artifacts? Caro may despise Henry, but she needs him if she’s going to track down the thieves. Which begs the question of which is worse: letting down the orphans or risking her heart all over again.
If you like sizzling Regency romance that makes you laugh and makes you swoon, give How to Train Your Viscount a try!
Note: How to Train Your Viscount falls on the comedic end of the Regency spectrum; you might call it a Regency rom-com. The love scenes are red hot. Our hero’s mother wishes to regretfully forewarn the reader that her son utters several shocking obscenities during the course of the novel.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2021
745 people are currently reading
1361 people want to read
About the author
Courtney McCaskill
27 books112 followersAfter reading Black Beauty for the 1,497th time, Courtney McCaskill was inspired to write her own stories. Reviews of her early work were mixed, with her fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Compton, saying, “Please stop writing all of your assignments from the point of view of a horse.”
Today, Courtney lives in Austin, Texas with the hero of her own story, who holds the distinction of being the world’s most sarcastic pediatrician. She is reliably informed by her six-year-old son that she gives THE BEST hugs, “because you’re so squishy, Mommy.” When she’s not busy almost burning down her house attempting to make a traditional Christmas pudding, she enjoys playing the piano, learning everything there is to know about Kodiak bears, and of course, curling up with a great book! Visit her online at www.courtneymccaskill.com.
Today, Courtney lives in Austin, Texas with the hero of her own story, who holds the distinction of being the world’s most sarcastic pediatrician. She is reliably informed by her six-year-old son that she gives THE BEST hugs, “because you’re so squishy, Mommy.” When she’s not busy almost burning down her house attempting to make a traditional Christmas pudding, she enjoys playing the piano, learning everything there is to know about Kodiak bears, and of course, curling up with a great book! Visit her online at www.courtneymccaskill.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
October 17, 2021
DNF at 53%. Just not my cup of tea. Too modern in its style and language. There is no way a gently bred young lady would behave as she did, and eagerly go straight to full on oral sex with her crush. I doubt a young lady such as depicted would have much idea about sex at all in those days, much less oral. And where were her parents or at least a chaperone? They would not have left her to her own devices as they did. It just didn't ring true for me. The sex was way too explicit and didn't match the character of the sweet young lady that had been developed in the first half of the book. The language used was also way too overt and modern in the sex banter between the MCs.
I tried this book as an October 2021 BOTM for HRBC, secret love theme. I like trying new-to-me authors - in this case an actual new author - I believe it's her first book. Sadly it didn't work for me, though clearly others have enjoyed it. Yeah, just not my cuppa. I decided not to waste any more time on it and dnf'ed. I think I read enough to rate it - I give it 2 stars.
I tried this book as an October 2021 BOTM for HRBC, secret love theme. I like trying new-to-me authors - in this case an actual new author - I believe it's her first book. Sadly it didn't work for me, though clearly others have enjoyed it. Yeah, just not my cuppa. I decided not to waste any more time on it and dnf'ed. I think I read enough to rate it - I give it 2 stars.
October 13, 2021
This was an okay read for me. I see the potential of the book, but it had a lot of problems. The fact that after the h has her first kiss she gave the H a BJ a hour later. It doesn't make sense! The sex scenes were too modern.
I also spent most of the book wanting to smack the H and his father. The father put the family in debt for an Egyptian HOBBY. Both father and son were stupid to keep that problem a secret. I did like the end with Henry and his allies.
Though most of the book is predictable, it was still a fast paced, fun read. I see why others liked the book.
I also spent most of the book wanting to smack the H and his father. The father put the family in debt for an Egyptian HOBBY. Both father and son were stupid to keep that problem a secret. I did like the end with Henry and his allies.
Though most of the book is predictable, it was still a fast paced, fun read. I see why others liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2025
This was free on Amazon during the Stuff My Kindle event. So, I stuffed.
The author set the HR at the height of the Egytomania craze—a nice touch.
🏺 Plot: Maybe it was me, but there were too many male characters buying, selling, and stealing artifacts to keep track of or care about.
🪷 Romance: The MCs had it bad for each other. It was adorable.
⚰️ The Ending: For all the, “Who has what, where, and when,” the third act wrapped up better than expected.
How much Egyptology could there possibly be, you ask? The Egyptomania Meter clocked “amulet,” 92 times.
The author set the HR at the height of the Egytomania craze—a nice touch.
🏺 Plot: Maybe it was me, but there were too many male characters buying, selling, and stealing artifacts to keep track of or care about.
🪷 Romance: The MCs had it bad for each other. It was adorable.
⚰️ The Ending: For all the, “Who has what, where, and when,” the third act wrapped up better than expected.
How much Egyptology could there possibly be, you ask? The Egyptomania Meter clocked “amulet,” 92 times.
August 12, 2021
Lady Caroline Astley was robbed! The very costly Egyptian amulet she borrowed from her sister was taken and the only person that might be able to help her get it back is her brother's best friend, Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford. Caro's request couldn't have come at a better time, as Henry's also looking for an item stolen from his father's collection.
This is the debut novel for McCaskill and it's a stellar story! At age 15, Caro fell head over heels for Henry and he broke her young heart. When his friends tease him about Caro's attention, he rhapsodizes over how disinterested he is and of course she overhears. A few years have passed and helping Caro recover her stolen item is the perfect opportunity for Henry to apologize and to show that he is, in fact, quite interested in her. Hijinks ensue as the two search for clues, encounter scoundrels and secrets, and hit the sheets.
The story was really fun and read like a "rom-com historical." At about a third of the way in, I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
Tropes: Brother's Best Friend, Forced Proximity, First Love, Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers (sort of)
Steam Rating: 3
* I received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.
This is the debut novel for McCaskill and it's a stellar story! At age 15, Caro fell head over heels for Henry and he broke her young heart. When his friends tease him about Caro's attention, he rhapsodizes over how disinterested he is and of course she overhears. A few years have passed and helping Caro recover her stolen item is the perfect opportunity for Henry to apologize and to show that he is, in fact, quite interested in her. Hijinks ensue as the two search for clues, encounter scoundrels and secrets, and hit the sheets.
The story was really fun and read like a "rom-com historical." At about a third of the way in, I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
Tropes: Brother's Best Friend, Forced Proximity, First Love, Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers (sort of)
Steam Rating: 3
* I received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.
