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Knight Miscellany #3
Lord of Ice
Celebrated as an extraordinary new talent in romance, Gaelen Foley astounds readers with her vibrant stories of passion and adventure. Now, hot on the heels of her daring Lord of Fire , she spins the powerful tale of a hero tempted by the one woman he is forbidden to love. . . .Damien Knight, the earl of Winterley, is proud, aloof, and tormented by memories of war. Though living in seclusion, he is named guardian to a fellow officer’s ward. Instead of the young homeless waif he was expecting, however, Miranda FitzHubert is a stunning, passionate beauty who invades his sanctuary and forces him back into society. Struggling to maintain honor and self-control, Damien now faces an even greater desire.A bold, free spirit, Miranda has witnessed the darkest depths of Damien’s soul–and has seen his desperate need for love. But before she can thaw his unyielding heart, she must endure a terrifying nightmare of her own. . . .From the Paperback edition.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2002
140 people are currently reading
2859 people want to read
About the author
Gaelen Foley
43 books1,895 followersGaelen Foley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty historical romances set in the glittering world of Regency England. Her books are available in sixteen languages and have won numerous genre awards, such as the Bookseller's Best, the NJRW Golden Leaf (three times), the CRW Award of Excellence, the National Reader's Choice Award, the Beacon, and the Holt Medallion.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
March 25, 2015
This is the third book I've read by this author and so far there is always the same problem.
The beginning starts amazing, great intro, great idea, I love it. The middle is good, I'm still enjoying, but every time it goes past the 50% mark, the story turns into something ridiculous, and the level of mushiness goes into the throw-up zone. I can do sweet romantic scenes, in fact I love those, but this... It gives you diabetes. I still want to read on but damn, I hope she'll change her style a bit :(
March 2, 2018
—Sí. Te quería cuando montaste aquel poni gordo y ridículo, esforzándote por hacerlo bien sólo para complacerme. Te quería cuando fingiste que te habías torcido el tobillo para proteger mi orgullo… y te querré el resto de mi vida si me aceptas. Miranda, ¿quieres ser mi esposa?
En el libro anterior Damien no me había caído muy bien que digamos aunque al final de ese ya medio cayó mejor y aquí en su libro pobrecito me dio un poco de lástima su condición, me gustó como protagonista aunque admito que todavía no le llega a Robert. Miranda me gustó mucho era una chica que ha sufrido la muerte de sus padres el abandono de su tío y los abusos en su escuela, más sin embargo eso no le quito que fuera una chica alegre, tal vez un poco rebelde. Ellos juntos eran bastante lindos.
Este libro empezó al revés que el de Corazón de fuego, con mucha fuerza y enganche pero rumbo al final ya no me gustó tanto la historia la alargaron de más eso de que Damien volvió a la guerra no me gustó fue innecesario.
PD: Sigo pensando que a Lucien no le han reconocido todos sus esfuerzos y que es muy injusto que todas la flores se las lleve Damien
June 7, 2024
Read: 6/7/24
4 stars!
An enjoyable read but not as good as the previous books in the series.
Longer RTC!
4 stars!
An enjoyable read but not as good as the previous books in the series.
Longer RTC!
October 2, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Lord of Ice is another winning story from Gaelen Foley. In my opinion, it was a little light on the romance, with the historical and suspense elements being given almost equal weight, but it was still a wonderful and engaging book. I did not find this to be a predictable read at all. There were several times that the direction of the story surprised me, but none more so than the ending or perhaps I should say endings. The main plot of the story climaxed about forty pages or so from the end of the book and then turned in a completely unexpected direction, actually giving it a second ending of sorts plus an epilogue. I'm not really sure this second ending was necessary, but it did give another slice of life scenario to this appealing couple. I loved the warm family atmosphere surrounding the Knight clan. Even though they are of mixed parentage and each of the siblings has a distinct personality, they are a very close-knit and welcoming family. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Miranda spies the Knight brothers having a late-night snowball fight like a bunch of unruly schoolboys. It was an extremely heartwarming scene that left a huge smile on my face. I also really appreciate Ms. Foley's use of details to enrich the narrative. In some books I have read, such descriptions can be dry and slow the pace, but in Lord of Ice, everything from the account of the Knight family's Christmas celebration to the political climate of the era was woven together seamlessly and in an engaging way that made it seem like I was actually there.
Damien and Miranda were a memorable hero and heroine. Damien is an intense, tortured alpha with the call of the warrior in his blood and an extreme case of PTSD from the time he spent in the Peninsular War fighting on the front lines. After an incident in Lord of Fire, where he lost track of where he was and came back to himself with weapons in his hands, he decided to live a solitary life for the safety of his loved ones. The psychological pain Damien experiences is so intense that he has thought of killing himself more than once, and he has a few flashbacks that were violent enough to make me a tad squeamish, one involving a horse, which as an animal lover, was particularly disturbing. Miranda is a strong, independent-minded young lady, who is a spitfire without being shrewish and is gentle and sensitive without being a push-over, which is an amazing balance for an author to be able to strike. At first, I found myself thinking of Miranda in a childish way, but perhaps that was a stroke of genius on Ms. Foley's part, since that is what Damien had initially thought as well. It didn't take long for Miranda to “grow up”, and although she did lie to Damien a few times, I am happy to say that she never had any TSTL moments. She was a very smart girl, who always seemed to know when to cut her losses and simply tell the truth. Miranda had been through tremendous pain in her own life. She was a bastard child, lost her parents at a young age, was sent to live in a terrible boarding school where she was abused, and now her own uncle is trying to kill her, yet she somehow still maintains a spirited, “glass half-full” approach to life. My other favorite scene is when Miranda tried to get a rise out of the buttoned-up Damien by saying some rather scandalous things, which made me laugh. Miranda is not afraid to go after what she wants, and that, she discovers pretty quickly, is Damien. She is almost the exact opposite of Damien, but is deftly able to handle him, even in his darkest moments. I loved her fearlessness, determination and loyalty to her man, and how she never gave up on him, even when he tried his best to drive her away. The personalities of this couple reminded me a great deal of the hero and heroine from Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels, so anyone who has enjoyed that book, should like this one and vice versa.
The cast of secondary characters was superb with all the Knight siblings playing fairly significant roles except for black sheep, Jack, who has yet to make an appearance. It was so nice to catch up with Robert and Bel from The Duke, as well as Lucien and Alice from Lord of Fire, and see the changes in their lives. I like that these books seem to take place almost consecutively, with no time lost in between stories. Also present were Jacinda, Lizzie and Alec who get their own books later in the series. There were also brief appearances by Bel's father from The Duke and two of Lucien's young secret agents from Lord of Fire. Readers are given an introduction to the scandalous but charming thief, Billy Blade, who becomes the hero and object of Jacinda's affection in the next book, Lady of Desire, as well as, the dashing Ian “Griff” Prescott, who becomes the hero of Her Only Desire, the first book in the Spice Trilogy spin-off series. I have to say that both of these men have definitely piqued my interest. With Mr. Reed and Miss Brocklehurst, the headmaster and headmistress of the girl's school; the evil Algernon Sherbrooke, Miranda's murderous uncle; and all of his cronies from the Raptors street gang, there were bad guys aplenty. There was also Algernon's son, Crispin, who is a dissolute rake with a gambling problem, but who doesn't quite seem to have his father's penchant for villainy. All in all, this was a very full and well-rounded cast that made the narrative even more robust.
