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Effingtons #8
The Pursuit of Marriage
What lengths would a young lady go to in her pursuit of the perfect match?
And how far would a gentleman go to stop her?
Cassandra Effington is one of the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. But while her identical twin sister Delia is now wed, Cassandra is still unclaimed, and everyone agrees her standards are entirely too high. So how could she possibly lose a most unseemly wager with the handsome, scandalous Viscount Berkley? The proposition: She will find him an ideal bride well before he finds her the perfect match.
But Lord Berkley intends to be very hard to please. He's already chosen the right woman, and no lady Cassandra puts forward to him will be perfect enough save the luscious Cassandra herself. And he'll do whatever it takes to make certain no gentleman he introduces her to is enticing enough, until she realizes that the perfect object in her pursuit of marriage is none other than the viscount himself.
And how far would a gentleman go to stop her?
Cassandra Effington is one of the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. But while her identical twin sister Delia is now wed, Cassandra is still unclaimed, and everyone agrees her standards are entirely too high. So how could she possibly lose a most unseemly wager with the handsome, scandalous Viscount Berkley? The proposition: She will find him an ideal bride well before he finds her the perfect match.
But Lord Berkley intends to be very hard to please. He's already chosen the right woman, and no lady Cassandra puts forward to him will be perfect enough save the luscious Cassandra herself. And he'll do whatever it takes to make certain no gentleman he introduces her to is enticing enough, until she realizes that the perfect object in her pursuit of marriage is none other than the viscount himself.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
88 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Alexander
64 books1,323 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 1, 2015
(This is actually a 3.5 star-rating, but as a personal rule, I round down.)
Ridiculous. Chaotic. Inconsistent. Anachronistic. But oh-so-deliciously funny, witty and entertaining.
This is how I'd describe The Pursuit of Marriage.
Yes, okay, the book's far from perfect; the writing was merely satisfactory, the plot was unstructured and all over the place, Cassie's personality practically had a 180 degree turn by the 50% marker, and the minor conflict could have been settled by a conversation between Cassie and Reggie (!!!!!), but damn, I just cannot stop myself from loving this book. (And if you've read some of my reviews, you'll know that that says a lot.)
The characters--including Cassie, even with her inconsistency--won me over against my better judgment. Have you ever been in a situation where you just can't say no to someone because they're just so freaking adorable? Yes. That's exactly how I feel about judging this one.
Seriously. I had way, waaaaay too much fun reading about the ridiculous events that transpired between the the characters. It was like reading A Midsummer Night's Dream all over again. This was one amusing and funny story, believe me.
The key to enjoying this book is to not take it seriously. Just enjoy the ride and not think too much about it. I don't think it was meant to be analysed too closely; instead, it was meant to be a lighthearted and comical read. If you feel you're up to that, then by all means, read on.
Ridiculous. Chaotic. Inconsistent. Anachronistic. But oh-so-deliciously funny, witty and entertaining.
This is how I'd describe The Pursuit of Marriage.
Yes, okay, the book's far from perfect; the writing was merely satisfactory, the plot was unstructured and all over the place, Cassie's personality practically had a 180 degree turn by the 50% marker, and the minor conflict could have been settled by a conversation between Cassie and Reggie (!!!!!), but damn, I just cannot stop myself from loving this book. (And if you've read some of my reviews, you'll know that that says a lot.)
The characters--including Cassie, even with her inconsistency--won me over against my better judgment. Have you ever been in a situation where you just can't say no to someone because they're just so freaking adorable? Yes. That's exactly how I feel about judging this one.
Seriously. I had way, waaaaay too much fun reading about the ridiculous events that transpired between the the characters. It was like reading A Midsummer Night's Dream all over again. This was one amusing and funny story, believe me.
The key to enjoying this book is to not take it seriously. Just enjoy the ride and not think too much about it. I don't think it was meant to be analysed too closely; instead, it was meant to be a lighthearted and comical read. If you feel you're up to that, then by all means, read on.
June 11, 2012
3.5 stars
I read this book for a challenge, pulled off a listopia list for books about twins, not realizing it was the 8th in the series. The name Effington did sound familiar and I thought that it was a series I had read before by a different author; I'd just gotten confused. Nonetheless, I had expectations of a delightfully light historical romance, which were met.
I enjoyed this story, mostly for the humor but also for the fact that in a couple of instances, I had expected one (dreaded) thing and received another. The author failed me at the end regarding this but it was short and almost painless.
Starting from the 8th book in the series, the Prologue left me confused as it quickly mentioned couples and stories from the previous books. To be quite honest, the prologue left me a bit disappointed and apprehensive given its almost info-dump-like nature. Nonetheless, I would not necessarily advise people who chose to start from the 8th book as well to skip the prologue as it sets the stage for the rest of the book.
I'd read the blurb on Goodreads which, quite frankly, told me absolutely nothing about the book so I went in with little idea of what to expect. The Pursuit of Marriage is about Miss Cassandra Effington, who has a tendency to do whatever she pleases and speak her mind bluntly. She has high standards for her "Lord Perfect", which may partly have been a reaction to her brothers' perhaps unwarranted belief that she was the twin sister who was prone to great scandal - never mind the fact that all her "scandals" have been very, very small in comparison to her sister Delia's. Cassandra refuses to even consider marrying a rake, she wants love, and she won't settle for anything less.
I found Cassandra to be quite a refreshing heroine. She had absolutely no problems with self-confidence. She knew she was talented and skilled at interior decorating, and she had no qualms about claiming so. She had opinions which she often did not hesitate to voice, and she considered herself to be always right. She was rather savvy with the use of her skills and family reputation. Instead of doing interior decorating of other people's houses for free and for fun, she dismayed her family by going into business, and charging an exorbitant price for doing so as well. As she stated, part of the reason for her popularity was due to her status as an Effington and the other part due to her excellent results. By charging an high price for her services, she put a value to her time and work. Doing so for free would decrease that value.
Part of the development that happens with her character is her gradual understanding of her own nature and desires. Cassandra had claimed to be aware of her faults, but during one of several heart-to-heart talks with her twins, she amusingly learns in horror of yet another of her character defects. She had always believed herself to be always right, but Cassandra learned that there were occasions when she was wrong. She had a hard time coming to terms with that conclusion, but luckily for the romance reader, she did so with happy results - even if said romance reader may have wanted to bash her own head against the wall in frustration at Cassandra's stubbornness.