October 23, 2021
The book started on a promising note, the writing was pleasingly good for a debut and I always enjoy it when there's a background story to the relationship between the two protagonists. Unfortunately, it lost me about half way through with the out-of-place anachronistic sex scenes. There was also a lot of running around looking for Egyptian artefacts and baddies which took the focus off the romance. Finally, the hero's stubborn adherence to his deceptive, non-communicative ways killed off any chance of a higher rating for me.
October 7, 2021
4.25 Stars!
I read this book as a part of the BOTM challenge for HRBC and realised that Ms McCaskill has Julia Quinn/ Tessa Dare potential. Courtney McCaskill will be an author to note in the HR genre because of this amazing, funny, cute and steamy debut novel.
The Plot
Lady Caroline hates Lord Henry for the humiliating things he said about her 4 years ago that broke her tender 15-year-old heart but unfortunately for Caro, she also still loves him! All Henry wants to do, is apologize for the stupid things he said in a drunken state and hurt this lovely young girl's feelings. When a treasure hunt for a stolen Egyptian amulet throws these two together, old sparks fly, misunderstanding ensues and emotions surface that neither of them can ignore.
My Thoughts
- This was such a fun, light read. I don't think I have chuckled this much since Tessa Dare's later works.
- The story was damn cute, the brother's best friend, secretly in love, a treasure hunt of sorts and the enemies to lovers are tropes that have worked well and were utilized as such.
- The treasure hunting subplot was a bit soft, but since it was a romance novel, I did not mind it one bit. It nicely paved the way for the characters to spend time together & get to know one another.
- The book was written well, historically accurate most of the time. The pacing could have been a bit faster, some repetitive arguments made the plot go back and forth, although not in an annoying way.
- The prose was very witty and humorous in every possible way without overdoing it & showed the author's skill off.
- The main characters were very interesting in a believable way. I loved that they were consistently inconsistent, they behaved with immaturity and presumptuous ability to jump to conclusions which was completely in line with them being a teenager & a mid-twenties guy!
- Henry & Caro's chemistry was really adorable and scorching hot! Most of their conversations were interesting barring the "I trust you - I don't trust you - Stay away from me - Kiss me" saga (But even this was presented funnily).
- I really like the secondary characters, Marcus the marquess (I forget his title) was an intriguing fella, I hope to read a novel about him in the forthcoming books. Fanny the parasol wielding ladies maid deserves a medal for being amazingly protective of Caro!
- The confrontation with the villains was so hilariously OTT, it reminded me of shitty masala Bollywood movies that have everything one can possibly imagine under the sun, but I got a kick out of it, fancy that!
- Caro was headstrong, fun, intelligent, sweetly irritating and extremely adorable, Henry was charming, sexy, honourable, conscientious and loving, all in all, they made to be a cute young couple and I loved reading their story.
My Reccomendation
A great debut that left me very interested in reading more books from this author. I hope the next one in the series comes out soon!
I read this book as a part of the BOTM challenge for HRBC and realised that Ms McCaskill has Julia Quinn/ Tessa Dare potential. Courtney McCaskill will be an author to note in the HR genre because of this amazing, funny, cute and steamy debut novel.
The Plot
Lady Caroline hates Lord Henry for the humiliating things he said about her 4 years ago that broke her tender 15-year-old heart but unfortunately for Caro, she also still loves him! All Henry wants to do, is apologize for the stupid things he said in a drunken state and hurt this lovely young girl's feelings. When a treasure hunt for a stolen Egyptian amulet throws these two together, old sparks fly, misunderstanding ensues and emotions surface that neither of them can ignore.
My Thoughts
- This was such a fun, light read. I don't think I have chuckled this much since Tessa Dare's later works.
- The story was damn cute, the brother's best friend, secretly in love, a treasure hunt of sorts and the enemies to lovers are tropes that have worked well and were utilized as such.
- The treasure hunting subplot was a bit soft, but since it was a romance novel, I did not mind it one bit. It nicely paved the way for the characters to spend time together & get to know one another.
- The book was written well, historically accurate most of the time. The pacing could have been a bit faster, some repetitive arguments made the plot go back and forth, although not in an annoying way.
- The prose was very witty and humorous in every possible way without overdoing it & showed the author's skill off.
- The main characters were very interesting in a believable way. I loved that they were consistently inconsistent, they behaved with immaturity and presumptuous ability to jump to conclusions which was completely in line with them being a teenager & a mid-twenties guy!
- Henry & Caro's chemistry was really adorable and scorching hot! Most of their conversations were interesting barring the "I trust you - I don't trust you - Stay away from me - Kiss me" saga (But even this was presented funnily).
- I really like the secondary characters, Marcus the marquess (I forget his title) was an intriguing fella, I hope to read a novel about him in the forthcoming books. Fanny the parasol wielding ladies maid deserves a medal for being amazingly protective of Caro!
- The confrontation with the villains was so hilariously OTT, it reminded me of shitty masala Bollywood movies that have everything one can possibly imagine under the sun, but I got a kick out of it, fancy that!
- Caro was headstrong, fun, intelligent, sweetly irritating and extremely adorable, Henry was charming, sexy, honourable, conscientious and loving, all in all, they made to be a cute young couple and I loved reading their story.
My Reccomendation
A great debut that left me very interested in reading more books from this author. I hope the next one in the series comes out soon!
August 15, 2021
‘Four years ago, Lady Caroline Astley took one look at Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford, and fell horribly in love, in that particular way you can only fall in love at the age of fifteen.
He didn’t just reject her.
He humiliated her.
But now, in a stroke of rotten luck, he’s the only one who can help her.
It turns out that the “paste” pendant she borrowed from her sister, Anne, was no fake. It’s actually an ancient Egyptian amulet, and now Anne wants to auction it off to save hundreds of widows and orphans. What Caro can’t bear to tell her sister is that the necklace was stolen from right around her neck.
Caro has a few clues, but she doesn’t know an amulet from an obelisk, and the trail has gone cold. Guess who grew up in a house stuffed with Egyptian artifacts? Caro may despise Henry, but she needs him if she’s going to track down the thieves. Which begs the question of which is worse: letting down the orphans or risking her heart all over again.’
________________
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
How to Train Your Viscount is the first book in Courtney McCaskill’s debut series, The Astley Chronicles and is a historical romance with a mystery and a bit of a rom-com vibe.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ and all that but I’m a very visual person so can’t stop, won’t stop. I literally saw the cover of this book and thought I should definitely read it based on no other information. And I’m glad that the cover caught my attention because I enjoyed the book so much and was surprised to see that it was the author's debut book.