There was very little I didn't like about the book, but if there was one thing I could change it would be that Damien and Miranda would have had more scenes together. When Damien let his guard down, and they were in each other's presence, they lit up the pages, but most of the time Damien kept Miranda at arms length, thinking it best for her safety. I sometimes wished that he would lighten up a little and not be so stubborn, as I sometimes felt like there was an arctic chill emanating from the pages. Then again, he was very alpha, making those characteristics consistent with his personality. Also, it was pretty overtly implied that Miranda was molested by the headmaster of her school, but other than the mere acknowledgment of the abuse and justice being served, this aspect of her life was never really explored. I found this to be a little disappointing, but I suppose understandable considering the sheer volume of events that were already on the canvas, as well as the darkness of Damien's PTSD. The inclusion of too many unhappy incidents would have made the story depressing, when a large part of it was pretty intense already. Overall though, these were fairly minor detractors from an otherwise extremely well-written novel. I don't think that any author to date has given me three keepers right in a row, but Gaelen Foley did just that with the first three books of her Knight Miscellany series which I greatly look forward to continuing soon. Lord of Ice is preceded by The Duke and Lord of Fire and is followed by Lady of Desire, Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. While Lord of Ice was not to my knowledge ever billed as a Christmas story, the bulk of it does take place around that time of year, making it a timely read for the upcoming holiday season.
"4.5 stars" Lord of Ice is another winning story from Gaelen Foley. In my opinion, it was a little light on the romance, with the historical and suspense elements being given almost equal weight, but it was still a wonderful and engaging book. I did not find this to be a predictable read at all. There were several times that the direction of the story surprised me, but none more so than the ending or perhaps I should say endings. The main plot of the story climaxed about forty pages or so from the end of the book and then turned in a completely unexpected direction, actually giving it a second ending of sorts plus an epilogue. I'm not really sure this second ending was necessary, but it did give another slice of life scenario to this appealing couple. I loved the warm family atmosphere surrounding the Knight clan. Even though they are of mixed parentage and each of the siblings has a distinct personality, they are a very close-knit and welcoming family. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Miranda spies the Knight brothers having a late-night snowball fight like a bunch of unruly schoolboys. It was an extremely heartwarming scene that left a huge smile on my face. I also really appreciate Ms. Foley's use of details to enrich the narrative. In some books I have read, such descriptions can be dry and slow the pace, but in Lord of Ice, everything from the account of the Knight family's Christmas celebration to the political climate of the era was woven together seamlessly and in an engaging way that made it seem like I was actually there.
Damien and Miranda were a memorable hero and heroine. Damien is an intense, tortured alpha with the call of the warrior in his blood and an extreme case of PTSD from the time he spent in the Peninsular War fighting on the front lines. After an incident in Lord of Fire, where he lost track of where he was and came back to himself with weapons in his hands, he decided to live a solitary life for the safety of his loved ones. The psychological pain Damien experiences is so intense that he has thought of killing himself more than once, and he has a few flashbacks that were violent enough to make me a tad squeamish, one involving a horse, which as an animal lover, was particularly disturbing. Miranda is a strong, independent-minded young lady, who is a spitfire without being shrewish and is gentle and sensitive without being a push-over, which is an amazing balance for an author to be able to strike. At first, I found myself thinking of Miranda in a childish way, but perhaps that was a stroke of genius on Ms. Foley's part, since that is what Damien had initially thought as well. It didn't take long for Miranda to “grow up”, and although she did lie to Damien a few times, I am happy to say that she never had any TSTL moments. She was a very smart girl, who always seemed to know when to cut her losses and simply tell the truth. Miranda had been through tremendous pain in her own life. She was a bastard child, lost her parents at a young age, was sent to live in a terrible boarding school where she was abused, and now her own uncle is trying to kill her, yet she somehow still maintains a spirited, “glass half-full” approach to life. My other favorite scene is when Miranda tried to get a rise out of the buttoned-up Damien by saying some rather scandalous things, which made me laugh. Miranda is not afraid to go after what she wants, and that, she discovers pretty quickly, is Damien. She is almost the exact opposite of Damien, but is deftly able to handle him, even in his darkest moments. I loved her fearlessness, determination and loyalty to her man, and how she never gave up on him, even when he tried his best to drive her away. The personalities of this couple reminded me a great deal of the hero and heroine from Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels, so anyone who has enjoyed that book, should like this one and vice versa.
The cast of secondary characters was superb with all the Knight siblings playing fairly significant roles except for black sheep, Jack, who has yet to make an appearance. It was so nice to catch up with Robert and Bel from The Duke, as well as Lucien and Alice from Lord of Fire, and see the changes in their lives. I like that these books seem to take place almost consecutively, with no time lost in between stories. Also present were Jacinda, Lizzie and Alec who get their own books later in the series. There were also brief appearances by Bel's father from The Duke and two of Lucien's young secret agents from Lord of Fire. Readers are given an introduction to the scandalous but charming thief, Billy Blade, who becomes the hero and object of Jacinda's affection in the next book, Lady of Desire, as well as, the dashing Ian “Griff” Prescott, who becomes the hero of Her Only Desire, the first book in the Spice Trilogy spin-off series. I have to say that both of these men have definitely piqued my interest. With Mr. Reed and Miss Brocklehurst, the headmaster and headmistress of the girl's school; the evil Algernon Sherbrooke, Miranda's murderous uncle; and all of his cronies from the Raptors street gang, there were bad guys aplenty. There was also Algernon's son, Crispin, who is a dissolute rake with a gambling problem, but who doesn't quite seem to have his father's penchant for villainy. All in all, this was a very full and well-rounded cast that made the narrative even more robust.
There was very little I didn't like about the book, but if there was one thing I could change it would be that Damien and Miranda would have had more scenes together. When Damien let his guard down, and they were in each other's presence, they lit up the pages, but most of the time Damien kept Miranda at arms length, thinking it best for her safety. I sometimes wished that he would lighten up a little and not be so stubborn, as I sometimes felt like there was an arctic chill emanating from the pages. Then again, he was very alpha, making those characteristics consistent with his personality. Also, it was pretty overtly implied that Miranda was molested by the headmaster of her school, but other than the mere acknowledgment of the abuse and justice being served, this aspect of her life was never really explored. I found this to be a little disappointing, but I suppose understandable considering the sheer volume of events that were already on the canvas, as well as the darkness of Damien's PTSD. The inclusion of too many unhappy incidents would have made the story depressing, when a large part of it was pretty intense already. Overall though, these were fairly minor detractors from an otherwise extremely well-written novel. I don't think that any author to date has given me three keepers right in a row, but Gaelen Foley did just that with the first three books of her Knight Miscellany series which I greatly look forward to continuing soon. Lord of Ice is preceded by The Duke and Lord of Fire and is followed by Lady of Desire, Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. While Lord of Ice was not to my knowledge ever billed as a Christmas story, the bulk of it does take place around that time of year, making it a timely read for the upcoming holiday season.
November 15, 2018
El coronel Damien Knight, duque de Winterley vive recluido en el campo, los horrores de la guerra le han dejado secuelas y prefiere vivir apartado del mundo hasta que la muerte de un gran amigo le obliga ha hacerse cargo como tutor de la sobrina del susodicho. Damien espera encontrar a una niña pero se tropieza con una joven (Miranda Fitzhubert) que lo atrae y eso es lo único que debe evitar.
