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Marsh Sisters #2
When It's Perfect
When the mesmerizing Marcus Longfellow, the Earl of Renn, comes striding into Miss Mary Marsh's life, her world is set spinning. The ladies of London's ton clamor for the lacy confections Mary creates, but the earl is seeking something more from her. And he is very persuasive in his pursuit. Gentle, quiet Mary has always avoided romance, but her strong attraction to the adventurous nobleman is immediate and irresistible. Dare she trust the dashing lord with her secrets?
She is hiding something—Marcus is certain of it—a clue, perhaps, to explain his sister's untimely death. A sensuous seduction will surely loosen young Mary's tongue,and the determined earl is eager to oblige—for in all his world travels, Marcus has found no treasure more exquisite than she. But is his growing passion for her interfering with his search for the truth?
She is hiding something—Marcus is certain of it—a clue, perhaps, to explain his sister's untimely death. A sensuous seduction will surely loosen young Mary's tongue,and the determined earl is eager to oblige—for in all his world travels, Marcus has found no treasure more exquisite than she. But is his growing passion for her interfering with his search for the truth?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2002
33 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Adele Ashworth
11 books240 followersAdele Budnick was born in 1963. She has always felt she's led a rather dull life on her road to becoming a romance author. Unfortunately, she's also often been wrong.
From the first time she stepped onstage to sing Petula Clark's "Downtown" for a crowd (at the age of three in a Juarez, Mexico, hotel restaurant, dancing on the table at the urging of the Spanish-speaking waitresses), she knew she was destined to be a singer. Her first miscalculation.
At the age of six, as she watched one of the Apollo rockets take off on live Saturday-morning television, interrupting the most important TV shows of the decade—The Monkeys and Scooby-Doo—she decided she would become a diplomat. Much to her mother's chagrin, Adele was caught in a heated discussion with a telephone operator who insisted it simply wasn't possible to put a six-year-old child through to President Nixon at the White House just to make a complaint about important programming interruption. Diplomacy clearly wasn't for her.
In elementary school, Adele, being a voracious reader, decided she would be a defense attorney just like Nancy Drew's father. (One knew at any age that one couldn't make a living simply by being a mystery solver like Nancy, but solving crimes as an attorney seemed practical.) After three years of knowing she was destined for Harvard Law School, Adele finished every published Nancy Drew novel (53 of them at the time) and moved on to reading romance. Thus ended her dreams of solving crimes. The idea of law school seemed far less enjoyable after immersing herself in Victoria Holt at the age of twelve.
The Song Bird Years
Adele continued to pursue her singing into her teen years, deciding she was either going to be an editorial reader for a publishing company (because all she loved to do was read) or a Singing Superstar. She figured becoming a Superstar was probably an easier goal to achieve, and so, between reading romances (and in the late 70s there were very few to read), she practiced her art, training her developing coloratura soprano voice with private lessons from one of the best operatic instructors in the city of Albuquerque. Through numerous All-State Choir rehearsals, Jr. and High School choir practice, and various musical productions, she knew she was destined for stardom.
And then at the age of fifteen, her private vocal instructor told her the cold, hard facts: To really make it as a Broadway Singing Superstar, one not only has to read music well, but be able to act and dance and live on pennies. Adele does not dance (unless you count nightclubs in college and that time in Mexico when she was three…) and the "living on pennies" bit seemed highly questionable. Since her acting and music reading talents were also suspect, she decided Broadway might not be for her. Reality sure can be a shocker.
On the Career Path
In college as a journalism major (only because she had to major in something that might get her a paying job), she continued to pursue private vocal instruction with the University of Utah's finest, while performing in various musicals and college recitals. Having directed her through the lead in Cinderella, her drama teacher urged her to try out for local beauty—ahem—scholarship pageants. That was it. Adele was destined to be a singing, reading, reporting, Miss America.