Reggie - I loved Reginald, Viscount of Berkley. He was adorable. He was so cute. I wanted to take him home with me. Reggie was one of those rare romance heroes who was sweet. He apparently had a history of falling in love very frequently. Indeed, when he claimed that his attraction to Cassandra was different from the others, his friend said was quick to remind him:
Reggie had a romantic, poetic nature, and was given to grand ideas which, in hindsight, turned out to be not so great. In an effort to attract the woman of a lifetime, he had persuaded his friend to help enhance his reputation as one of a rake. They'd done such a good job that Cassandra, the woman Reggie believed to be the "one", refused to consider him. When Cassandra referenced the various "rakish" things that Reggie was purportedly good at, he was as delighted and pleased as a little boy. Wasn't that simply cute of him?
Reggie was also impetuous, which the author showed through his words and actions:
The scene where he confessed his feelings was too funny. He is not one of those perfect alpha males. He blunders. :D
The secondary characters were just as amusing, Reggie's sixteen-year old sister in particular. She exhibited all the signs of a woman in bloom, and this realization nearly gives Reggie a heart attack. And yet, despite this, she is still very much a bratty, younger sister:
The plot was a bit silly and unoriginal. Cassie and Reggie wagered that they would be able to find each other's "Lord Perfect" and "Miss Wonderful" first. I was amused by this because I suspect that the author has read Loretta Chase's Lord Perfect and Miss Wonderful. Could this book be in homage to Chase's books? The obstacles that the characters generated to their HEA could have been easily resolved had they only communicated. However, I thought that the author made the reasons for the lack of communication believable, especially in Reggie's case.
There were a few problems, though. As I'd mentioned, the Prologue was too obviously a quick recap of several past stories. There were a few instances which seemed like an info-dump but they weren't that obvious. There were a couple of instances where a space was missing between words (in the Kindle version). There were occasions when I felt there were too many action tags, especially when I was typing the second quote. Finally, the author disappointed me and slipped in a Misunderstanding in the final 10%. Luckily, it was a minor Misunderstanding so it was resolved quickly, almost painlessly, and entirely satisfactorily.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas.
PS: I apologize for the tense inconsistencies. Apparently, I cannot make up my mind on whether to use present tense or past. I give up on fixing them.
I read this book for a challenge, pulled off a listopia list for books about twins, not realizing it was the 8th in the series. The name Effington did sound familiar and I thought that it was a series I had read before by a different author; I'd just gotten confused. Nonetheless, I had expectations of a delightfully light historical romance, which were met.
I enjoyed this story, mostly for the humor but also for the fact that in a couple of instances, I had expected one (dreaded) thing and received another. The author failed me at the end regarding this but it was short and almost painless.
Starting from the 8th book in the series, the Prologue left me confused as it quickly mentioned couples and stories from the previous books. To be quite honest, the prologue left me a bit disappointed and apprehensive given its almost info-dump-like nature. Nonetheless, I would not necessarily advise people who chose to start from the 8th book as well to skip the prologue as it sets the stage for the rest of the book.
I'd read the blurb on Goodreads which, quite frankly, told me absolutely nothing about the book so I went in with little idea of what to expect. The Pursuit of Marriage is about Miss Cassandra Effington, who has a tendency to do whatever she pleases and speak her mind bluntly. She has high standards for her "Lord Perfect", which may partly have been a reaction to her brothers' perhaps unwarranted belief that she was the twin sister who was prone to great scandal - never mind the fact that all her "scandals" have been very, very small in comparison to her sister Delia's. Cassandra refuses to even consider marrying a rake, she wants love, and she won't settle for anything less.
I found Cassandra to be quite a refreshing heroine. She had absolutely no problems with self-confidence. She knew she was talented and skilled at interior decorating, and she had no qualms about claiming so. She had opinions which she often did not hesitate to voice, and she considered herself to be always right. She was rather savvy with the use of her skills and family reputation. Instead of doing interior decorating of other people's houses for free and for fun, she dismayed her family by going into business, and charging an exorbitant price for doing so as well. As she stated, part of the reason for her popularity was due to her status as an Effington and the other part due to her excellent results. By charging an high price for her services, she put a value to her time and work. Doing so for free would decrease that value.
Part of the development that happens with her character is her gradual understanding of her own nature and desires. Cassandra had claimed to be aware of her faults, but during one of several heart-to-heart talks with her twins, she amusingly learns in horror of yet another of her character defects. She had always believed herself to be always right, but Cassandra learned that there were occasions when she was wrong. She had a hard time coming to terms with that conclusion, but luckily for the romance reader, she did so with happy results - even if said romance reader may have wanted to bash her own head against the wall in frustration at Cassandra's stubbornness.
Reggie - I loved Reginald, Viscount of Berkley. He was adorable. He was so cute. I wanted to take him home with me. Reggie was one of those rare romance heroes who was sweet. He apparently had a history of falling in love very frequently. Indeed, when he claimed that his attraction to Cassandra was different from the others, his friend said was quick to remind him:
Reggie paused, gripped by the memory of that one mesmerizing moment when they'd gazed into each other's eyes. "There was something between us when we met - "Alas, his previous experiences in falling in love left him unwilling to chance another unrequited love. What was particularly sweet was that his efforts to protect himself emotionally were in vain.
"You've said that before," Marcus said quickly. "Any number of times. It's the point at which I realize you are about to plunge headfirst into - "
"This was different, Marcus."
"You've said that before too."
Reggie resisted the urge to argue with his friend. Marcus was right: Reggie had made similar claims before upon meeting a charming lady. But this was indeed entirely different. Reggie wasn't quite sure how exactly, but it was. There had been a spark in Miss Effington's lovely's blue eyes when her gaze had met his, a light of connection, an unstated admission perhaps that there could well be something special between them. As if in that moment, her soul had recognized his. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd fallen in love, but never once had he experienced anything remotely like this kind of mutual acknowledgment.
Reggie had a romantic, poetic nature, and was given to grand ideas which, in hindsight, turned out to be not so great. In an effort to attract the woman of a lifetime, he had persuaded his friend to help enhance his reputation as one of a rake. They'd done such a good job that Cassandra, the woman Reggie believed to be the "one", refused to consider him. When Cassandra referenced the various "rakish" things that Reggie was purportedly good at, he was as delighted and pleased as a little boy. Wasn't that simply cute of him?
Reggie was also impetuous, which the author showed through his words and actions:
Determination washed through him, and he got to his feet. "I'll do it. I'll tell her. Throw caution to the winds. Confess my feelings. Bare my soul." He started toward the door, then stopped. "While I'm telling all, I should probably mention that I'm not infamous as well."
"No!" Marcus and Thomas said with one voice.
Reggie winced. "Not a good idea?"