El tercer libro de esta serie remonta el nivel pero aún no supera a “Seductora inocencia”, en esta ocasión conocemos al otro hermano gemelo. Damien es el hermano gemelo responsable, recto, el que sigue las normas. Su paso por el ejército y sus andanzas en la guerra lo dejan bastante traumatizado es por lo que se aísla pero su nueva responsabilidad lo obliga a salir de su burbuja y hacerse responsable de una joven bastante decidida y valiente. Miranda pese a ser joven me ha parecido bastante madura, es una protagonista que no se corta y es que su vida en la academia le obliga a ser como es. La relación entre los dos me ha parecido bonita, los dos se complementan muy bien, tiene partes enternecedoras y otras divertidas. Miranda tiene bastante poder sobre Damien y eso que el parece duro pero con ella se derrite.
La autora no se corta con los traumas en sus libros y con Damien no iba a ser menos y luego están sus momentos de acción de los que ya me estoy acostumbrando con Gaelen. La parte de intriga ha estado mejor planteada que en el libro de Lucien. En cuanto a la relación Damien - Miranda me gusta como se forja esa relación y se ayudan mutuamente.
Con respecto al final pues no me lo esperaba y es que ese añadido supongo que era para crear más tensión y reflejar aún más la fuerza de esa relación, no me ha parecido mal sino más bien que me extrañó.
En definitiva, me ha gustado bastante esta novela, la he encontrado mejor estructurada que la anterior así que subiré estrellita.
El tercer libro de esta serie remonta el nivel pero aún no supera a “Seductora inocencia”, en esta ocasión conocemos al otro hermano gemelo. Damien es el hermano gemelo responsable, recto, el que sigue las normas. Su paso por el ejército y sus andanzas en la guerra lo dejan bastante traumatizado es por lo que se aísla pero su nueva responsabilidad lo obliga a salir de su burbuja y hacerse responsable de una joven bastante decidida y valiente. Miranda pese a ser joven me ha parecido bastante madura, es una protagonista que no se corta y es que su vida en la academia le obliga a ser como es. La relación entre los dos me ha parecido bonita, los dos se complementan muy bien, tiene partes enternecedoras y otras divertidas. Miranda tiene bastante poder sobre Damien y eso que el parece duro pero con ella se derrite.
La autora no se corta con los traumas en sus libros y con Damien no iba a ser menos y luego están sus momentos de acción de los que ya me estoy acostumbrando con Gaelen. La parte de intriga ha estado mejor planteada que en el libro de Lucien. En cuanto a la relación Damien - Miranda me gusta como se forja esa relación y se ayudan mutuamente.
Con respecto al final pues no me lo esperaba y es que ese añadido supongo que era para crear más tensión y reflejar aún más la fuerza de esa relación, no me ha parecido mal sino más bien que me extrañó.
En definitiva, me ha gustado bastante esta novela, la he encontrado mejor estructurada que la anterior así que subiré estrellita.
June 20, 2020
(I review as I read)
Och, the beginning of this book was so sad! But very catchy. Give me a tortured war hero book any time.
I like the writer’s style as it’s very catchy, easy to understand, yet rich. At first though, I didn’t really know what to expect of the hero. I didn’t know the hero’s age, but by his interactions with the heroine, it almost seemed she was too young for him. Like he was way way older -especially as he’s her uncle’s friend.
I understand that indeed he was much older than she was, but I didn’t enjoy how he spoke to her. Always like a child and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around their romance... I also thought it funny how Crispin’s spending was the cause of his father’s behavior yet he turned on his father in the end.
The book had a lot going on and I loved the pace. From the boarding school to society to the war... I love a busy book.
All in all, the plot was nice and enjoyable.
Och, the beginning of this book was so sad! But very catchy. Give me a tortured war hero book any time.
I like the writer’s style as it’s very catchy, easy to understand, yet rich. At first though, I didn’t really know what to expect of the hero. I didn’t know the hero’s age, but by his interactions with the heroine, it almost seemed she was too young for him. Like he was way way older -especially as he’s her uncle’s friend.
I understand that indeed he was much older than she was, but I didn’t enjoy how he spoke to her. Always like a child and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around their romance... I also thought it funny how Crispin’s spending was the cause of his father’s behavior yet he turned on his father in the end.
The book had a lot going on and I loved the pace. From the boarding school to society to the war... I love a busy book.
All in all, the plot was nice and enjoyable.
December 3, 2017
A solid 4 stars. My main quibble was the villain, who was ridiculous. The central romance was very strong, supported by strong MCs that compliment each other, rather than one stealing the show. This was my fourth Foley, and I am enjoying her descriptive style more with each read. Even if the story isn't a favorite of mine, I still enjoy the richness of her writing. This one thankfully had both, strong story and writing. I plan to read the remaining books in this series in 2018.
October 16, 2019
Re-read from my HS/college years while I was sick with a 101 degree fever yesterday- I LOOOOOVED this series then, must have re-read this half a dozen times in my late teens. Its melodramatic overwrought terrible prose and retrograde statements from a supposedly feminist-esque feisty heroine absolutely don’t hold up now but I still love the Knight fam as a concept and Lucien and Robert are still hot AF.
August 1, 2018
Our war-hero, has PTSD after all his experiences and likes to cope with alcohol & women. I did find it weird that in the previous book we are told he is awkward with women and suddenly he isn't. Our heroine is an orphan who loves to act which makes her feel closer to her dead actress mother. This plot is dropped when hero comes into her life of course. He is made her guardian when her uncle is murdered . h/H first meet when he tries to pick her up after her theater performance. Later he comes to pick her up at the school she stays run by a child molester . He wants to find her a husband but they fall for each other. But H still has his issues. Suddenly at the 90% mark after they get their HEA, author decides to throw a spanner in the works, H has to go back to war. He acts like an ass and says your money is mine and I can do whatever I want with it< historical accuracy but this 21st century woman doesn't like it>. Then all is dandy. That was something the book didn't need at all.
All in all enjoyable till the 90% mark when an unnecessary plot device is added.
All in all enjoyable till the 90% mark when an unnecessary plot device is added.
June 30, 2011
I just felt the need to write a couple of thoughts on this book. I'm in the process of reading this a third time. I will never ever be able to fully commit to a day when i can say something is my favorite book. I hope I never reach that day. I always want my reading world to have room to grow so that I can always await in anticipation something great. However, this book, this book is very up there for me. I've read countless Romance books, more than my memory cares to let me ponder. This book remains a poignant one in my head. The characters called out to me. This is a superb piece of romance that Gaelen Foley has graced us readers with. I recommend this book to anyone who reads romance. I looked over my read books and I couldn't believe I hadn't written a review. I don't even know if you could call this a review. This book was too good, too amazing, for me to not put some words of my own next to them- whether they be read by people or not. I love this book and plan on loving it for a long time. It is one of the few romance books my mind won't let me forget.
July 13, 2021
#RetoRita5 #RitaFoley
Este mes para el reto he leído las historias de los gemelos de la saga de la familia Knight de Gaelen Foley, Lucien y Damien, también conocidos como Lucifer y Demonio.
La verdad es que ambas historias son parecidas y a la vez muy diferentes, y me han gustado bastante por igual.
La historia de Alice y Lucien en Corazón de fuego me ha parecido original, con un personaje femenino muy virtuoso a priori y uno masculino que es todo lo contrario por sus actividades de espía y sus fiestas. Ambos a su manera están solos en el mundo y juntos son puro fuego.