Unfortunately, reality struck again. Not only was Adele a bit lacking in genius (to put it bluntly), being five feet and two inches tall, and possessing quite possibly the shortest legs in the history of womanhood left Adele doing well in talent portions of the contests, but lacking other…necessary attributes. Aside from being crowned Miss Sandy City and Miss Salt Lake County, the pageant thing never went anywhere. Alas, the Singing Beauty Queen future was out.
But Adele worked very hard at her favorite pastime and, by her senior year in college, she'd read just about every Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Victoria Holt, Shirley Busbee, Laurie McBain,
From the first time she stepped onstage to sing Petula Clark's "Downtown" for a crowd (at the age of three in a Juarez, Mexico, hotel restaurant, dancing on the table at the urging of the Spanish-speaking waitresses), she knew she was destined to be a singer. Her first miscalculation.
At the age of six, as she watched one of the Apollo rockets take off on live Saturday-morning television, interrupting the most important TV shows of the decade—The Monkeys and Scooby-Doo—she decided she would become a diplomat. Much to her mother's chagrin, Adele was caught in a heated discussion with a telephone operator who insisted it simply wasn't possible to put a six-year-old child through to President Nixon at the White House just to make a complaint about important programming interruption. Diplomacy clearly wasn't for her.
In elementary school, Adele, being a voracious reader, decided she would be a defense attorney just like Nancy Drew's father. (One knew at any age that one couldn't make a living simply by being a mystery solver like Nancy, but solving crimes as an attorney seemed practical.) After three years of knowing she was destined for Harvard Law School, Adele finished every published Nancy Drew novel (53 of them at the time) and moved on to reading romance. Thus ended her dreams of solving crimes. The idea of law school seemed far less enjoyable after immersing herself in Victoria Holt at the age of twelve.
The Song Bird Years
Adele continued to pursue her singing into her teen years, deciding she was either going to be an editorial reader for a publishing company (because all she loved to do was read) or a Singing Superstar. She figured becoming a Superstar was probably an easier goal to achieve, and so, between reading romances (and in the late 70s there were very few to read), she practiced her art, training her developing coloratura soprano voice with private lessons from one of the best operatic instructors in the city of Albuquerque. Through numerous All-State Choir rehearsals, Jr. and High School choir practice, and various musical productions, she knew she was destined for stardom.
And then at the age of fifteen, her private vocal instructor told her the cold, hard facts: To really make it as a Broadway Singing Superstar, one not only has to read music well, but be able to act and dance and live on pennies. Adele does not dance (unless you count nightclubs in college and that time in Mexico when she was three…) and the "living on pennies" bit seemed highly questionable. Since her acting and music reading talents were also suspect, she decided Broadway might not be for her. Reality sure can be a shocker.
On the Career Path
In college as a journalism major (only because she had to major in something that might get her a paying job), she continued to pursue private vocal instruction with the University of Utah's finest, while performing in various musicals and college recitals. Having directed her through the lead in Cinderella, her drama teacher urged her to try out for local beauty—ahem—scholarship pageants. That was it. Adele was destined to be a singing, reading, reporting, Miss America.
Unfortunately, reality struck again. Not only was Adele a bit lacking in genius (to put it bluntly), being five feet and two inches tall, and possessing quite possibly the shortest legs in the history of womanhood left Adele doing well in talent portions of the contests, but lacking other…necessary attributes. Aside from being crowned Miss Sandy City and Miss Salt Lake County, the pageant thing never went anywhere. Alas, the Singing Beauty Queen future was out.
But Adele worked very hard at her favorite pastime and, by her senior year in college, she'd read just about every Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Victoria Holt, Shirley Busbee, Laurie McBain,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 2, 2012
2.5 stars
I didn't enjoy this book. Ashworth's writing is pleasing, if you ignore the complete lack of plot movement. The hero and heroine are two of the most boring people I've seen put to paper. I skimmed through chunks of pages every time the heroine started one of her vapid inner monologues. Sure, this was supposed to be a mystery about the hero's younger sister's untimely death, but that took a backseat to the main couple's exceedingly dull romance. Blah. I'll give Ashworth credit for attempting to introduce a tiny bit of plot at the very end of the book, but she failed at making me care because of her characters' determination to do a convincing impression of the color beige ('cause they're BORING). Shit, I'm growing sleepy just writing this half-assed review.