I really wanted to dislike Henry based on the horrible things he had said about Caroline those years before, I felt so much for Caroline and supported her somewhat petty plan for revenge. He was just so charming and contrite that I quickly caved, especially once the sass began. But I was ready to slap him toward the end, his reasoning for his actions was based on what he’d been taught growing up, but was stupid of him nevertheless considering the amount of opportunities he was given to make the better choice. I really didn’t like the choices he made there despite how things turned out in the end, but I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll say no more.
The main characters were great and the supporting characters were as well. Fanny, for example, was a gem. The snark and sarcasm between Caroline and Henry was so great. I was almost disappointed when Caroline began her alliance with Henry because I wanted to read more of her set-downs. I enjoyed the mystery and the adventure and danger that came along with it. In rom-com style, there are moments and characters that lean towards silly but I thought that McCaskill struck the balance between historical romance and rom-com perfectly.
I really adored this book, it was such a lovely debut book. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series(and the cover for that book is actually even prettier) to read Anne’s story and see Caroline and Henry again. I’ll be looking out for more books by this author.
He didn’t just reject her.
He humiliated her.
But now, in a stroke of rotten luck, he’s the only one who can help her.
It turns out that the “paste” pendant she borrowed from her sister, Anne, was no fake. It’s actually an ancient Egyptian amulet, and now Anne wants to auction it off to save hundreds of widows and orphans. What Caro can’t bear to tell her sister is that the necklace was stolen from right around her neck.
Caro has a few clues, but she doesn’t know an amulet from an obelisk, and the trail has gone cold. Guess who grew up in a house stuffed with Egyptian artifacts? Caro may despise Henry, but she needs him if she’s going to track down the thieves. Which begs the question of which is worse: letting down the orphans or risking her heart all over again.’
________________
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
How to Train Your Viscount is the first book in Courtney McCaskill’s debut series, The Astley Chronicles and is a historical romance with a mystery and a bit of a rom-com vibe.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ and all that but I’m a very visual person so can’t stop, won’t stop. I literally saw the cover of this book and thought I should definitely read it based on no other information. And I’m glad that the cover caught my attention because I enjoyed the book so much and was surprised to see that it was the author's debut book.
I really wanted to dislike Henry based on the horrible things he had said about Caroline those years before, I felt so much for Caroline and supported her somewhat petty plan for revenge. He was just so charming and contrite that I quickly caved, especially once the sass began. But I was ready to slap him toward the end, his reasoning for his actions was based on what he’d been taught growing up, but was stupid of him nevertheless considering the amount of opportunities he was given to make the better choice. I really didn’t like the choices he made there despite how things turned out in the end, but I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll say no more.
The main characters were great and the supporting characters were as well. Fanny, for example, was a gem. The snark and sarcasm between Caroline and Henry was so great. I was almost disappointed when Caroline began her alliance with Henry because I wanted to read more of her set-downs. I enjoyed the mystery and the adventure and danger that came along with it. In rom-com style, there are moments and characters that lean towards silly but I thought that McCaskill struck the balance between historical romance and rom-com perfectly.
I really adored this book, it was such a lovely debut book. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series(and the cover for that book is actually even prettier) to read Anne’s story and see Caroline and Henry again. I’ll be looking out for more books by this author.
December 6, 2021
✨Save a dragon, ride a viscount✨
How to Train Your Viscount was so fresh and unique. I really don’t know what I expected but this wasn’t in my plans. I love that it wasn’t a “you must marry and steal her dowry” but a “you must steal back my Eye of Ra” moment from Henry’s father. I can safely say that that exact scenario has never before been read by me.
I laughed out loud multiple times, causing my parents to look at me with that “omg I bet she’s texting a boooooyyyy face.” No parents, I do not have a Henry Greville in my life, but he’s on my Christmas list.
Here’s another useful list…
✨A heroine who knows her worth because she overheard…
✨A hero who said embarrassingly terrible things about her a la Mr. Darcy, leading to our next point…
✨Supreme groveling
✨Fondling in a sarcophagus
✨Need I say more than… mirror scene?
✨Reviews that say the heroine was “too wanton for that time period” and that the sex was “too modern.” To which I stomp my foot and say huzzah!—anachronism is my kink. Sign me up.
✨Modern feels as well as heist movie feels
✨A cute cover but also hot sex
✨No dragons for riding but Caroline definitely made do with Henry
✨The 🐱 scene made me go 👁👄👁
I’m not sure why I really looooove when the hero drags the heroine through the mud (whilst she’s overhearing it) but I DO. Because then she drags his entire life, body, and soul through the coals and also dishonors his cow. I also just really loved the progression of their relationship. I almost forgot! The overhearing scene was mirrored at the end of the book and it was PERFECT.
The ending was satisfying and endearing, and also had enough space to wrap all of the different story lines up. Henry was definitely a big butthead but Caroline always knew when to slap his ass back into reality. Thank god she always knew when he was lying because it perfectly doused my annoyance.
After reading the excerpt of book two, alls I’m gonna say is if Wynter was still alive I’d travel back to the 1800s and throttle him and his limp dick. UGH. But I am very excited to read book two, so there’s that. I’ll also say that I did not expect that love interest for Anne. I totally thought he was gonna be Caroline’s spurned duke. Poor ol chap.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5/5
Thank you to @courtneymccaskillwrites and @instabooktours for the review copy! All opinions are honest and my own.
How to Train Your Viscount was so fresh and unique. I really don’t know what I expected but this wasn’t in my plans. I love that it wasn’t a “you must marry and steal her dowry” but a “you must steal back my Eye of Ra” moment from Henry’s father. I can safely say that that exact scenario has never before been read by me.
I laughed out loud multiple times, causing my parents to look at me with that “omg I bet she’s texting a boooooyyyy face.” No parents, I do not have a Henry Greville in my life, but he’s on my Christmas list.
Here’s another useful list…
✨A heroine who knows her worth because she overheard…
✨A hero who said embarrassingly terrible things about her a la Mr. Darcy, leading to our next point…
✨Supreme groveling
✨Fondling in a sarcophagus
✨Need I say more than… mirror scene?
✨Reviews that say the heroine was “too wanton for that time period” and that the sex was “too modern.” To which I stomp my foot and say huzzah!—anachronism is my kink. Sign me up.