"She's willing to reform you," Marcus said firmly. "For God's sake, permit her to do so."
"Effington women have always loved a good challenge," Thomas added.
"Then I shall provide her with one." Reggie nodded and again headed toward the door.
"You're not going to speak to her now, are you?" Thomas called after him. "It's very late. She'll be in bed."
"Nonetheless, I shall wake her," Reggie said firmly. "I can wait no longer. Thank you both for your assistance."
The scene where he confessed his feelings was too funny. He is not one of those perfect alpha males. He blunders. :D
The secondary characters were just as amusing, Reggie's sixteen-year old sister in particular. She exhibited all the signs of a woman in bloom, and this realization nearly gives Reggie a heart attack. And yet, despite this, she is still very much a bratty, younger sister:
Tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes. “Then she’s really —”
“Don’t be absurd,” he said sharply and put a comforting arm around his sister’s shoulder. “I am confident Mother will be with us for many years to come. We simply have to weather this situation and follow the doctor’s advice in regards to humoring her requests. I am sure she’ll be completely back to normal in no time.”
Lucy sniffed. “Do you think so?”
“Most certainly.” Reggie’s voice held a conviction he did not entirely feel. “Besides, Mother’s main purpose in life in recent years has been to see me married.” He cast Lucy an encouraging grin. “She would never permit herself to die until she has seen me safely wed.”
“I see.” Lucy pulled out of his embrace and studied him for a moment. “Thank you, Reggie. I must say you have made me feel much better.”
“Have I indeed?” He raised a brow. “Why?”
“Why? Because given your astounding success thus far in finding a wife,” Lucy smirked, “Mother may well live forever.”
The plot was a bit silly and unoriginal. Cassie and Reggie wagered that they would be able to find each other's "Lord Perfect" and "Miss Wonderful" first. I was amused by this because I suspect that the author has read Loretta Chase's Lord Perfect and Miss Wonderful. Could this book be in homage to Chase's books? The obstacles that the characters generated to their HEA could have been easily resolved had they only communicated. However, I thought that the author made the reasons for the lack of communication believable, especially in Reggie's case.
There were a few problems, though. As I'd mentioned, the Prologue was too obviously a quick recap of several past stories. There were a few instances which seemed like an info-dump but they weren't that obvious. There were a couple of instances where a space was missing between words (in the Kindle version). There were occasions when I felt there were too many action tags, especially when I was typing the second quote. Finally, the author disappointed me and slipped in a Misunderstanding in the final 10%. Luckily, it was a minor Misunderstanding so it was resolved quickly, almost painlessly, and entirely satisfactorily.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas.
PS: I apologize for the tense inconsistencies. Apparently, I cannot make up my mind on whether to use present tense or past. I give up on fixing them.
October 11, 2021
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : De volmaakte edelman - Candlelight Historische roman 552 .
Versneld doorgelezen want te veel conversatie en te weinig actie . Net als al de voorgaande delen in deze serie . V. A. schrijft niet niet helemaal naar mijn smaak .
Versneld doorgelezen want te veel conversatie en te weinig actie . Net als al de voorgaande delen in deze serie . V. A. schrijft niet niet helemaal naar mijn smaak .
August 19, 2022
The plot was quite silly and I just read another similarly story by another author.
August 30, 2018
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I’ve slowly been making my way through Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series, with the goal of reaching a between-the-books novella that I didn’t want to read out of order. That’s mainly why I’ve stuck with it throughout eight novels that have been hit and miss with me. Well, that and I was trying to give the author a fair shake. But overall, these books have missed more than they’ve hit. Only one-third of the stories I’ve read by this author have made it out of the OK range, and unfortunately The Pursuit of Marriage ended up being yet another one that missed the mark. In fact, it’s now in a tie for my least favorite of the series so far. For starters, I know that Victoria Alexander has a lighter, breezier style, but this story was farcical to the point of being mostly unbelievable for me. Both the characters and their relationship lacked enough depth for me to be able to genuinely connect with them, or truly feel and believe in their love for one another. Lastly the entire first half of the book is written almost entirely in dialogue with very little narrative prose or introspection. This was so frustrating, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to power through and finish it, but finally around the halfway mark, this changed. After that the mix of dialogue and prose was more equal, making it easier to read, but it still failed to really spark for me.
Cassie is an unconventional young woman who is described as eccentric. She has no trouble speaking her mind, and has very little filter between her brain and her mouth. Despite being a gently bred lady from an aristocratic family, she actually works as an interior designer, a talent she discovered when she helped her twin sister, Delia, redecorate her house in The Lady in Question. However, besides the "eccentricity" of working for a living and talking a bit too much, Cassie's only notable characteristic is that she has just discovered that she fears if she gives in to her desire for more adventure that it will lead to her ruination. But I never really understood why she has this fear, as there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, motivation behind it. There’s nothing remarkable that happened in her past, and although her brothers have always seemed to think that she’d be the one most likely to get into trouble, it doesn’t seem that she ever really has. This is about as far as Cassie’s characterization went. I didn’t dislike her, but at the same time, there wasn’t much to make her stand out to me either.
Reggie appeared as a supporting character in previous books of the series, and while his heart usually seemed to be in the right place, I have to admit that he often struck me as not being the sharpest knife in the drawer. I can’t say that my opinion of him changed much after reading his story. Reggie has a habit of falling in love with women at the drop of a hat and getting his heart broken when they don’t return his affection, so when he falls for Cassie almost instantly, he has a hard time convincing his friends that this time it’s actually real. And to be honest, I didn’t see what was so different this time around either, because the author doesn’t really show how his feelings are distinct from all those other times, except that he knows he wants to marry her. To be honest, the fact that Reggie had “fallen in love” so many times in the past, made me feel like he was somewhat shallow and not mature enough to know what love really was. I also didn’t feel like Reggie was being entirely true to himself. Underneath it all, he’s a pretty sweet guy who definitely leans toward the beta side. Because of his sappy nature, he’s had trouble attracting suitable women, so he and his friend concocted a story and started spreading rumors that made him seem more rakish, thinking that the challenge of reforming a rake would attract more women. He’s pleased when Cassie calls him infamous, but of course that’s not what she wants in a man – or so she thinks. Although Cassie eventually starts to suspect that Reggie isn’t as “infamous” as he’s reputed to be, he never does come clean about the ruse, which left me feeling like he wasn’t being entirely truthful either.