Por otro lado, Corazón de fuego narra la historia de Miranda y Damien, donde él es nombrado su tutor por sorpresa y eso le da una razón para seguir viviendo. Damien me ha parecido un gran personaje, de los que arrastran traumas que tanto nos gustan, y Miranda ha sido un gran contrapunto, con un origen humilde por culpa de una familia que tela marinera.
Me he quedado con ganas de seguir con la serie de los Knight; esta familia promete emociones.
Este mes para el reto he leído las historias de los gemelos de la saga de la familia Knight de Gaelen Foley, Lucien y Damien, también conocidos como Lucifer y Demonio.
La verdad es que ambas historias son parecidas y a la vez muy diferentes, y me han gustado bastante por igual.
La historia de Alice y Lucien en Corazón de fuego me ha parecido original, con un personaje femenino muy virtuoso a priori y uno masculino que es todo lo contrario por sus actividades de espía y sus fiestas. Ambos a su manera están solos en el mundo y juntos son puro fuego.
Por otro lado, Corazón de fuego narra la historia de Miranda y Damien, donde él es nombrado su tutor por sorpresa y eso le da una razón para seguir viviendo. Damien me ha parecido un gran personaje, de los que arrastran traumas que tanto nos gustan, y Miranda ha sido un gran contrapunto, con un origen humilde por culpa de una familia que tela marinera.
Me he quedado con ganas de seguir con la serie de los Knight; esta familia promete emociones.
September 19, 2018
Loved this one! Damien Knight, also known as Lord Winterly, our tortured hero, really was a hero, in every sense of the word. I challenge anyone not to fall in love with him!
There was so much going on in this story. A twisting together of tragic events that brought these two characters together. I really liked Miranda's character as well. She had her moments of annoyance, but I'm cutting her some slack, because she'd gone through so much tragedy by the age of 19. And Uncle Agly... what a horrid man!!! I wanted him to die badly! 😈
I have to say, I'm new to GF's books, and I'm really enjoying her writing. So I think I'll move on to book 4!
January 18, 2020
#33 of 2020
4 "I can't get enough of these Knight brothers!!!" Stars.
This is my 2nd reading of Lord of Ice, but the first time was years and years ago. Long enough to fully enjoy it again. It was also my first Gaelen Foley book.
Thoughts & Opinions:
✔ Miranda is a spitfire and I loved her to bits.
✔ Foley did a very good job of portraying Damian's PTSD. It was real and believable.
✔ Soooo glad Lucian and Alice made appearances. Especially Lucian. It was even nice to catch up with Robert and Bel.
On to the the next Knights Miscellany...
4 "I can't get enough of these Knight brothers!!!" Stars.
This is my 2nd reading of Lord of Ice, but the first time was years and years ago. Long enough to fully enjoy it again. It was also my first Gaelen Foley book.
Thoughts & Opinions:
✔ Miranda is a spitfire and I loved her to bits.
✔ Foley did a very good job of portraying Damian's PTSD. It was real and believable.
✔ Soooo glad Lucian and Alice made appearances. Especially Lucian. It was even nice to catch up with Robert and Bel.
On to the the next Knights Miscellany...
March 27, 2012
Am I supposed to believe teenaged Miranda will never regret giving up her dreams of the stage to play second fiddle to the nearly thirty year old "hero of the nation"? Also, I hadn't realized severe PTSD was easily cured by sex. I'll remember that if someone ever tries to strangle me in bed while he's mid-hallucination (a la grey's anatomy and this book).
December 4, 2025
That 'plot twist' hit hard
I decided to review this book while the glow of a great read still lingers and before the despondency of a finished great read takes over.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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I decided to review this book while the glow of a great read still lingers and before the despondency of a finished great read takes over.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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June 5, 2022
Me ha gustado más que los anteriores. Es una historia muy bonita y los dos son personajes geniales. Está llena de ternura, diversión, acción y amor. Súper completa.
February 14, 2021
I'm one of the girls that eats up power imbalance in fiction—which I entirely recognize as less than ideal in the era of #MeToo and working in a field that is rife with systemic sexism and power abuse (academia is truly horrifying for this). That said, I think it is born from the intrigue of the forbidden and the spectacle of true intimacy blossoming from something that is, at the end of the day... wrong. Therefore, I was really looking forward to Colonel Lord Damien Knight—the apropos 'upstanding/uptight' Knight—falling in love with his young ward and yet… was kind of disappointed? It was just 2.5 Stars of Meh.
It didn't bode well from the outset, as I usually love me a straight-edge hero, but I just found that from the start Damien didn't live up to the Damien we saw in the prior installment (Lord of Fire). He felt neither as straightlaced, conservative, or traumatized as I had expected or, frankly, wanted.
Brief moment for....a tangent: why does an author feel the need to tease us with heroes that have not-so-vanilla sexual tastes in previous books and throughout a story.... then never deliver? This was like Devil in Spring all over again—not that I didn't like that book but I was SO hoping that Sebastian's (Devil in Winter) son would be a freak in the bed. Instead there was one scene of light, light, LIGHT bondage. Damien is the same—he has a proclivity for whoring, and rough whoring at that. Like, if you are going to tell us he likes a rough tumble, fucking commit!!!!!!!!! Damien puts a finger in Miranda's bum ONCE during sex WAY at the end of the book and that's Damien being rough and radgy. I feel like that is doing a disservice to all raunchy sex ever. This was just one of the many aspects of Damien that just wasn't developed and it made me MORE ANNOYED than ANYTHING ELSE about Damien's character.*Rolls Eyes and beseeches The Almighty, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Thor and Co., and all other deities for this injustice* End tangent.
ANYWAYS, incongruous sexy times aside, my biggest shtick to pick here was that The Moral Conundrum that is falling in love with one's ward was noticeably lacking in the internal dialogue of someone touted as being moral and honorable. It wasn't at all near the extent to which Robert grapples with his love for Bel (his mistress) in The Duke and that was less a question of morality and more one of pride and sacrifice. Wanting to bang your nineteen-year-old dependent is a BIG ethical and moral issue. That this never is or ever has been okay is something that should have been stressed ALOT more in order for it to be then deemed acceptable. Like alot more. Alot alot. Everyone essentially encourages it and not even Robert, a wonderfully accurate depiction of a duke and head of the family, seemed to take umbrage with Damien lusting after his charge under the Knight family's shared London abode. THAT IS INSANE.
But I should reiterate: I love this trope. I love age gaps. I am down to clown with this relationship dynamic. Here? This was not developed and I had a big problem with that because realistically, Damien would have been ruined by this. Respect gone. Career over. Backs turned. Cuts: direct. It's fine if that doesn't happen because the situation is maneuvered by, ex: removing the charge from the house and courting openly. Total ruin can be circumvented... but it's not even acknowledged as a possibility! WHAT. Like c'mon the legacy of the Duke of Roxton in Noble Satyr falling in love with his eighteen-year-old ward (with him being almost forty) was tittled about decades later and after he died in the series (see Roxton Family series by Lucinda Brant, it's brilliant) and that was the 1760's and EVERYONE WAS MARRYING CHILD BRIDES. And I am expected to believed that a hugely decorated Colonel and son and brother to dukes is immune to ruin where the duke (Robert) himself was not? Add to this the fact that I never really felt like Damien expressed interest in Miranda's mind or character, never showed her consistent tenderness or love and it left me feeling duped. Duped out of a love story, to be precise.