✨Modern feels as well as heist movie feels
✨A cute cover but also hot sex
✨No dragons for riding but Caroline definitely made do with Henry
✨The 🐱 scene made me go 👁👄👁
I’m not sure why I really looooove when the hero drags the heroine through the mud (whilst she’s overhearing it) but I DO. Because then she drags his entire life, body, and soul through the coals and also dishonors his cow. I also just really loved the progression of their relationship. I almost forgot! The overhearing scene was mirrored at the end of the book and it was PERFECT.
The ending was satisfying and endearing, and also had enough space to wrap all of the different story lines up. Henry was definitely a big butthead but Caroline always knew when to slap his ass back into reality. Thank god she always knew when he was lying because it perfectly doused my annoyance.
After reading the excerpt of book two, alls I’m gonna say is if Wynter was still alive I’d travel back to the 1800s and throttle him and his limp dick. UGH. But I am very excited to read book two, so there’s that. I’ll also say that I did not expect that love interest for Anne. I totally thought he was gonna be Caroline’s spurned duke. Poor ol chap.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5/5
Thank you to @courtneymccaskillwrites and @instabooktours for the review copy! All opinions are honest and my own.
August 19, 2021
I downloaded this on a whim and I was happily surprised by a fantastic read. I read A LOT of historical romance and this felt fresh and exciting. I believe this is Courtney McCaskill's first book but its safe to say that she will be a author I'll follow. The plot was well paced and main characters were likable and original. Some of the dialogue did seemed too modern and force but I could put this down. The chemistry and slow burn was perfect, I would say this was on the steamer side of HR.
Can't wait for book 2!
Can't wait for book 2!
October 9, 2021
Enjoyable read with some witty dialogue. Caro falls in love with the Viscount at a young age and is hurt by him making fun of her. Several years go by and Henry has never forgotten how he hurt her. An apology is given and a mystery involving Egyptian antiquities follows. I plan to read the next in the series. It was a good first book from an author that is new to me. Definitely some sexy parts in the story.
August 25, 2021
This is kinda cute. Even has a mystery along with the romance, with interesting details about Egyptian artifacts and the 1800s England craze for anything and everything Egyptian, whether for collecting or home decorating.
It's a romance between Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford, and Lady Caroline Astley (Henry's best friend's sister). Lady Caroline had had a crush on him years ago when she was 15 but she ended up being horribly crushed by his behavior and has resented him ever since.
Lady Caroline needs to find a valuable Egyptian pendant she had borrowed from her sister and which was stolen from her possession. Her do-gooder widowed sister wants to auction it off to fund a home for widows and orphans and Caroline, who hasn't confessed to it being missing, needs to find it ASAP. At the same time, Henry needs to recover a valuable Egyptian box stolen from his spendthrift collector father. Not doing so will mean the family's financial downfall.
They end up working together to recover those stolen objects. At the same time, ya know, romance will blossom, again for her, first time for him. Also, ya know, there will be complications involving the stolen goods and a fair bit of not quite communicating all the facts to each other, especially on the part of Henry.
This has entertaining moments. The characters are pleasant and appealing. The romance is sweet. The mystery is somewhat interesting. Anachronistic behavior aside (and the fact that 'petted' should be the past tense of 'to pet'), it's an enjoyable read. What I mainly did not like was the excessively long and detailed love scenes interspersed throughout the last half of the story. The book reads like a YA romance so that was jarring and unnecessary (not to mention tedious and boring, IMO).
I guess I'll try out Caroline's sister's romance, which is the next in the series. I do hope it's more moderate in the amount of tedious love scenes. I know I can skim and skip, which I do, but devoting so many pages to sex means fewer pages for relationship and plot development.
It's a romance between Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford, and Lady Caroline Astley (Henry's best friend's sister). Lady Caroline had had a crush on him years ago when she was 15 but she ended up being horribly crushed by his behavior and has resented him ever since.
Lady Caroline needs to find a valuable Egyptian pendant she had borrowed from her sister and which was stolen from her possession. Her do-gooder widowed sister wants to auction it off to fund a home for widows and orphans and Caroline, who hasn't confessed to it being missing, needs to find it ASAP. At the same time, Henry needs to recover a valuable Egyptian box stolen from his spendthrift collector father. Not doing so will mean the family's financial downfall.
They end up working together to recover those stolen objects. At the same time, ya know, romance will blossom, again for her, first time for him. Also, ya know, there will be complications involving the stolen goods and a fair bit of not quite communicating all the facts to each other, especially on the part of Henry.
This has entertaining moments. The characters are pleasant and appealing. The romance is sweet. The mystery is somewhat interesting. Anachronistic behavior aside (and the fact that 'petted' should be the past tense of 'to pet'), it's an enjoyable read. What I mainly did not like was the excessively long and detailed love scenes interspersed throughout the last half of the story. The book reads like a YA romance so that was jarring and unnecessary (not to mention tedious and boring, IMO).
I guess I'll try out Caroline's sister's romance, which is the next in the series. I do hope it's more moderate in the amount of tedious love scenes. I know I can skim and skip, which I do, but devoting so many pages to sex means fewer pages for relationship and plot development.
October 20, 2021
Caroline and Henry. A debut novel. Charming, funny, and steamy. Loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2022
1.5
Read for the Historical Romance Book Club's October Book of the Month. This book is written by a new author. The writing, dialogue, and behaviors are too modern, particularly during the love scenes.
This book can be categorized as a haters-to-lovers romance. It initially began as unrequited love for the heroine until she overheard the hero's hurtful comments about her. The heroine did not forgive easily and, good for her! When she did eventually forgive him, their feelings for one another developed way too quickly and they jumped into bed too soon as a result.
I was annoyed with the hero's father. I can't believe he put his family in debt for his HOBBY of collecting Egyptian artifacts! UGH! And I don't know why the hero felt the need to keep this a secret from the heroine. I struggled to finish the book but I pushed myself to finish it since I do own the Kindle ebook. Fortunately, it only cost 99 cents.
Read for the Historical Romance Book Club's October Book of the Month. This book is written by a new author. The writing, dialogue, and behaviors are too modern, particularly during the love scenes.
This book can be categorized as a haters-to-lovers romance. It initially began as unrequited love for the heroine until she overheard the hero's hurtful comments about her. The heroine did not forgive easily and, good for her! When she did eventually forgive him, their feelings for one another developed way too quickly and they jumped into bed too soon as a result.