Reggie and Cassie’s relationship was equally lacking in depth as their characterizations. They share an immediate attraction, which Reggie embraces, while Cassie fights it, thinking he’s unsuitable for her. Trying to stay close to her and prove that he is what she’s looking for, Reggie makes a bet with her. He will find Mr. Perfect for her, and she will find Ms. Wonderful for him. Of course, I could see from a mile away that this harebrained scheme was never going to work. While I did feel some connection between Reggie and Cassie during the kissing scenes and intimate scenes, I really never did figure out exactly why they fell in love with one another. It’s just kind of this magical love at first sight thing that didn’t work well for me. Then in yet another ridiculous scheme, Reggie tries to engineer a surprise wedding, and when a guy like him who doesn’t think things through very well starts planning, things are sure to go awry, in this case in a very predictable manner. And yet at the same time, what does happen is bordering on absurd and didn’t make a lot of sense to me. By then, though, it was the end, so I didn’t really care anymore.
Victoria Alexander has some quirks to her writing style that have annoyed me in previous books of the series, but this one was a bit over the top. I already mentioned that the first half was nearly all dialogue, which was exhausting for an introvert like me to read, not to mention lacking in depth. There literally was almost nothing of note that happens during those pages, because it’s all just talk, talk, talk. Some of the dialogue is redundant, too. I tired very rapidly of Reggie's friend, Marcus, reminding him over and over that he’d vowed not to fall in love so quickly again. Then there was the extreme overuse of the phrase, “I see,” which nearly everyone in the book was uttering on a regular basis. I also got bored with the overuse of “perfect,” which I think was supposed to be light and witty, but simply annoyed me. And don’t even get me started on my overexposure to characters sighing. If I read "blew a long breath" or some derivative thereof to indicate this action one more time, I thought I might scream. I kid you not, I could have chosen just one of these overused words/phrases to play a drinking game and gotten quite soused. If I’d used all three, I would have wound up with alcohol poisoning.:-) I couldn’t help wondering where the editor was on this.
So the bottom line is that I think The Pursuit of Marriage requires a reader with an appreciation for the particular type of humor it contains, and I’m not that person. I’m not a stick in the mud and I feel that I have a decent funny bone, but this was just too ridiculous and farcical for me to genuinely enjoy it. I suppose it did have some mild entertainment value, at least during the second half, and I have read books that were far worse, which is why I didn’t mark it any lower. But I simply didn’t connect with the characters sufficiently for them to draw me into their love story in a meaningful way. I do wish that I could have, and especially that I could have connected better with Victoria Alexander’s writing in general, as I met her once and she seemed like a nice lady. However, every writer’s work is not going to resonate with every reader, and I think this is a case of writer and reader being an unsuitable match. Since I’ve worked so hard to get to it, I’ll definitely read that novella I mentioned earlier, which is the next in the Effington Family & Friends series. But after that, all bets are off. I’ll probably be putting Ms. Alexander on the back burner, or possibly even dropping the remaining books in this series and any others on my TBR pile altogether.
I’ve slowly been making my way through Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series, with the goal of reaching a between-the-books novella that I didn’t want to read out of order. That’s mainly why I’ve stuck with it throughout eight novels that have been hit and miss with me. Well, that and I was trying to give the author a fair shake. But overall, these books have missed more than they’ve hit. Only one-third of the stories I’ve read by this author have made it out of the OK range, and unfortunately The Pursuit of Marriage ended up being yet another one that missed the mark. In fact, it’s now in a tie for my least favorite of the series so far. For starters, I know that Victoria Alexander has a lighter, breezier style, but this story was farcical to the point of being mostly unbelievable for me. Both the characters and their relationship lacked enough depth for me to be able to genuinely connect with them, or truly feel and believe in their love for one another. Lastly the entire first half of the book is written almost entirely in dialogue with very little narrative prose or introspection. This was so frustrating, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to power through and finish it, but finally around the halfway mark, this changed. After that the mix of dialogue and prose was more equal, making it easier to read, but it still failed to really spark for me.
Cassie is an unconventional young woman who is described as eccentric. She has no trouble speaking her mind, and has very little filter between her brain and her mouth. Despite being a gently bred lady from an aristocratic family, she actually works as an interior designer, a talent she discovered when she helped her twin sister, Delia, redecorate her house in The Lady in Question. However, besides the "eccentricity" of working for a living and talking a bit too much, Cassie's only notable characteristic is that she has just discovered that she fears if she gives in to her desire for more adventure that it will lead to her ruination. But I never really understood why she has this fear, as there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, motivation behind it. There’s nothing remarkable that happened in her past, and although her brothers have always seemed to think that she’d be the one most likely to get into trouble, it doesn’t seem that she ever really has. This is about as far as Cassie’s characterization went. I didn’t dislike her, but at the same time, there wasn’t much to make her stand out to me either.
Reggie appeared as a supporting character in previous books of the series, and while his heart usually seemed to be in the right place, I have to admit that he often struck me as not being the sharpest knife in the drawer. I can’t say that my opinion of him changed much after reading his story. Reggie has a habit of falling in love with women at the drop of a hat and getting his heart broken when they don’t return his affection, so when he falls for Cassie almost instantly, he has a hard time convincing his friends that this time it’s actually real. And to be honest, I didn’t see what was so different this time around either, because the author doesn’t really show how his feelings are distinct from all those other times, except that he knows he wants to marry her. To be honest, the fact that Reggie had “fallen in love” so many times in the past, made me feel like he was somewhat shallow and not mature enough to know what love really was. I also didn’t feel like Reggie was being entirely true to himself. Underneath it all, he’s a pretty sweet guy who definitely leans toward the beta side. Because of his sappy nature, he’s had trouble attracting suitable women, so he and his friend concocted a story and started spreading rumors that made him seem more rakish, thinking that the challenge of reforming a rake would attract more women. He’s pleased when Cassie calls him infamous, but of course that’s not what she wants in a man – or so she thinks. Although Cassie eventually starts to suspect that Reggie isn’t as “infamous” as he’s reputed to be, he never does come clean about the ruse, which left me feeling like he wasn’t being entirely truthful either.
Reggie and Cassie’s relationship was equally lacking in depth as their characterizations. They share an immediate attraction, which Reggie embraces, while Cassie fights it, thinking he’s unsuitable for her. Trying to stay close to her and prove that he is what she’s looking for, Reggie makes a bet with her. He will find Mr. Perfect for her, and she will find Ms. Wonderful for him. Of course, I could see from a mile away that this harebrained scheme was never going to work. While I did feel some connection between Reggie and Cassie during the kissing scenes and intimate scenes, I really never did figure out exactly why they fell in love with one another. It’s just kind of this magical love at first sight thing that didn’t work well for me. Then in yet another ridiculous scheme, Reggie tries to engineer a surprise wedding, and when a guy like him who doesn’t think things through very well starts planning, things are sure to go awry, in this case in a very predictable manner. And yet at the same time, what does happen is bordering on absurd and didn’t make a lot of sense to me. By then, though, it was the end, so I didn’t really care anymore.