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It would almost be better if this book had inspired my hatred. Then I could write a scathing 1-star review. Alas, I simply don't care enough to write a standard review. I will forget about When It's Perfect altogether by lunchtime. Blah.
I didn't enjoy this book. Ashworth's writing is pleasing, if you ignore the complete lack of plot movement. The hero and heroine are two of the most boring people I've seen put to paper. I skimmed through chunks of pages every time the heroine started one of her vapid inner monologues. Sure, this was supposed to be a mystery about the hero's younger sister's untimely death, but that took a backseat to the main couple's exceedingly dull romance. Blah. I'll give Ashworth credit for attempting to introduce a tiny bit of plot at the very end of the book, but she failed at making me care because of her characters' determination to do a convincing impression of the color beige ('cause they're BORING). Shit, I'm growing sleepy just writing this half-assed review.
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GIFSoup
It would almost be better if this book had inspired my hatred. Then I could write a scathing 1-star review. Alas, I simply don't care enough to write a standard review. I will forget about When It's Perfect altogether by lunchtime. Blah.
August 16, 2019
#RetoRita3 #RetoAdele
La saga de las hermanas Marsh (Mimi y Mary) cuenta las historias de dos hermanas hijas de un caballero que se dedica al arte científico (reproducción de especímenes, fósiles, etc.).
El primer libro (que leí hace mucho) trata la historia de Mimi con Nathan, un paleontólogo caído en desgracia por un hecho en el que Mary tuvo algo que ver. Por eso, en este libro, encontramos a Mary un poco exiliada en Cornualles trabajando como modista de Christine, la joven hermana del conde de Renn. Christine se va a casar en unos meses con un vizconde vecino por lo que Mary le está preparando su ajuar de novia contratada por la condesa viuda, madre de Christine.
Marcus, el conde, vive en Egipto ya que trabaja en su pasión: descifrar jeroglíficos. No es un conde muy presente, es su hermano George el que maneja las propiedades familiares.
El asunto es que Marcus adelanta su retorno porque está recibiendo cartas poco claras pero angustiosas de su hermana. Pero llega tarde, Christine muere en un tonto accidente doméstico, ¿o no?
A raíz de esto, Marcus decide quedarse hasta entender realmente qué pasó con su hermana. No se traga lo del accidente por lo que interrogará a medio mundo, indagará hasta entenderlo. Así surgirán temas económicos, secretos familiares, etc. Para hacer todo esto, Marcus se acerca mucho a Mary ya que era la persona más cercana a su hermana. Pero Mary también tiene secretos a develar.
Y bueno, pasa lo que tiene que pasar, atracción mutua. Tenemos aquí el tópico del conde con la empleada (en este caso modista) sumado a que la especialidad de Mary es confeccionar lencería sensual (despierta los instintos del apuesto aunque serio conde).
O sea, tenemos: misterio, secretos familiares, tensión sexual contenida y no contenida. Todo lo que me gusta.
¿Y porque sólo dos estrellas?
Estuve triste toda la novela. La muerte de Christine, en mi opinión, cubre todo con un manto de melancolía que no me hizo disfrutar del romance y me hizo sentir muchas de las situaciones, forzadas.
¿Es posible comenzar una pasión cuando se está transitando un duelo terrible?
Conocemos a Christine al comienzo y a lo largo de la novela ya que al inicio de cada capítulo, la autora nos muestra las cartas que Marcus recibía de su hermana. Sirven para ir atando cabos pero es todo muy triste.