I was annoyed with the hero's father. I can't believe he put his family in debt for his HOBBY of collecting Egyptian artifacts! UGH! And I don't know why the hero felt the need to keep this a secret from the heroine. I struggled to finish the book but I pushed myself to finish it since I do own the Kindle ebook. Fortunately, it only cost 99 cents.
October 10, 2021
What I liked, the quality of the writing - revealing not Telling the story. The plot was just OK, as I really didn't like the immature H. He's trying to make amends to the h after saying unkind things about her, which she and her brother overheard. I liked her a lot, she's smart and beautiful and being courted by other men. She knows they are good men so is upset about her attraction to the H. I also liked her direct approach, she didn't let him off the hook. I didn't like the weak Hero, I thought she deserved better.
December 12, 2023
fun lighthearted story, mild mystery, egyptology. H is charmingly oblivious. h is forgiving but not a pushover. Writing style is great to build chemistry and steamy hook ups. Maybe a few too many bombs for a historical but it did not detract from the overall experience.
September 13, 2021
Uneven and Disparate Parts
This debut novel had its ups and downs for me. I liked the hero and heroine. They were well delineated, and both had shades to their characters that were at turns unbecoming and charming as well as believable. The book feels like it's split into sections, though, that don't quite meld well with each other. The first part of the book feels like a chase, as we come to understand the characters' backgrounds and their first steps in trying to find missing objects that are important to them. For the most part, I found this fun and insightful. Before the timeline of this story, the hero humiliated the heroine when she was just 15 years old. The author doesn't give us specific details of this humiliation until about 12% into the book. As it was referenced quite frequently before this, I was antsy to find out the details to see if it was an event that the heroine perhaps had overblown or if the hero had really acted like a cad. Yes, he truly said horrible things about her that she overheard, but in the present timeline, he is remorseful and willing to do what it takes to get back in her good graces, including helping her find a missing artifact.
I felt like the book went off the rails in the second part of the book when the hero chose to keep a very big and important secret from the heroine. He could have trusted her, and they could have worked through the difficulty together, as they had been doing previously. He had many instances where he could have come clean, and I thought the heroine forgave him far too easily.
While the title of the book is a clever play on the name of a popular movie, it in no way reflects the story. She didn’t “train” him in any way, shape, or form. I’ve seen this recently happen with two books, and I sincerely hope it is not a trend!
This second part of the book had several long and involved sensual scenes. Now, I don't mind a few of such scenes in a novel—I actually usually enjoy them!--the length and detail of them felt excessive and impeded furthering of the rest of the plot lines. And it always amazes me how authors depict young women in historical romances approach these intimate moments, as I believe in real life back in the day they would have been sheltered innocents who would need time to acclimate to that new physical reality and aspect of the relationship. I think authors often go a bit too far, giving historical heroines more modern sensibilities in this area—which leads to anachronistically discordant thoughts and actions, ones that would have been unlikely back then.
All in all, I found this book disappointing on several levels, but I hope this debut author will continue to hone her craft.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This debut novel had its ups and downs for me. I liked the hero and heroine. They were well delineated, and both had shades to their characters that were at turns unbecoming and charming as well as believable. The book feels like it's split into sections, though, that don't quite meld well with each other. The first part of the book feels like a chase, as we come to understand the characters' backgrounds and their first steps in trying to find missing objects that are important to them. For the most part, I found this fun and insightful. Before the timeline of this story, the hero humiliated the heroine when she was just 15 years old. The author doesn't give us specific details of this humiliation until about 12% into the book. As it was referenced quite frequently before this, I was antsy to find out the details to see if it was an event that the heroine perhaps had overblown or if the hero had really acted like a cad. Yes, he truly said horrible things about her that she overheard, but in the present timeline, he is remorseful and willing to do what it takes to get back in her good graces, including helping her find a missing artifact.
I felt like the book went off the rails in the second part of the book when the hero chose to keep a very big and important secret from the heroine. He could have trusted her, and they could have worked through the difficulty together, as they had been doing previously. He had many instances where he could have come clean, and I thought the heroine forgave him far too easily.
While the title of the book is a clever play on the name of a popular movie, it in no way reflects the story. She didn’t “train” him in any way, shape, or form. I’ve seen this recently happen with two books, and I sincerely hope it is not a trend!
This second part of the book had several long and involved sensual scenes. Now, I don't mind a few of such scenes in a novel—I actually usually enjoy them!--the length and detail of them felt excessive and impeded furthering of the rest of the plot lines. And it always amazes me how authors depict young women in historical romances approach these intimate moments, as I believe in real life back in the day they would have been sheltered innocents who would need time to acclimate to that new physical reality and aspect of the relationship. I think authors often go a bit too far, giving historical heroines more modern sensibilities in this area—which leads to anachronistically discordant thoughts and actions, ones that would have been unlikely back then.
All in all, I found this book disappointing on several levels, but I hope this debut author will continue to hone her craft.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
August 23, 2022
4.5 stars. Fresh, delightful, steamy, lots of conflict, and needs an editor for all those contractions. This sums up my review.
Actually, it doesn't, because I write reviews on the latter as my reviews are technical. They cover the areas that most reviewers do not, yet which can cause a reader to drop the book or drop stars in a review.
The plot is the first part of my summary above. It's a rival to those popular authors these days who sell fast-paced, steamy, sparkling story lines that are believable for the Regency, but just barely. The entertainment value is sure there, though. As said earlier, the flow is quick and yet easy to follow. There were no deviations or omissions that I could detect.
Point of view is third person multiple, deep point of view, and it is done well.
Language is, for the most part, good for the Regency, with a few words that pull the reader out of the era: snort, "pass muster", "make love," check, and snagged. Americanisms "toward" and "gotten" rub one the wrong way in a British set novel. But it's the three dozen plus contractions in the mouths of the gentry that are so very wrong. Some of these contractions weren't even invented by the Regency, and certainly the gentry wouldn't have used them. It's lazy, amateur writing that edits everything but contractions.
Because editing was done well. Punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc. had no discernible flaws, and no typos were found.
Characterization was carefully handled so that the reader understood each character well and each scene contributed to deepening our understanding of their role. Consistency is key to this, and this author handled that aspect of character building well. The protagonists were likeable and the reader sympathized with them. The minor characters were only drawn out as much as needed for their roles.
Scene-setting was ideal for this novel, putting the reader into the situation with all the senses.