Victoria Alexander has some quirks to her writing style that have annoyed me in previous books of the series, but this one was a bit over the top. I already mentioned that the first half was nearly all dialogue, which was exhausting for an introvert like me to read, not to mention lacking in depth. There literally was almost nothing of note that happens during those pages, because it’s all just talk, talk, talk. Some of the dialogue is redundant, too. I tired very rapidly of Reggie's friend, Marcus, reminding him over and over that he’d vowed not to fall in love so quickly again. Then there was the extreme overuse of the phrase, “I see,” which nearly everyone in the book was uttering on a regular basis. I also got bored with the overuse of “perfect,” which I think was supposed to be light and witty, but simply annoyed me. And don’t even get me started on my overexposure to characters sighing. If I read "blew a long breath" or some derivative thereof to indicate this action one more time, I thought I might scream. I kid you not, I could have chosen just one of these overused words/phrases to play a drinking game and gotten quite soused. If I’d used all three, I would have wound up with alcohol poisoning.:-) I couldn’t help wondering where the editor was on this.
So the bottom line is that I think The Pursuit of Marriage requires a reader with an appreciation for the particular type of humor it contains, and I’m not that person. I’m not a stick in the mud and I feel that I have a decent funny bone, but this was just too ridiculous and farcical for me to genuinely enjoy it. I suppose it did have some mild entertainment value, at least during the second half, and I have read books that were far worse, which is why I didn’t mark it any lower. But I simply didn’t connect with the characters sufficiently for them to draw me into their love story in a meaningful way. I do wish that I could have, and especially that I could have connected better with Victoria Alexander’s writing in general, as I met her once and she seemed like a nice lady. However, every writer’s work is not going to resonate with every reader, and I think this is a case of writer and reader being an unsuitable match. Since I’ve worked so hard to get to it, I’ll definitely read that novella I mentioned earlier, which is the next in the Effington Family & Friends series. But after that, all bets are off. I’ll probably be putting Ms. Alexander on the back burner, or possibly even dropping the remaining books in this series and any others on my TBR pile altogether.
March 28, 2013
It's a shame that I read this book right after finishing several Georgette Heyer novels. In truth, her works tend to throw all other Regencies into the shade.
This book was a light, fluffy romp employing the usual bets & love/hate fights in order to bring our hero and heroine together. I have to say that I liked this more than the average Regency, but it was just hard to compare the attempts at witty banter coming off Heyer's The Grand Sophy. Also, there were a lot of similarities to the Bridgerton novels both in personality and overall feel of the book. To be honest, between Cynsters, Effingtons, Bridgertons and all manner of other families, I'm starting to get all of them mixed up!
I would recommend this to someone looking for a quick, easy read who is open to potentially gettings sucked into a series. Though it's #9 in a series, I read it without reading any of the others and was able to keep up fine.
This book was a light, fluffy romp employing the usual bets & love/hate fights in order to bring our hero and heroine together. I have to say that I liked this more than the average Regency, but it was just hard to compare the attempts at witty banter coming off Heyer's The Grand Sophy. Also, there were a lot of similarities to the Bridgerton novels both in personality and overall feel of the book. To be honest, between Cynsters, Effingtons, Bridgertons and all manner of other families, I'm starting to get all of them mixed up!
I would recommend this to someone looking for a quick, easy read who is open to potentially gettings sucked into a series. Though it's #9 in a series, I read it without reading any of the others and was able to keep up fine.
January 8, 2023
REALLY A 3.5 READ FOR ME
I am a fan of Ms Alexander’s books. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites.
Cassandra (Cassie) is a twin as well as a very ambitious young lady. She has a business decorating the homes of other people of the upper class. She charges a great deal of money and the people who hire her are absolutely happy to pay a great deal of money. Her family is one of the very best of the ton. So, having her decorate your home is quite a coup.
Reggie is a young man who has fallen in and out of love many, many times. He has a friend help him create a new persona for him. They spread rumors about Reggie’s activities. He is supposed to be a “love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy”. He is supposed to be a duelist. In short, he is supposed to be many things which he is not.
Now, he has found Cassie and she is exactly the woman he wants to marry. On the other hand, Reggie is exactly what Cassie has always said she would never want to marry. He is a rake – and most of all – he is not perfect. She wants a perfect man. Doesn’t everyone?
The book has humor. The book has charming dialog. The book has characters who are interesting, entertaining and would be fun to know.
For me, all that was true for most of the book. Then after about 80% it got silly. Too silly to be charming for me. It seemed to me there was repetition and a lot of filler.
I think the book could have been much more fun if it had not gotten into silly.
I liked Cassie, but she seemed to be unable to see things as they acutally are.. I loved Reggie. He was a good man who tried his entire life to be a good man. He would make a good husband.
I will read more of Ms Alexander’s books. I love her humor and the characters she creates. But, this one was not a favorite of mine.
I am a fan of Ms Alexander’s books. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites.
Cassandra (Cassie) is a twin as well as a very ambitious young lady. She has a business decorating the homes of other people of the upper class. She charges a great deal of money and the people who hire her are absolutely happy to pay a great deal of money. Her family is one of the very best of the ton. So, having her decorate your home is quite a coup.
Reggie is a young man who has fallen in and out of love many, many times. He has a friend help him create a new persona for him. They spread rumors about Reggie’s activities. He is supposed to be a “love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy”. He is supposed to be a duelist. In short, he is supposed to be many things which he is not.
Now, he has found Cassie and she is exactly the woman he wants to marry. On the other hand, Reggie is exactly what Cassie has always said she would never want to marry. He is a rake – and most of all – he is not perfect. She wants a perfect man. Doesn’t everyone?
The book has humor. The book has charming dialog. The book has characters who are interesting, entertaining and would be fun to know.
For me, all that was true for most of the book. Then after about 80% it got silly. Too silly to be charming for me. It seemed to me there was repetition and a lot of filler.
I think the book could have been much more fun if it had not gotten into silly.
I liked Cassie, but she seemed to be unable to see things as they acutally are.. I loved Reggie. He was a good man who tried his entire life to be a good man. He would make a good husband.
I will read more of Ms Alexander’s books. I love her humor and the characters she creates. But, this one was not a favorite of mine.