Si la novela fuera solo de misterio estaría todo muy bien, pero el romance... como que no cuadraba con la situación. Para mí.
La saga de las hermanas Marsh (Mimi y Mary) cuenta las historias de dos hermanas hijas de un caballero que se dedica al arte científico (reproducción de especímenes, fósiles, etc.).
El primer libro (que leí hace mucho) trata la historia de Mimi con Nathan, un paleontólogo caído en desgracia por un hecho en el que Mary tuvo algo que ver. Por eso, en este libro, encontramos a Mary un poco exiliada en Cornualles trabajando como modista de Christine, la joven hermana del conde de Renn. Christine se va a casar en unos meses con un vizconde vecino por lo que Mary le está preparando su ajuar de novia contratada por la condesa viuda, madre de Christine.
Marcus, el conde, vive en Egipto ya que trabaja en su pasión: descifrar jeroglíficos. No es un conde muy presente, es su hermano George el que maneja las propiedades familiares.
El asunto es que Marcus adelanta su retorno porque está recibiendo cartas poco claras pero angustiosas de su hermana. Pero llega tarde, Christine muere en un tonto accidente doméstico, ¿o no?
A raíz de esto, Marcus decide quedarse hasta entender realmente qué pasó con su hermana. No se traga lo del accidente por lo que interrogará a medio mundo, indagará hasta entenderlo. Así surgirán temas económicos, secretos familiares, etc. Para hacer todo esto, Marcus se acerca mucho a Mary ya que era la persona más cercana a su hermana. Pero Mary también tiene secretos a develar.
Y bueno, pasa lo que tiene que pasar, atracción mutua. Tenemos aquí el tópico del conde con la empleada (en este caso modista) sumado a que la especialidad de Mary es confeccionar lencería sensual (despierta los instintos del apuesto aunque serio conde).
O sea, tenemos: misterio, secretos familiares, tensión sexual contenida y no contenida. Todo lo que me gusta.
¿Y porque sólo dos estrellas?
Estuve triste toda la novela. La muerte de Christine, en mi opinión, cubre todo con un manto de melancolía que no me hizo disfrutar del romance y me hizo sentir muchas de las situaciones, forzadas.
¿Es posible comenzar una pasión cuando se está transitando un duelo terrible?
Conocemos a Christine al comienzo y a lo largo de la novela ya que al inicio de cada capítulo, la autora nos muestra las cartas que Marcus recibía de su hermana. Sirven para ir atando cabos pero es todo muy triste.
Si la novela fuera solo de misterio estaría todo muy bien, pero el romance... como que no cuadraba con la situación. Para mí.
November 16, 2012
Marcus Longfellow, Earl of Renn, has not been back to his home in England for years. Regardless of his lofty title and the immense responsibility that accompanies it, Marcus took the leap and decided to follow his destiny. Destiny landed him in Egypt working with an archaeological society for the research and preservation of Egyptian antiquities and history. This has been Marcus's passion ever since he can remember, and he has been determined to live life by making his own path. His family, especially his mother, has always had other plans for him, always determined to await his arrival home to accept his title and all that goes along with it. In the meantime, Marcus's younger brother has been very adept at managing the Earldom, and Marcus has always considered that more of his brothers destiny than his own. However, the sudden death of his only sister has forced his return. Although Marcus has been half a world away, his close relationship with Christine continued through regular and frequent correspondence. Truth be told, he was on his way home to her when news of her sudden death reached him. Devastated, Marcus is determined to find the cause of his sister's death, and he is sure the one person who holds the key to his family's tragedy is Miss Mary Marsh. Mary was the one person who was close to his sister leading up to the day of her death. His sister, Christine, confided in her letters to him her growing close relationship to Mary, someone she could trust and depend upon in his absence. Mary is doing much more than just helping Marcus find the mystery behind his sister's death, however. She is opening Marcus to a life with all new possibilities.