This novel had some steamy scenes that were fairly well elaborated upon, though not as specific as they could have been. In other words, it was short of true eroticism, but titillated nicely and showed the chemistry between the protagonists well, assisting in development of the greater romance.
Romance development was well-paced and believable.
Angst was steady at a moderate level throughout the book as the author pitched in new and reasonable twists to carry the conflict through while the romance blossomed for the protagonists.
The cover is cute and different for a Regency romance book. Its differentiation could be a blessing and a curse, as the general reading public might bypass it from the cookie-cutter covers for the reason that it's unique and not the same. But I think it says "Buy me." The scale and balance are good and the graphics are charming.
Overall, if it weren't for the contractions problem, I'd be raving about this book. As it is, I will definitely be seeking more Regency romances from Courtney McCaskill. She's a fantastic writer and this novel was alluring in its energy. Its concept is new, and its handling is delicate yet seems like that of a seasoned novelist who is good at the modern variety of Regency romance. I love this style, so it worked well for me.
Actually, it doesn't, because I write reviews on the latter as my reviews are technical. They cover the areas that most reviewers do not, yet which can cause a reader to drop the book or drop stars in a review.
The plot is the first part of my summary above. It's a rival to those popular authors these days who sell fast-paced, steamy, sparkling story lines that are believable for the Regency, but just barely. The entertainment value is sure there, though. As said earlier, the flow is quick and yet easy to follow. There were no deviations or omissions that I could detect.
Point of view is third person multiple, deep point of view, and it is done well.
Language is, for the most part, good for the Regency, with a few words that pull the reader out of the era: snort, "pass muster", "make love," check, and snagged. Americanisms "toward" and "gotten" rub one the wrong way in a British set novel. But it's the three dozen plus contractions in the mouths of the gentry that are so very wrong. Some of these contractions weren't even invented by the Regency, and certainly the gentry wouldn't have used them. It's lazy, amateur writing that edits everything but contractions.
Because editing was done well. Punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc. had no discernible flaws, and no typos were found.
Characterization was carefully handled so that the reader understood each character well and each scene contributed to deepening our understanding of their role. Consistency is key to this, and this author handled that aspect of character building well. The protagonists were likeable and the reader sympathized with them. The minor characters were only drawn out as much as needed for their roles.
Scene-setting was ideal for this novel, putting the reader into the situation with all the senses.
This novel had some steamy scenes that were fairly well elaborated upon, though not as specific as they could have been. In other words, it was short of true eroticism, but titillated nicely and showed the chemistry between the protagonists well, assisting in development of the greater romance.
Romance development was well-paced and believable.
Angst was steady at a moderate level throughout the book as the author pitched in new and reasonable twists to carry the conflict through while the romance blossomed for the protagonists.
The cover is cute and different for a Regency romance book. Its differentiation could be a blessing and a curse, as the general reading public might bypass it from the cookie-cutter covers for the reason that it's unique and not the same. But I think it says "Buy me." The scale and balance are good and the graphics are charming.
Overall, if it weren't for the contractions problem, I'd be raving about this book. As it is, I will definitely be seeking more Regency romances from Courtney McCaskill. She's a fantastic writer and this novel was alluring in its energy. Its concept is new, and its handling is delicate yet seems like that of a seasoned novelist who is good at the modern variety of Regency romance. I love this style, so it worked well for me.
April 25, 2022
I couldn't stop laughing. Henry Grenville, Viscount Thetford, made a mistake and said unkind words about Caroline Adtley, how stupid could he get. Caroline at fifteen was in love, overhears his remarks and he breaks her heart. For four years Henry's tried to apologize, but Caroline won't give him any acknowledgement, practically the cut direct. When an Egyptian artifact is stolen from around Caroline's neck, she needs it back. It belongs to her sister who wants to sell it to open another charity house. It is not exactly fun and games, but the antics and banter between Henry and Caro are priceless while trying to find the artifact. Their snooping leads to a major ring of thieves, a helpful maid with a parasol for a weapon, and hiding in an unusual place. When Caro and Henry are together it's hot, steamy encounters in one of the most unlikely places. If MacCaskill's next books are as entertaining as this one, they are a must to read.
Heat level 4
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book included in The Brazen Belles Anthology.
Heat level 4
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book included in The Brazen Belles Anthology.
October 3, 2021
How to Train Your Viscount
This was an amusing and entertaining love story mixed in with a mystery. A young woman falls in love with her older brother’s best friend when she is 15. She overhears him saying some condescending things about her which she can not forgive. Years go by and they meet again while at a house party both looking for an Egyptian amulet. While working together to solve the mystery of the missing amulet Caroline and Henry start feeling an attraction for one another. Can Caroline forgive Henry? Will Henry be able to save his family’s fortune? I enjoyed the quit whit and repartee between the main two characters. It was humorous and engaging. The mystery of the stolen Egyptian amulet added some action and drama to the story which was quite refreshing. Caroline was not a meek or shy young lady but quite assertive and daring. She new what she wanted and went after it. The romantic scenes were quite modern, similar to Contemporary Romance. I gave it a 4 star rating.
This was an amusing and entertaining love story mixed in with a mystery. A young woman falls in love with her older brother’s best friend when she is 15. She overhears him saying some condescending things about her which she can not forgive. Years go by and they meet again while at a house party both looking for an Egyptian amulet. While working together to solve the mystery of the missing amulet Caroline and Henry start feeling an attraction for one another. Can Caroline forgive Henry? Will Henry be able to save his family’s fortune? I enjoyed the quit whit and repartee between the main two characters. It was humorous and engaging. The mystery of the stolen Egyptian amulet added some action and drama to the story which was quite refreshing. Caroline was not a meek or shy young lady but quite assertive and daring. She new what she wanted and went after it. The romantic scenes were quite modern, similar to Contemporary Romance. I gave it a 4 star rating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
I confess that I was disappointed with this book. On GR the reviews for it were lukewarm, but regardless took the plunge to try a new author.
The romance was OK, but the sex scenes were so cringeworthy that the rest of the book became a chore to read. I was either laughing or rolling my eyes during all of the sex scenes. The euphemisms for sex organs in this book were particularly hilarious, and I’m sure that was not the intended effect.
One must anticipate artistic license with any era in historical romance, but this read more like a modern day romance, with modern society norms and verbiage.
Shame, as it had potential. The Egyptology aspect was interesting, and I love the cover.