August 29, 2011
Reggie Berkley has been in several of the previous books. Good friend to Marcus Pennington and Thomas Effington. Poor Reggie falls in love constantly. He flys off the precipice and always lands with a crash after telling the lady he loves her and she refuses him.
Cassandra Effington learned she is quite the home decorator. After helping her twin, Delia, decorate first her late husbands home and then St. Stephen's home, Delia's new husband.
The woman who gather to marry their children off have met again. Marion Berkley and Georgina Effington have decided to make a match of their son and daughter.
Cassie meets Reggie after he beat Christian, her brother, in a horse race. She told Reggie they would not suit as he has made sure to have a reputation as being infamous and Cassie seen enough men like that to know she don't want one. Her brothers are those type of men.
Reggie now sees that creating a persona that was not really his has worked against him, at least with this woman, the one he could truly fall in love with.
Cassandra finds herself hired to redo the Berkley home and as Reggie's mother is suddenly on her death bed he must see to working with her on the house.
Another humor, adventure, love filled story.
*sexual situations
Cassandra Effington learned she is quite the home decorator. After helping her twin, Delia, decorate first her late husbands home and then St. Stephen's home, Delia's new husband.
The woman who gather to marry their children off have met again. Marion Berkley and Georgina Effington have decided to make a match of their son and daughter.
Cassie meets Reggie after he beat Christian, her brother, in a horse race. She told Reggie they would not suit as he has made sure to have a reputation as being infamous and Cassie seen enough men like that to know she don't want one. Her brothers are those type of men.
Reggie now sees that creating a persona that was not really his has worked against him, at least with this woman, the one he could truly fall in love with.
Cassandra finds herself hired to redo the Berkley home and as Reggie's mother is suddenly on her death bed he must see to working with her on the house.
Another humor, adventure, love filled story.
*sexual situations
September 17, 2017
Passable historical romance book with all the cliches and expected plot twists.
January 23, 2021
This book seemed to drag in forever. I almost chucked it but prevailed until the end.
September 18, 2023
A Write to review
Cassandra Effington, a charming debutante, finds herself in a wager with the scandalous Viscount Berkley. Cassandra, still unclaimed despite her beauty, agrees to find Lord Berkley an ideal bride before he can find her the perfect match. The catch is that Lord Berkley is determined to be exceedingly hard to please because he has already set his sights on Cassandra as his perfect match.
As Cassandra introduces various ladies to Lord Berkley, he remains unimpressed by them all, secretly hoping that Cassandra will realize that he is the perfect match for her. The story unfolds as Cassandra navigates the challenges of the wager and comes to recognize her true feelings for Lord Berkley, leading to a delightful and romantic conclusion.
Being the eighth book in the series, by now, readers have been introduced to some of the recurring characters. Cassandra, one of the central figures, stands out as a strong-willed and opinionated character, providing an excellent contrast to the love-struck Reggie. Cassandra's relatable and modern-day qualities make her a likable character, even within the Regency setting of the story.
Humor is a prominent element throughout the narrative, and the characters' interactions are enjoyable to follow. The book delivers a delightful and heartwarming romance that leaves readers with a sense of contentment. Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable read that offers a pleasant escape into the world of Regency (Georgian) romance.
Cassandra Effington, a charming debutante, finds herself in a wager with the scandalous Viscount Berkley. Cassandra, still unclaimed despite her beauty, agrees to find Lord Berkley an ideal bride before he can find her the perfect match. The catch is that Lord Berkley is determined to be exceedingly hard to please because he has already set his sights on Cassandra as his perfect match.
As Cassandra introduces various ladies to Lord Berkley, he remains unimpressed by them all, secretly hoping that Cassandra will realize that he is the perfect match for her. The story unfolds as Cassandra navigates the challenges of the wager and comes to recognize her true feelings for Lord Berkley, leading to a delightful and romantic conclusion.
Being the eighth book in the series, by now, readers have been introduced to some of the recurring characters. Cassandra, one of the central figures, stands out as a strong-willed and opinionated character, providing an excellent contrast to the love-struck Reggie. Cassandra's relatable and modern-day qualities make her a likable character, even within the Regency setting of the story.
Humor is a prominent element throughout the narrative, and the characters' interactions are enjoyable to follow. The book delivers a delightful and heartwarming romance that leaves readers with a sense of contentment. Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable read that offers a pleasant escape into the world of Regency (Georgian) romance.
February 25, 2022
The banter and the back and forth drama of this relationship is hilarious. The h wants a man who is perfect. The H is pretty perfect so he had his friends start rumors to make him appear more dark and dangerous. Then they meet and wager on who can find the perfect partner for the other. All the while their families are in the background trying to get them together (except for her brothers who put a watch in her). It all ends in a crazy misunderstanding that may or may not include a drawing room decorated with a Moroccan harem theme along with a stuffed camel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2013
Really liked this original romance with the honest Reggie who so easily falls in love and has great friends who support even his worst ideas, and Cassie, the incomparable business-woman who doesn't doubt herself until she meets Reggie. Slapstick-y and light-hearted, this romance made me plain happy, even though the end was a little silly. And I did not like Miss Wonderful at ALL! Now to read more of the Effington clan!
August 28, 2008
Kind of cheesy quick romance novel. Not so great that I will read more from this author, but it was ok
October 28, 2024
Rating: 4/5 stars
Steam level: One full open-door scene; other shorter encounters
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are lovely, and I genuinely enjoyed their interactions. When the plot was revealed, I found that the results were somewhat predictable. However, the way it unfurled with the main leads’ character growth was unique, romantic, and endearing.
Cassie and Reggie complemented each other well. Cassie is prideful, “eccentric,” and quick to judge others, especially men. She is protective of her heart because she has witnessed the downfall of women at the careless hands of men. Reggie was a refreshing surprise. He isn’t a rake; he’s kind and has given his heart to too many undeserving recipients. These heartbreaks have contributed to the insecurities he battles in his life, and he turns to schemes to improve his odds to find love. Therefore, when Cassie and Reggie interact, they naturally clash. However, when they both begin to see each other in a compassionate and romantic light, their circumstances lead to intimate conversations, top-tier flirting, and bad ideas leading to more scheming and, eventually, love. This progression of romance was very exciting and gave me butterflies.
Another reason why this story is refreshing is because Reggie discovers that he wants Cassie from the start and strives to gain her affections immediately, however misguided his actions are. Equally lovely is Cassie’s ability to directly confront her flaws and grow from realizing the error in her ways.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I rated it less stars because I felt that the plot was easily resolvable and that Reggie’s final decisions seemed a little too comical and silly. This is not my favorite type of story, but it is well-written, and I think fans of more rom-com style books would enjoy this.