On the flip side of this is the lovely, vivacious, and YOUNG (not because she is nineteen but because she ACTS like a teenage girl until suddenly, she doesn't anymore, because 'she is determined to be a mature young WOMAN now') falls essentially head over heels in love with... the idea of Damien. Which didn't make sense because he is--dare I say it?—kind of a dick to her. And I never really say this about heroes. Damien just isn't awesome at being a tender, giving, communicative partner at any point in the book and that is exactly what Miranda's personality would need, in my opinion. This annoyed me because I thought Miranda almost, deserved better. The operative here being 'almost' because she kind of ended up feeling directionless and forgotten with her arc reaching its zenith when she tries to flee Damien outside Birmingham (aka, at the start of the book).
So anyways, I just never felt anything real was between them. Damien was inconsistent and then the child-woman that is Miranda inexplicably becomes a respected Colonel's Human Equivalent of The North Star. Is this Foley trying to make the loving-the-ward thing appropriate because Miranda is more emotionally mature than Damien (even though she isn't)? Again, I had a problem with this. There is a balance that can be found in portraying a love story between a young, young woman and and older, older man...still have them youthful and jaded, respectively, and not make it feel trite or creepy (These Old Shades and What I Did for a Duke come to mind). Here, I felt nothing. Just nothing. Their relationship arc did not make sense, their dynamic didn't flow. It felt like Foley wanted the 'perfect' Knight brother to be imperfect but didn't know how to execute that.
Other parts?!... The external threat of murder and low-key incest was... fine? I thought it was dealt not so much with forethought but more with a "I am bored with this, so I'm going to get Miranda to bludgeon Bad Man Uncle with an axe because #ShockFactor" (is that what happened? I don't even remember because I was skimming it. Sufficed to say someone stabs Bad Man and it is all over very suddenly).
In truth, the saving grace of this book was the slapdash last 20% when Miranda and Damien marry then Napolean escapes Elba so #Waterloo, and Miranda follows Damien to Belgium. This, I felt could have been the book. The lead up to marriage could have happened faster, the creepy uncle dealt with ASAP and then *BAM*- WAR! How awesome would that have been, Miranda following the drum as a young wife and Damien battling his demons amidst chaos and death? It would have been great to flesh that out and also a place Foley could have shown her aptitude for historical research and detail. But alas, that is not what happened. It was good enough and I liked that Damien went to lead his men into battle and Miranda shows her mettle. That felt more like the Damien & Miranda I expected and wanted.
All in all, nothing from Gaelen Foley so far is living up the The Duke, but I have hope for later installments in the Knight Miscellany and her other books. I think this could be many people's cups of tea, but it lacked the depth I needed for me to appreciate the trope.
It didn't bode well from the outset, as I usually love me a straight-edge hero, but I just found that from the start Damien didn't live up to the Damien we saw in the prior installment (Lord of Fire). He felt neither as straightlaced, conservative, or traumatized as I had expected or, frankly, wanted.
Brief moment for....a tangent: why does an author feel the need to tease us with heroes that have not-so-vanilla sexual tastes in previous books and throughout a story.... then never deliver? This was like Devil in Spring all over again—not that I didn't like that book but I was SO hoping that Sebastian's (Devil in Winter) son would be a freak in the bed. Instead there was one scene of light, light, LIGHT bondage. Damien is the same—he has a proclivity for whoring, and rough whoring at that. Like, if you are going to tell us he likes a rough tumble, fucking commit!!!!!!!!! Damien puts a finger in Miranda's bum ONCE during sex WAY at the end of the book and that's Damien being rough and radgy. I feel like that is doing a disservice to all raunchy sex ever. This was just one of the many aspects of Damien that just wasn't developed and it made me MORE ANNOYED than ANYTHING ELSE about Damien's character.*Rolls Eyes and beseeches The Almighty, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Thor and Co., and all other deities for this injustice* End tangent.
ANYWAYS, incongruous sexy times aside, my biggest shtick to pick here was that The Moral Conundrum that is falling in love with one's ward was noticeably lacking in the internal dialogue of someone touted as being moral and honorable. It wasn't at all near the extent to which Robert grapples with his love for Bel (his mistress) in The Duke and that was less a question of morality and more one of pride and sacrifice. Wanting to bang your nineteen-year-old dependent is a BIG ethical and moral issue. That this never is or ever has been okay is something that should have been stressed ALOT more in order for it to be then deemed acceptable. Like alot more. Alot alot. Everyone essentially encourages it and not even Robert, a wonderfully accurate depiction of a duke and head of the family, seemed to take umbrage with Damien lusting after his charge under the Knight family's shared London abode. THAT IS INSANE.
But I should reiterate: I love this trope. I love age gaps. I am down to clown with this relationship dynamic. Here? This was not developed and I had a big problem with that because realistically, Damien would have been ruined by this. Respect gone. Career over. Backs turned. Cuts: direct. It's fine if that doesn't happen because the situation is maneuvered by, ex: removing the charge from the house and courting openly. Total ruin can be circumvented... but it's not even acknowledged as a possibility! WHAT. Like c'mon the legacy of the Duke of Roxton in Noble Satyr falling in love with his eighteen-year-old ward (with him being almost forty) was tittled about decades later and after he died in the series (see Roxton Family series by Lucinda Brant, it's brilliant) and that was the 1760's and EVERYONE WAS MARRYING CHILD BRIDES. And I am expected to believed that a hugely decorated Colonel and son and brother to dukes is immune to ruin where the duke (Robert) himself was not? Add to this the fact that I never really felt like Damien expressed interest in Miranda's mind or character, never showed her consistent tenderness or love and it left me feeling duped. Duped out of a love story, to be precise.
On the flip side of this is the lovely, vivacious, and YOUNG (not because she is nineteen but because she ACTS like a teenage girl until suddenly, she doesn't anymore, because 'she is determined to be a mature young WOMAN now') falls essentially head over heels in love with... the idea of Damien. Which didn't make sense because he is--dare I say it?—kind of a dick to her. And I never really say this about heroes. Damien just isn't awesome at being a tender, giving, communicative partner at any point in the book and that is exactly what Miranda's personality would need, in my opinion. This annoyed me because I thought Miranda almost, deserved better. The operative here being 'almost' because she kind of ended up feeling directionless and forgotten with her arc reaching its zenith when she tries to flee Damien outside Birmingham (aka, at the start of the book).
So anyways, I just never felt anything real was between them. Damien was inconsistent and then the child-woman that is Miranda inexplicably becomes a respected Colonel's Human Equivalent of The North Star. Is this Foley trying to make the loving-the-ward thing appropriate because Miranda is more emotionally mature than Damien (even though she isn't)? Again, I had a problem with this. There is a balance that can be found in portraying a love story between a young, young woman and and older, older man...still have them youthful and jaded, respectively, and not make it feel trite or creepy (These Old Shades and What I Did for a Duke come to mind). Here, I felt nothing. Just nothing. Their relationship arc did not make sense, their dynamic didn't flow. It felt like Foley wanted the 'perfect' Knight brother to be imperfect but didn't know how to execute that.
Other parts?!... The external threat of murder and low-key incest was... fine? I thought it was dealt not so much with forethought but more with a "I am bored with this, so I'm going to get Miranda to bludgeon Bad Man Uncle with an axe because #ShockFactor" (is that what happened? I don't even remember because I was skimming it. Sufficed to say someone stabs Bad Man and it is all over very suddenly).