The romance was OK, but the sex scenes were so cringeworthy that the rest of the book became a chore to read. I was either laughing or rolling my eyes during all of the sex scenes. The euphemisms for sex organs in this book were particularly hilarious, and I’m sure that was not the intended effect.
One must anticipate artistic license with any era in historical romance, but this read more like a modern day romance, with modern society norms and verbiage.
Shame, as it had potential. The Egyptology aspect was interesting, and I love the cover.
August 7, 2025
2023 52 Book Challenge - December Mini Challenge - 3) Girls In White Dresses With Blue Satin Sashes
This was not it for me. I've read a few regency romances now, even though it's not my preferred genre, and this is probably one of the poorest. I don't think the author had a great grasp on the language and culture of the era because it all just felt wrong. It felt way too modern for the era, and Caro felt like more of a modern girl than a regency lady.
I can't say much about the spice because I skipped most of it, but what I can say from the very small amount I read, being that they kinda just jumped into it and I read it before I realised what was happening, Caro knew way more than you would expect a girl in the regency era to know, and just jumped straight into just doing sexual things that wouldn't result in pregnancy, which just added to my general feel of more-modern than the regency era.
This book just didn't feel right to me at all.
This was not it for me. I've read a few regency romances now, even though it's not my preferred genre, and this is probably one of the poorest. I don't think the author had a great grasp on the language and culture of the era because it all just felt wrong. It felt way too modern for the era, and Caro felt like more of a modern girl than a regency lady.
I can't say much about the spice because I skipped most of it, but what I can say from the very small amount I read, being that they kinda just jumped into it and I read it before I realised what was happening, Caro knew way more than you would expect a girl in the regency era to know, and just jumped straight into just doing sexual things that wouldn't result in pregnancy, which just added to my general feel of more-modern than the regency era.
This book just didn't feel right to me at all.
February 15, 2025
I mostly liked the first half of it.
November 14, 2021
A Regency Rom Com Delight!
If How to Train Your Viscount was a drink, it would be a sweet concoction from a 1950s drugstore...or your local Starbucks. Maybe a peppermint latte (or insert favorite drink of your choice). Something warm and cozy that you want to keep on sipping and that's kind of too good to be true. I firmly believe this is movie adaptation gold and will fight anyone who thought this was anything less than a four-star read (ok, not really fight... only verbally spar with). In the midst of a really stressful week, this book pulled me into its bubble over and over again with its witty banter, wonderful characters, and Indiana-Jones-esque romps through Egyptian treasure troves and back alleys of London.
Four years ago, Lady Caroline Astley was sincerely looking forward to meeting her older brother's best friend because she had heard so much about his sense of humor and playfulness. But when she did meet the handsome Henry Greville, he was the ultimate Mean Boy, publicly humiliating fifteen-year-old Caroline in a cruel and scathing speech that left her in tears and with a terrible 'megrim' (as someone who suffers from migraines, Caroline had my complete sympathy even though she was totally faking it). Now, years later, Caroline is a diamond-of-the-first-water who is prepared for some sweet, sweet revenge. The only problem is, Caroline and Henry have something rare in common: a wonderfully acerbic sense of wit and humor which they simply can't contain around one another. One thing leads to another and as wit turns to steam, Henry and Caroline set forth on a English archaeological adventure replete with danger, drama, and betrayal.
It was difficult to believe that this was a debut novel as McCaskill's writing is sophisticated and the plot is tight.
This is a fun, light-hearted, steamy Regency with a bit of a more modern tone.
REMINDS ME OF: Reputation by Lex Croucher or Bombshell by Sarah MacLean
STEAM LEVEL: High
If How to Train Your Viscount was a drink, it would be a sweet concoction from a 1950s drugstore...or your local Starbucks. Maybe a peppermint latte (or insert favorite drink of your choice). Something warm and cozy that you want to keep on sipping and that's kind of too good to be true. I firmly believe this is movie adaptation gold and will fight anyone who thought this was anything less than a four-star read (ok, not really fight... only verbally spar with). In the midst of a really stressful week, this book pulled me into its bubble over and over again with its witty banter, wonderful characters, and Indiana-Jones-esque romps through Egyptian treasure troves and back alleys of London.
Four years ago, Lady Caroline Astley was sincerely looking forward to meeting her older brother's best friend because she had heard so much about his sense of humor and playfulness. But when she did meet the handsome Henry Greville, he was the ultimate Mean Boy, publicly humiliating fifteen-year-old Caroline in a cruel and scathing speech that left her in tears and with a terrible 'megrim' (as someone who suffers from migraines, Caroline had my complete sympathy even though she was totally faking it). Now, years later, Caroline is a diamond-of-the-first-water who is prepared for some sweet, sweet revenge. The only problem is, Caroline and Henry have something rare in common: a wonderfully acerbic sense of wit and humor which they simply can't contain around one another. One thing leads to another and as wit turns to steam, Henry and Caroline set forth on a English archaeological adventure replete with danger, drama, and betrayal.
It was difficult to believe that this was a debut novel as McCaskill's writing is sophisticated and the plot is tight.
This is a fun, light-hearted, steamy Regency with a bit of a more modern tone.
REMINDS ME OF: Reputation by Lex Croucher or Bombshell by Sarah MacLean
STEAM LEVEL: High
October 8, 2021
Great book, funny dialogues, a bit of criminal plot that's always good in a book and gives a twist in the story. A light reading most appreciated. I've liked the historical accuracy also.
Loved the chemistry between the couple and enjoyed the way the writer explore the way they "met" and evolve in their relation, despite the bad things. They are young and it's supposed they have some (or a lot of) insecurities and that's nice because it's exactly the way it's supposed they act. Caro was a strong minded girl with a good base, with a nice family support (thank god she decided to resolve the problems herself!!). Henry was to much influenced by his father way of man thinking but in the end he opened his eyes!
The side characters were funny and agreeable. Fanny was the best! And Billy. The father not so much... over all a nice book. Looking forward to read Anne's story!!
Loved the chemistry between the couple and enjoyed the way the writer explore the way they "met" and evolve in their relation, despite the bad things. They are young and it's supposed they have some (or a lot of) insecurities and that's nice because it's exactly the way it's supposed they act. Caro was a strong minded girl with a good base, with a nice family support (thank god she decided to resolve the problems herself!!). Henry was to much influenced by his father way of man thinking but in the end he opened his eyes!
The side characters were funny and agreeable. Fanny was the best! And Billy. The father not so much... over all a nice book. Looking forward to read Anne's story!!