Trigger warning: Casual mentions of a side character living on plantations
Steam level: One full open-door scene; other shorter encounters
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are lovely, and I genuinely enjoyed their interactions. When the plot was revealed, I found that the results were somewhat predictable. However, the way it unfurled with the main leads’ character growth was unique, romantic, and endearing.
Cassie and Reggie complemented each other well. Cassie is prideful, “eccentric,” and quick to judge others, especially men. She is protective of her heart because she has witnessed the downfall of women at the careless hands of men. Reggie was a refreshing surprise. He isn’t a rake; he’s kind and has given his heart to too many undeserving recipients. These heartbreaks have contributed to the insecurities he battles in his life, and he turns to schemes to improve his odds to find love. Therefore, when Cassie and Reggie interact, they naturally clash. However, when they both begin to see each other in a compassionate and romantic light, their circumstances lead to intimate conversations, top-tier flirting, and bad ideas leading to more scheming and, eventually, love. This progression of romance was very exciting and gave me butterflies.
Another reason why this story is refreshing is because Reggie discovers that he wants Cassie from the start and strives to gain her affections immediately, however misguided his actions are. Equally lovely is Cassie’s ability to directly confront her flaws and grow from realizing the error in her ways.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I rated it less stars because I felt that the plot was easily resolvable and that Reggie’s final decisions seemed a little too comical and silly. This is not my favorite type of story, but it is well-written, and I think fans of more rom-com style books would enjoy this.
Trigger warning: Casual mentions of a side character living on plantations
October 5, 2018
Yikes. This is the second book I've read by this author (the first was a Maiden Lane) and I had high expectations. This disappointed. Slow, slow, slow. And repetitive. Hero was a bit of an idiot (a nice one but still...) and heroine was Too Stupid to Live at many points.
Pros:
-Secondary characters were interesting. I hope Lord Perfect and Miss Wonderful show up in later books. I'm sure Lucy does.
-Funny in parts
-Some witty dialogue
Cons:
-Lame charity at the end. My god, there were so many human rights violations happening in the 19th century and you want to start a school for marriage? WTF?
-The use of another culture (the harem) as an insult.
-Her creeping into his room and examining/touching him while he was sleeping was gross.
-Her cavalier treatment of the idea of her ruination was completely anachronistic.
Ruination was a huge deal; the repercussions were often suffered by the family as well as the woman. So, those unmarried brothers might have found parlor doors closed to them if Cassie was ruined. And she would know that and never risk hurting her family like that.
-The nasty [mainly] sexist quotes that headed each chapter. A great way to make me dislike a character I liked before. Also, if C. Effington is the main character and you want to quote her brother, also C. Effington, use his full name. I was halfway through the book before I realized the quotes were from Christian, not Cassie.
Pros:
-Secondary characters were interesting. I hope Lord Perfect and Miss Wonderful show up in later books. I'm sure Lucy does.
-Funny in parts
-Some witty dialogue
Cons:
-Lame charity at the end. My god, there were so many human rights violations happening in the 19th century and you want to start a school for marriage? WTF?
-The use of another culture (the harem) as an insult.
-Her creeping into his room and examining/touching him while he was sleeping was gross.
-Her cavalier treatment of the idea of her ruination was completely anachronistic.
Ruination was a huge deal; the repercussions were often suffered by the family as well as the woman. So, those unmarried brothers might have found parlor doors closed to them if Cassie was ruined. And she would know that and never risk hurting her family like that.
-The nasty [mainly] sexist quotes that headed each chapter. A great way to make me dislike a character I liked before. Also, if C. Effington is the main character and you want to quote her brother, also C. Effington, use his full name. I was halfway through the book before I realized the quotes were from Christian, not Cassie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2019
This is a 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4. The 3.5 is because I put it down for a week in favor of something else; the 4 is because the dialogue and characters are delightfully funny. I honestly would love to see this made into a TV romantic comedy movie. The dialogue is already written, the best friends/siblings are fully fleshed and great foils for the main characters, and the setting could be updated or left in its current time. This left me smiling in so many places. Even the characters are aware of the farcical nature of the situation: Reggie and Cassie betting each can find each other's perfect mate while busily sabotaging their own wagers.
September 25, 2019
i was waiting for the story of Reggie Berkley since Marcus Pennington's marriage. it was worth it. not perfect but with the essential humor to give it four stars. only confusion it that Cassandra's marriage is mentioned in another title as more celebrated than a special license in his home decorated as a seraglio. none the less, a good read while Trump tramps our constitution into bits.
June 3, 2020
Solid book!
I really enjoyed this book. Lord Berkeley, Reggie, was so lovable and adorable I just wanted to both hug him and shake him silly. Miss Effington, Cassie, is outspoken and admirable. She does what she wants, within reason. A good historical romance to get me back in one of my favorite romance sub-genres!
I really enjoyed this book. Lord Berkeley, Reggie, was so lovable and adorable I just wanted to both hug him and shake him silly. Miss Effington, Cassie, is outspoken and admirable. She does what she wants, within reason. A good historical romance to get me back in one of my favorite romance sub-genres!
March 8, 2021
A bit boring and slow, tbh, I couldn't get thru it. And I don't really get how I'm supposed to like the hero, and the side characters, when they're all ready to help lie to/manipulate the heroine because they think they know what's right for her. I can't imagine any reaction on her part other than anger/ embarrassment/distrust being easy to suspend my disbelief for.
January 12, 2019
Couldn't get into story. I get that this is part of series, but the side characters were too much. At least, hook me first with the main characters before meandering into others. Boring. DNF.
June 1, 2020
I loved this book. I read it ages ago and it still sticks in my mind. I had to google to remember the name of the book but who can forget Miss Effington and the infamous lord Berkley
January 9, 2021
Boring AF. Couldn't get into it. DNF @ 50%
April 8, 2021
Little silly at times repeating the same phrases over and over not the best for me
Want to read
May 15, 2021Let me dip my toe in some Regency romance turf ...
October 21, 2021
It's always fun when the hero is pursuing the heroine...