In truth, the saving grace of this book was the slapdash last 20% when Miranda and Damien marry then Napolean escapes Elba so #Waterloo, and Miranda follows Damien to Belgium. This, I felt could have been the book. The lead up to marriage could have happened faster, the creepy uncle dealt with ASAP and then *BAM*- WAR! How awesome would that have been, Miranda following the drum as a young wife and Damien battling his demons amidst chaos and death? It would have been great to flesh that out and also a place Foley could have shown her aptitude for historical research and detail. But alas, that is not what happened. It was good enough and I liked that Damien went to lead his men into battle and Miranda shows her mettle. That felt more like the Damien & Miranda I expected and wanted.
All in all, nothing from Gaelen Foley so far is living up the The Duke, but I have hope for later installments in the Knight Miscellany and her other books. I think this could be many people's cups of tea, but it lacked the depth I needed for me to appreciate the trope.
May 30, 2024
I liked this book. I was hoping to love it and that didn't happen, but I did like it overall.
This book was a mixture of highs and lows from beginning to end. For me, the character building was off for both of the MCs and the plot was a little too hokey at times, but there were parts that I really, really adored.
I plan to read more by this author.
This book was a mixture of highs and lows from beginning to end. For me, the character building was off for both of the MCs and the plot was a little too hokey at times, but there were parts that I really, really adored.
I plan to read more by this author.
December 7, 2017
3.5 stars
April 9, 2020
Amazing start.
Loved the chemistry.
But after the first half, things started getting boring.
Too much pushing away by the Hero. Also he lost his shine after the half. He kinda became dull and sunken.
The 3 stars only for the first part.
Loved the chemistry.
But after the first half, things started getting boring.
Too much pushing away by the Hero. Also he lost his shine after the half. He kinda became dull and sunken.
The 3 stars only for the first part.
December 29, 2021
Rating: 4.1 / 5
I think, somethings, that an experienced reader can almost guess at the author's process while they were writing something. Not completely accurately, of course, but close enough that there's some degree of more than pure guesswork going on.
In this case, I think that the author was going for a typical historical romance, just sort of rolling with the usual tropes of the genre and adding a little bit of spiciness to the sex scenes. We've got the tortured hero, the cheeky heroine, and of course the constant life-or-death situations bonding them together--though in this case, it's mostly Miranda who's in danger. They start off on a rocky acquaintance, sure, but of course they've got insta-attraction for one another and slowly but surely they start to understand and discover each other as kind people, etc.
But then...there's the ending.
Now, I've opted out of this being a trainwreck ending, but it very nearly is.
Basically, for maybe 85-90% of the book, you've got things moving at a consistent pace of not-too-fast but not-too-slow. Just right, if you will. But then within the last fifty pages or so, suddenly everything's moving at a brisk pace in terms of the action, including Miranda opting to go with Damien back to war and then of course fast-forwarding to when their baby is born.
Um...wat?
Like, I'll take the rapid-fire violence at the climax just fine, thank you, but...what is up with the whole "go to war" decision out of the blue? Couldn't we have just skipped that part?
Meh, but anyway, take it all in all for what it is, this was another "hero keeping himself away from heroine so as not to 'tarnish' her with his own inner darkness", etc. Between this and Born in Sin, I liked the latter more though, hence why this, while a read I enjoyed, isn't as great overall.
As a historical romance compared to others that I've read...meh, it's somewhere in the middle, I think. Nothing to distinguish it but, other than the out-of-nowhere pace change near the end, there's absolutely nothing bad about it either. A good read overall.
I think, somethings, that an experienced reader can almost guess at the author's process while they were writing something. Not completely accurately, of course, but close enough that there's some degree of more than pure guesswork going on.
In this case, I think that the author was going for a typical historical romance, just sort of rolling with the usual tropes of the genre and adding a little bit of spiciness to the sex scenes. We've got the tortured hero, the cheeky heroine, and of course the constant life-or-death situations bonding them together--though in this case, it's mostly Miranda who's in danger. They start off on a rocky acquaintance, sure, but of course they've got insta-attraction for one another and slowly but surely they start to understand and discover each other as kind people, etc.
But then...there's the ending.
Now, I've opted out of this being a trainwreck ending, but it very nearly is.
Basically, for maybe 85-90% of the book, you've got things moving at a consistent pace of not-too-fast but not-too-slow. Just right, if you will. But then within the last fifty pages or so, suddenly everything's moving at a brisk pace in terms of the action, including Miranda opting to go with Damien back to war and then of course fast-forwarding to when their baby is born.
Um...wat?
Like, I'll take the rapid-fire violence at the climax just fine, thank you, but...what is up with the whole "go to war" decision out of the blue? Couldn't we have just skipped that part?
Meh, but anyway, take it all in all for what it is, this was another "hero keeping himself away from heroine so as not to 'tarnish' her with his own inner darkness", etc. Between this and Born in Sin, I liked the latter more though, hence why this, while a read I enjoyed, isn't as great overall.
As a historical romance compared to others that I've read...meh, it's somewhere in the middle, I think. Nothing to distinguish it but, other than the out-of-nowhere pace change near the end, there's absolutely nothing bad about it either. A good read overall.
May 19, 2025
The prologue ends with a murder and the end of Chapter 3 was action-filled—the hero saved the heroine from four gangsters. Unfortunately, the excitement doesn’t last. I started skimming a lot when the hero and his ward (also the heroine) arrived in London.
They married by the 90% mark and the book could have ended there but the author wanted to write about England returning to war when Napoleon escaped Elba. The hero is a colonel so he has to return to duty. The heroine decides to join him. The war finally ends and they get their HEA.
They married by the 90% mark and the book could have ended there but the author wanted to write about England returning to war when Napoleon escaped Elba. The hero is a colonel so he has to return to duty. The heroine decides to join him. The war finally ends and they get their HEA.
September 29, 2011
Mission complete! Haha! I am proud of myself for tackling this book and finishing. I needed to finish. I mean, I could have missed something important for what is to come in book four.
I guess it's obvious just how much I liked this book by my excitement for getting to the end. And it's not because it was a page turner.
Oh, no. It was quite the book that couldn't be picked up. I am boggled at how different this book was from its predecessors.
The Duke was surely sprinkled with magic fairy(-tale) dust. How could it not have been? The story was just beautiful, it enchanted me like no other book of its genre ever has. Has there ever been another that affected me so? If there was, I don't recall. Nor did The Lord of Ice measure up to the second book in the series, Lord of Fire. Lord of Fire was just gorgeously written, wickedly charming. And just sooooo good. So good.
I'm not sure if this book is just *meh* for me because I didn't take to the main characters, Damien and Miranda. I admit, I found Damien distasteful before I even started reading. His character just didn't sit well with me when he was introduced in Lord of Fire. Just something about him. And I don't think it is because of his ice cold nature. Perhaps it is because I never came to terms with what he did. I just can't forgive him. And there's more to it than that, there's his personality. He's stale, boring. And he's rather overbearing. He does have his good moments, however. He plays a good knight in shining armor and saves his damsel in distress, Miranda.
Miranda, oh Miranda, maybe it is best I don't even comment about her.
I am almost glad that Lord of Ice didn't focus on their romance. I literally had to skip scenes when it was just Damien and Miranda. Them being together. Ugh. Please. Just. No.
Their scenes together didn't mesh well. Didn't flow well. And it was most awkward to read. The dialogue between them was just... *eyeroll* And there was no chemistry whatsoever. Just how are they together? And why? Why?