June 24, 2025
I got this book during a SYKD a few months back, and why did I wait so long? It was so fun! So fun in fact I may have promptly bought the entire series on my Kindle…no regrets.
Oh this was a joy to read, I loved the storyline…the characters and the pacing. First I just need to make sure I mention how much I freaking loved Caroline’s ladies maid, Fanny. What an absolute badass and a riot, right fiery and her skills with a parasol are unmatched.
The FMC, Caroline, fell for Henry upon seeing him. After reading her brother’s letters about him and getting to know about Henry from them…it doesn’t take much for 15 year old Caro to tumble. Not that those feelings are returned because men will be men….especially when they are young.
The MMC, Henry, hasn’t seen Caro since that fateful night on the balcony and he has felt badly for it ever since. 4 years after the “terrible night” he finally sees her again, and all he wants to do is apologize. But Caro is not the same wait of a girl she once was and she is determined to keep him at a distance.
Naturally a series of events leads to their inevitable need to partner up on a mission to find something precious that Caro lost…something that belonged to her sister. And so they embark on a series of adventures to find the item, reigniting Caro’s feelings for Henry. And Henry finally getting to know Caro for herself and not the shy girl she was 4 years prior. But how can he ever be good enough? How can he fix the mistakes made by his father to be worthy of her?
Oh this was a joy to read, I loved the storyline…the characters and the pacing. First I just need to make sure I mention how much I freaking loved Caroline’s ladies maid, Fanny. What an absolute badass and a riot, right fiery and her skills with a parasol are unmatched.
The FMC, Caroline, fell for Henry upon seeing him. After reading her brother’s letters about him and getting to know about Henry from them…it doesn’t take much for 15 year old Caro to tumble. Not that those feelings are returned because men will be men….especially when they are young.
The MMC, Henry, hasn’t seen Caro since that fateful night on the balcony and he has felt badly for it ever since. 4 years after the “terrible night” he finally sees her again, and all he wants to do is apologize. But Caro is not the same wait of a girl she once was and she is determined to keep him at a distance.
Naturally a series of events leads to their inevitable need to partner up on a mission to find something precious that Caro lost…something that belonged to her sister. And so they embark on a series of adventures to find the item, reigniting Caro’s feelings for Henry. And Henry finally getting to know Caro for herself and not the shy girl she was 4 years prior. But how can he ever be good enough? How can he fix the mistakes made by his father to be worthy of her?
November 6, 2021
I love discovering new historical romance authors, especially ones who appreciate their history. Debut author Courtney McCaskill brings a light, amusingly silly, and historically-informed touch to the genre with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR VISCOUNT, the first book in the ASTLEY CHRONICLES. A second-chances romance, HTTYV stars Lady Caroline Astley, who at fifteen suffered an embarrassing crush on her older brother's friend, Henry Greville, Viscount Thetford. Said crush quickly transformed into enmity after the said viscount humiliated her in front of his friends. Four years later, a missing Egyptian amulet with multiple claimants (Caroline's sister inherited it from her dead husband, but Viscount Thetford's father believes it was stolen from him) brings the two back together. Hijinks and highly sexy times ensue...
Can't wait to read book #2, WHAT'S AN EARL GOTTA DO, coming out in December.
Can't wait to read book #2, WHAT'S AN EARL GOTTA DO, coming out in December.
November 29, 2021
Firstly, how beautiful is the cover!? It gives me Cinderella vibes...
An interesting read. I was so excited to read this one because I am loving romance at the moment. I am not a 'historical romance' kind of gal, however, I thought this was a good read.
It has just the right amount of romance with underlying themes that made it more interesting and intriguing than I was expecting. I loved how Lady Caroline Astley held a grudge against Henry Greville (and rightly so!) but yet, he was the one she had to go for help... its so cliche yet it worked.
It was written beautifully and the dialogue was spot on. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read more.
Thank you to @instabooktours for allowing me a spot on this gorgeous tour and to Courtney, for allowing me a copy of your beautiful book.
An interesting read. I was so excited to read this one because I am loving romance at the moment. I am not a 'historical romance' kind of gal, however, I thought this was a good read.
It has just the right amount of romance with underlying themes that made it more interesting and intriguing than I was expecting. I loved how Lady Caroline Astley held a grudge against Henry Greville (and rightly so!) but yet, he was the one she had to go for help... its so cliche yet it worked.
It was written beautifully and the dialogue was spot on. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read more.
Thank you to @instabooktours for allowing me a spot on this gorgeous tour and to Courtney, for allowing me a copy of your beautiful book.
September 11, 2022
I had mixed feelings for this book.
As a Regency lover, a frequent reader and watcher of the era, I can say that the language in this was forever a distraction as it was not accurate at all.
And the spicey scenes, though they were great spicey scenes, very much belonged in a modern story and not Regency England. I won't say much more on that as I do not wish to drop Spoilers.
However, the story and characters were so good and had the language and spice matched up, it would have been a great Regency romance read.
I am not opposed to reading the next in the series but there are indeed so many authors that do the research and get it right. I think this author has great potential to be one of those but more research is needed. And perhaps a binge read of the Bridgerton books is in order.
As a Regency lover, a frequent reader and watcher of the era, I can say that the language in this was forever a distraction as it was not accurate at all.
And the spicey scenes, though they were great spicey scenes, very much belonged in a modern story and not Regency England. I won't say much more on that as I do not wish to drop Spoilers.
However, the story and characters were so good and had the language and spice matched up, it would have been a great Regency romance read.
I am not opposed to reading the next in the series but there are indeed so many authors that do the research and get it right. I think this author has great potential to be one of those but more research is needed. And perhaps a binge read of the Bridgerton books is in order.
November 13, 2021
I loved this! It was so fun and spicy. I loved even though it was a regency romance the heroine wasn’t typical. She demanded to be included, fought for what she wanted and put the hero in his place. The hero was dreamy even though he made some mistakes, but what else do you expect from a romance novel.
I think my favorite character was actually Fanny, a supporting role but hilarious. I couldn’t get enough of this fierce protector
I can’t wait for the second book. I need to know what happens to the sweet Lady Anne!
I think my favorite character was actually Fanny, a supporting role but hilarious. I couldn’t get enough of this fierce protector
I can’t wait for the second book. I need to know what happens to the sweet Lady Anne!
April 5, 2022
Perfect little holiday read
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