December 7, 2024
🧑🏻💼👩❤️👨👒👗🪭🎖️🃏🪁🀄🖼️🌫️🌁🏞️🌅🎆🎑🌃🗾🎐🪻🌷🌹🌸💮🦋🏕️🎡🏡🚪🛏️🛋️🪟🪞🧮🧸🕰️🔮📒📔📗📘📕📖✉️📑🧧🔖⬛🎩⬜🧵🪡🖇️🧤💍💎🟦
November 1, 2010
Cassandra Effington (Cassie) and Lord Berkley. Berkley was one of my favorite background characters from the other stories; he was Pennington’s best friend. So, under the influence of Pennington’s mother, Berkley’s mother decides to call upon Cassandra’s decorating skills in order to have them both in close quarters. Before that, they have already met when her younger brother loses to him in some kind of horse race. Berkley is the one who is always looking for the damsel in distress and wears his heart on his sleeve, this time around, the lady will have to make her love known first.
Cassie is instantly intrigued by him but thinks that she’s just annoyed by him because in order to make himself more interesting to females, Berkley and Pennington have devised a plan to give him an “infamous reputation” but Cassie wants a perfect husband and finds his reputation off-putting. Considering that she is re-decorating his home, they agree to be friends but make a wager agreeing to give eachother 2 weeks to find perfect mates for the other but sensual tension starts to build up between both of them after several shared kisses. Cassie starts to avoid him as she is seriously concerned about her reputation and finding the perfect man; Berkley is out of the question.
Berkley asks Pennington to have weeklong summer party at his estate in the country, which is adjacent to Berkley’s, in order to get closer to Cassie and win her heart. He also plans on making her jealous with “Miss Perfect”, Felicity, with the violet eyes. In the end this backfires. Cassie’s brother, working with Berkley finds a perfect man to attend the party and there is a perfect female for Berkley as well, Felicity who agrees to help. In an interesting twist of things, Felicity turns out to really want Berkley for herself as he’s quite a catch and she’s a shameless golddigger. She is one of the last to leave the country, Cassie leaves first in order to complete the sitting room of Berkley’s home where they have reached the understanding that they will announce their engagement before the end of the week. Felicity shows up a few days before Berkley and tells Cassie that she is the one that Berkley is going to marry and that the reason that Cassie was sent home earlier is because Berkley no longer cares to see her. Cassie is devastated as she has lost her virtue to him but decides to get him back by turning the sitting room into a harem. In effect, Berkley intends to show up with all of her family and get married right then and there. When he finally comes back from the country, he’s informed by his butler of what happened, things are then explained and they get married. Very cute.
Cassie is instantly intrigued by him but thinks that she’s just annoyed by him because in order to make himself more interesting to females, Berkley and Pennington have devised a plan to give him an “infamous reputation” but Cassie wants a perfect husband and finds his reputation off-putting. Considering that she is re-decorating his home, they agree to be friends but make a wager agreeing to give eachother 2 weeks to find perfect mates for the other but sensual tension starts to build up between both of them after several shared kisses. Cassie starts to avoid him as she is seriously concerned about her reputation and finding the perfect man; Berkley is out of the question.
Berkley asks Pennington to have weeklong summer party at his estate in the country, which is adjacent to Berkley’s, in order to get closer to Cassie and win her heart. He also plans on making her jealous with “Miss Perfect”, Felicity, with the violet eyes. In the end this backfires. Cassie’s brother, working with Berkley finds a perfect man to attend the party and there is a perfect female for Berkley as well, Felicity who agrees to help. In an interesting twist of things, Felicity turns out to really want Berkley for herself as he’s quite a catch and she’s a shameless golddigger. She is one of the last to leave the country, Cassie leaves first in order to complete the sitting room of Berkley’s home where they have reached the understanding that they will announce their engagement before the end of the week. Felicity shows up a few days before Berkley and tells Cassie that she is the one that Berkley is going to marry and that the reason that Cassie was sent home earlier is because Berkley no longer cares to see her. Cassie is devastated as she has lost her virtue to him but decides to get him back by turning the sitting room into a harem. In effect, Berkley intends to show up with all of her family and get married right then and there. When he finally comes back from the country, he’s informed by his butler of what happened, things are then explained and they get married. Very cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2017
Now that Delia is wed, it's her twin sister Cassandra's turn. Reggie Berkley has been in love a million times. In an effort to get women to finally return his affections, he's developed a bit of a reputation, but that hasn't really worked either. His mother, desperate to see him married, plots to have Cassandra, who decorates houses, begin work on their home and for her to work closely with Reggie. But Cassie has already decided they do not suit, primarily because she refuses to reform a rake. She seeks someone who is already perfect. But she doesn't expect that she'll like him despite his reputation.
In some respects, this was a fairly amusing and fluffy romance that I liked. There was definitely humor and it wasn't too over the top. I was very amused by Miss Bellingham and Mr. Drummond and particularly by Cassie's over-protective brothers. Cassandra started out well and I appreciated her stance on rakes, but I couldn't help but feel that she did a complete 180 on her opinion and with very little prompting. She was all about avoiding scandal and ruin, but the second she realized she was in love she couldn't wait to toss her reputation in the trash. That seemed a bit off to me. Reggie's personality irked me just a bit, with is charming arrogance that was almost too smug to be likeable. The way he'd grin through all of Cassie's complaining as though she were amusing him greatly while she had legitimate complaints just rubbed me the wrong way. And then it just got a bit juvenile. Both Cassie and Reggie acted like teenagers trying to make each other jealous to get the other to realize how much they cared... I never have and probably never will appreciate that kind of game playing. Though I concede that it is rather the point of the story..."The pursuit of marriage" is the game they were all playing, as Miss Bellingham phrases it. As a humorous story, with farce and sarcasm, this is an enjoyable read. But as a romance, it leaves a bit to be desired.
In some respects, this was a fairly amusing and fluffy romance that I liked. There was definitely humor and it wasn't too over the top. I was very amused by Miss Bellingham and Mr. Drummond and particularly by Cassie's over-protective brothers. Cassandra started out well and I appreciated her stance on rakes, but I couldn't help but feel that she did a complete 180 on her opinion and with very little prompting. She was all about avoiding scandal and ruin, but the second she realized she was in love she couldn't wait to toss her reputation in the trash. That seemed a bit off to me. Reggie's personality irked me just a bit, with is charming arrogance that was almost too smug to be likeable. The way he'd grin through all of Cassie's complaining as though she were amusing him greatly while she had legitimate complaints just rubbed me the wrong way. And then it just got a bit juvenile. Both Cassie and Reggie acted like teenagers trying to make each other jealous to get the other to realize how much they cared... I never have and probably never will appreciate that kind of game playing. Though I concede that it is rather the point of the story..."The pursuit of marriage" is the game they were all playing, as Miss Bellingham phrases it. As a humorous story, with farce and sarcasm, this is an enjoyable read. But as a romance, it leaves a bit to be desired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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