If you are still reading this awful rant review, I do have some nice things to say. I like the action/suspense aspects to the story. As I do love suspense! I also like how the story was about a person, and not about just a relationship (even if I didn't really like said person). And lastly, It was interesting to come across Bel, Robert, Alice and Lucien again. Their parts weren't all that substantial. It was more about letting us know that they were there, living and still loving their significant others as they should be. And all the mentions of Lucien just made me squee!
So, that is why I give this story three stars. Actually, two and a half, if it were an option.
I guess it's obvious just how much I liked this book by my excitement for getting to the end. And it's not because it was a page turner.
Oh, no. It was quite the book that couldn't be picked up. I am boggled at how different this book was from its predecessors.
The Duke was surely sprinkled with magic fairy(-tale) dust. How could it not have been? The story was just beautiful, it enchanted me like no other book of its genre ever has. Has there ever been another that affected me so? If there was, I don't recall. Nor did The Lord of Ice measure up to the second book in the series, Lord of Fire. Lord of Fire was just gorgeously written, wickedly charming. And just sooooo good. So good.
I'm not sure if this book is just *meh* for me because I didn't take to the main characters, Damien and Miranda. I admit, I found Damien distasteful before I even started reading. His character just didn't sit well with me when he was introduced in Lord of Fire. Just something about him. And I don't think it is because of his ice cold nature. Perhaps it is because I never came to terms with what he did. I just can't forgive him. And there's more to it than that, there's his personality. He's stale, boring. And he's rather overbearing. He does have his good moments, however. He plays a good knight in shining armor and saves his damsel in distress, Miranda.
Miranda, oh Miranda, maybe it is best I don't even comment about her.
I am almost glad that Lord of Ice didn't focus on their romance. I literally had to skip scenes when it was just Damien and Miranda. Them being together. Ugh. Please. Just. No.
Their scenes together didn't mesh well. Didn't flow well. And it was most awkward to read. The dialogue between them was just... *eyeroll* And there was no chemistry whatsoever. Just how are they together? And why? Why?
If you are still reading this awful rant review, I do have some nice things to say. I like the action/suspense aspects to the story. As I do love suspense! I also like how the story was about a person, and not about just a relationship (even if I didn't really like said person). And lastly, It was interesting to come across Bel, Robert, Alice and Lucien again. Their parts weren't all that substantial. It was more about letting us know that they were there, living and still loving their significant others as they should be. And all the mentions of Lucien just made me squee!
So, that is why I give this story three stars. Actually, two and a half, if it were an option.
February 17, 2010
I must be one of the few that prefered this to "LORD OF FIRE".I just loved Damien, but it was the relationship between himself and Miranda that was gripping.This is the story of a man haunted by ghosts of a tortured past and an innocent, smart girl who just wants to love and heal him.The plot surrounding them was excellant , this is Gaelen Foley at her best.
July 31, 2018
My afternoon has been spent reacquainting myself with the Knight family. This is a wonderful series for all of you new comers to the Gaelen Foley world. While not all the books in this series worked for me I would not discourage anyone from checking out the series. This is Foley at her best. What is not to like about not one but two gorgeous men one is honourable while the other is reputed for his sin and wickedness. Damien Knight is the star of this book and a well respected war hero. He is hidden away from the London society recovering and trying to get a grip on his PTSD. His other half and brother Lucien aka Lucifer is one of the only people he trusts to see him in his current state. Receiving news that a dear friend, Major Sherbrooke, has been shot and murdered, he tries to gain his bearings when he is delivered with yet another blow. He is now guardian of the major's niece.
Miranda Fitzhubert has childish dreams of running away from her current nightmare to become an actress. The moment the pair set eyes on one another is one of the things I love about GF's writing. That glance that takes place acrossed a crowded room and instantly connect on some invisible level. The story moves along with the colonel fighting his attraction to Miranda believing it is his duty to find her a suitable husband and Miranda determined to make it on her own as an actress. Then there is this moment when Miranda realizes she needs to let go of this childish dream because she finds herself in love with Damien. However, he refuses to give in as he is certain that he is a danger to her when he goes into one of episodes and has no control over his behavior.
It all leads up to the evil plot of her uncle, Lord Hubert, to get his hands on her fortune and Damien realizing that Miranda is not the problem but the solution to his disorder. It does not simply end at justice being served but Damien being called back to battle as Napoleon marches into Paris. Sooo romantic as he fights his way back to Miranda. This sub plot is only a couple chapters worth and even lets us have our dessert with an epilogue spending time with the whole Knight family (children included). Loved so many of their stories and it has inspired me to want to go and visit them again. I read this book before I did reviews and so I am still playing catch up as I revisit these loveable characters all over again. Lord of Fire is my next stop but Alec, Lizzie, Georgiana, Jack, Ian are all on the list. They are all members or friends of the Knight family. If you started with this book it does actually follow Lord of Fire but each story is its own so it doesn't really matter accept I warn you once you meet the various members it will make you want to see more. Robert and Bel and Lucien and Alice have had their stories revealed but you are slowly getting filled in on the rest wetting your appetite for their story to be told. Enjoy!
Miranda Fitzhubert has childish dreams of running away from her current nightmare to become an actress. The moment the pair set eyes on one another is one of the things I love about GF's writing. That glance that takes place acrossed a crowded room and instantly connect on some invisible level. The story moves along with the colonel fighting his attraction to Miranda believing it is his duty to find her a suitable husband and Miranda determined to make it on her own as an actress. Then there is this moment when Miranda realizes she needs to let go of this childish dream because she finds herself in love with Damien. However, he refuses to give in as he is certain that he is a danger to her when he goes into one of episodes and has no control over his behavior.
It all leads up to the evil plot of her uncle, Lord Hubert, to get his hands on her fortune and Damien realizing that Miranda is not the problem but the solution to his disorder. It does not simply end at justice being served but Damien being called back to battle as Napoleon marches into Paris. Sooo romantic as he fights his way back to Miranda. This sub plot is only a couple chapters worth and even lets us have our dessert with an epilogue spending time with the whole Knight family (children included). Loved so many of their stories and it has inspired me to want to go and visit them again. I read this book before I did reviews and so I am still playing catch up as I revisit these loveable characters all over again. Lord of Fire is my next stop but Alec, Lizzie, Georgiana, Jack, Ian are all on the list. They are all members or friends of the Knight family. If you started with this book it does actually follow Lord of Fire but each story is its own so it doesn't really matter accept I warn you once you meet the various members it will make you want to see more. Robert and Bel and Lucien and Alice have had their stories revealed but you are slowly getting filled in on the rest wetting your appetite for their story to be told. Enjoy!
March 14, 2024
Reread
This book was a LOT. So much is going on: homicidal relatives, PTSD, a murder for hire, a sick pedo school master, secret heiress and probably a few other things I forgot.
After her uncle is murdered, Miranda becomes the ward of his broody grumpy friend and military commander Colonel Damien Knight. Damien has uncomfy feelings for his ward so he pushes her away and is determined to find her a husband. Meanwhile her greedy relative is out for blood so he can take the secret fortune that she doesn't know about.
The pacing in this one was wild. It started off with a Batman-esque scene where Damien fights off a horde of attackers and then rescues Miranda from her sketchy school. Then we have One Bed at the inn and the sexual tension is to die for. But then Damien has an episode triggered by a bad dream and decides he can't be near her or anyone. Then, they get to London to search for a husband and the pace slows down significantly. The romance started to feel fragmented and the slow burn is just slow. Then Miranda kind of cures Damien from his PTSD with a bj and all is well with the world. But wait, Napoleon escapes Elba and Damien has to go away to war to fight at Waterloo. I kind of loved this part but it was so rushed and everything happened off page. His PTSD is kind of brushed aside and they live HEA.
Even with all the eye rolling I did, I enjoyed my reread. Not as much as the first time around but I liked Miranda and Damien's tortured soul and seeing the Knight Miscellany together. I also loved the intro to Billy Blade (hero of the next book) we get here. Recommend this series to fans of Lisa Kleypas and Judith McNaught.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Guardian/ward
Age gap
One Bed
Tortured Hero
CW: threats of SA and violence
This book was a LOT. So much is going on: homicidal relatives, PTSD, a murder for hire, a sick pedo school master, secret heiress and probably a few other things I forgot.
After her uncle is murdered, Miranda becomes the ward of his broody grumpy friend and military commander Colonel Damien Knight. Damien has uncomfy feelings for his ward so he pushes her away and is determined to find her a husband. Meanwhile her greedy relative is out for blood so he can take the secret fortune that she doesn't know about.
The pacing in this one was wild. It started off with a Batman-esque scene where Damien fights off a horde of attackers and then rescues Miranda from her sketchy school. Then we have One Bed at the inn and the sexual tension is to die for. But then Damien has an episode triggered by a bad dream and decides he can't be near her or anyone. Then, they get to London to search for a husband and the pace slows down significantly. The romance started to feel fragmented and the slow burn is just slow. Then Miranda kind of cures Damien from his PTSD with a bj and all is well with the world. But wait, Napoleon escapes Elba and Damien has to go away to war to fight at Waterloo. I kind of loved this part but it was so rushed and everything happened off page. His PTSD is kind of brushed aside and they live HEA.
Even with all the eye rolling I did, I enjoyed my reread. Not as much as the first time around but I liked Miranda and Damien's tortured soul and seeing the Knight Miscellany together. I also loved the intro to Billy Blade (hero of the next book) we get here. Recommend this series to fans of Lisa Kleypas and Judith McNaught.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Guardian/ward
Age gap
One Bed
Tortured Hero
CW: threats of SA and violence
October 31, 2015
Reading Gaelen Foley is like gambling for me. The probability of winning much smaller than that of losing, but occasionally I win.
Lord of Ice though, was another lost game.
The 3rd book in the series is the story of Damien, the older of the twins. I loved Lucien in Lord of Fire and hoped to love Damien too. Alas, I could not say that I loved Damien and Miranda as much as I did Lucien and Alice. Miranda did not interest me. I don't know who she is supposed to be. Her character is loosely defined in my eyes. I cannot say what kind of a woman she is. The relationship is kind of blah. Major conflicts being Damien's demons. I was kind of bored for most of the book and winced when Belinda and Robert from The Duke made an appearance. Their relationship seemed so cheap to me but I will leave off my Belinda/Robert bashing at that.
However the book surprised me in the last 10%. Just when I thought ok it is about time to wrap up and let's have the epilogue, a war twist happened. I find the final twist endearing and finally I felt that I saw Damien and Miranda as characters. Damien having to return to war (Battle of Waterloo) and Miranda insiting on going with him, I did not expect that so late in the game. The few paragraphs where Miranda told Damien about her pregnancy right before he had to leave for battle really captured me. It wasn't much, but was truly touching nonetheless.
Lord of Ice though, was another lost game.
The 3rd book in the series is the story of Damien, the older of the twins. I loved Lucien in Lord of Fire and hoped to love Damien too. Alas, I could not say that I loved Damien and Miranda as much as I did Lucien and Alice. Miranda did not interest me. I don't know who she is supposed to be. Her character is loosely defined in my eyes. I cannot say what kind of a woman she is. The relationship is kind of blah. Major conflicts being Damien's demons. I was kind of bored for most of the book and winced when Belinda and Robert from The Duke made an appearance. Their relationship seemed so cheap to me but I will leave off my Belinda/Robert bashing at that.
However the book surprised me in the last 10%. Just when I thought ok it is about time to wrap up and let's have the epilogue, a war twist happened. I find the final twist endearing and finally I felt that I saw Damien and Miranda as characters. Damien having to return to war (Battle of Waterloo) and Miranda insiting on going with him, I did not expect that so late in the game. The few paragraphs where Miranda told Damien about her pregnancy right before he had to leave for battle really captured me. It wasn't much, but was truly touching nonetheless.
February 10, 2022
Didn't expect this to be end up being one of the most sweetest, romantic HR book I've ever read
The way the author wrote Miranda and Damien being so affectionate and touchy with each other before they even got together properly was so heartwarming💕🔥
I absolutely love when little acts of intimacy are captured and written like her stroking his hair, hugging him, him always holding her arm, caressing her face.
He lifted her hand to his lips and bowed his head, pressing a kiss into her palm. “Not for the world would I ever frighten you again.” Tenderly, he closed her fingers into a fist, as though to save his little kiss for later.
Damien was soo dreamy and adorable, he blushed a lot and there's a scene of Miranda actually teasing him about it. Miranda was so different from other heroines; bold, strong and utterly admirable🙈
The proposal scene is the most well done adorable things I've ever read, the fact that both of them were crying made me start sobbing from happiness❤️😣
✨“Are you drunk?”
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure. They never gave us wine at Yardley. I feel happy.”
“Happy?” He grabbed a corner of the pillow as she whacked him again with it. “Stop it!”
“You’re too serious, Winterley!” She reached for another
pillow. “I will beat you until you smile!”
He ducked out of his chair with a rakish grin as she swung at him, then tackled her flat on the soft bed, both of them laughing.
“You are... impossible,” he chided with a gentle sigh as he braced his elbows on either side of her head. He traced her cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs.✨
🔥"He obeys her as a man only obeys the woman he worships.”🔥
The way the author wrote Miranda and Damien being so affectionate and touchy with each other before they even got together properly was so heartwarming💕🔥
I absolutely love when little acts of intimacy are captured and written like her stroking his hair, hugging him, him always holding her arm, caressing her face.
He lifted her hand to his lips and bowed his head, pressing a kiss into her palm. “Not for the world would I ever frighten you again.” Tenderly, he closed her fingers into a fist, as though to save his little kiss for later.
Damien was soo dreamy and adorable, he blushed a lot and there's a scene of Miranda actually teasing him about it. Miranda was so different from other heroines; bold, strong and utterly admirable🙈
The proposal scene is the most well done adorable things I've ever read, the fact that both of them were crying made me start sobbing from happiness❤️😣
✨“Are you drunk?”
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure. They never gave us wine at Yardley. I feel happy.”
“Happy?” He grabbed a corner of the pillow as she whacked him again with it. “Stop it!”
“You’re too serious, Winterley!” She reached for another
pillow. “I will beat you until you smile!”
He ducked out of his chair with a rakish grin as she swung at him, then tackled her flat on the soft bed, both of them laughing.
“You are... impossible,” he chided with a gentle sigh as he braced his elbows on either side of her head. He traced her cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs.✨
🔥"He obeys her as a man only obeys the woman he worships.”🔥
July 20, 2011
This book was really good.It is the story of Damien and Miranda and part of the Knight Bros series by Galen Foley.The H suffers from PTSD syndrome and h is the ward of the H after his best friend who is the h's uncle is murdered.The H fights his attraction to the h through out the book as he thinks that he is no good for her and that he may cause her harm during one of his "episodes".but the h knows how to handle him as she proves during the story.Very moving and touching at times.the love scenes were good and not as many as in her previous books.
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