I picked this book up used and had not read much by this author. I was very happily surprised. Ashworth writes a very intriguing story with real depth to the plot and characters. She incorporates subjects and themes that would have been very controversial during the time in history her story takes place. The story, therefore, becomes very refreshing and the characters more than interesting. And prepare yourself for the twist at the end! Don't let the cover fool you. You will ultimately be surprised with what the cover hides inside. :-)
I picked this book up used and had not read much by this author. I was very happily surprised. Ashworth writes a very intriguing story with real depth to the plot and characters. She incorporates subjects and themes that would have been very controversial during the time in history her story takes place. The story, therefore, becomes very refreshing and the characters more than interesting. And prepare yourself for the twist at the end! Don't let the cover fool you. You will ultimately be surprised with what the cover hides inside. :-)
October 18, 2020
Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️
I was enjoying this book so much and the last 20% just ruined it. Why the author did what she did makes no sense - ugh.
I was enjoying this book so much and the last 20% just ruined it. Why the author did what she did makes no sense - ugh.
July 22, 2024
I seem to be on a string of bad reads lately
This was again a boring book
The H and h had no personality totally bland, no chemistry and sex scenes weren't great.
Plus the mystery to the death of the sister was also not done well.
I mostly skimmed later on.
This was again a boring book
The H and h had no personality totally bland, no chemistry and sex scenes weren't great.
Plus the mystery to the death of the sister was also not done well.
I mostly skimmed later on.
September 18, 2024
Good story
Very much enjoyed this book. It has everything…intrigue, romance development, some likable characters, some not so much! Has good setting descriptions. Highly recommend.
Very much enjoyed this book. It has everything…intrigue, romance development, some likable characters, some not so much! Has good setting descriptions. Highly recommend.
October 10, 2024
Subtle passion in Cornwall delivers a very satisfying read!
Couldn’t put it down. Scrumptious book. Ms. Ashworth’s portrayal of romantic love is so satisfying. Bravo! Just what an avid reader would want.
Couldn’t put it down. Scrumptious book. Ms. Ashworth’s portrayal of romantic love is so satisfying. Bravo! Just what an avid reader would want.
August 15, 2020
First read it back in high school, picked it up again because I didn't remember anything. Cute and, at times, too "perfect" but, I guess that's the point based on the title 🤣
May 13, 2022
okay adele. this one was good.
June 20, 2023
Adele Ashworth is actually a fantastic writer and honestly I wished more of her other stuff fell within the confines of how I like my historical romance but alas, she takes too many liberties.
July 20, 2023
After the longest hiatus, I have finally managed to finish the book.
September 24, 2024
DNF The story is interesting but it's to slow for me.
March 24, 2017
It started well then dwindles down. The plot was "freeze" in the middle of the book to be replaced by the romance of the two main characters which is common in some books but in this case it appeared disjointed and out of place. The mystery when finally revealed was quite lame.
January 26, 2024
3,5⭐
Entretenida, me gustó más que el primer libro. La desaparición de la futura esposa estuvo presente en toda la historia, lo que me hizo sentir constante tristeza, fue como llevar el duelo también porque estuvo al inicio de la historia y injustificadamente sacada. En ese infortunio los protas finalmente se ven, se conocen a través de las descripciones de Christine. 😑
Entretenida, me gustó más que el primer libro. La desaparición de la futura esposa estuvo presente en toda la historia, lo que me hizo sentir constante tristeza, fue como llevar el duelo también porque estuvo al inicio de la historia y injustificadamente sacada. En ese infortunio los protas finalmente se ven, se conocen a través de las descripciones de Christine. 😑
September 18, 2016
Sadly this book disappointed me. It felt a bit disjointed, and the pacing wasn't right. It started out nicely, then hit a plateau of maudlin' then the ending was over before you knew it. I wasn't satisfied by the conclusion at all.
I really like Adele's writing. She is among the top of the list of romance writers in her writing style. It's mature and nuanced, and she's good at conveying a character's inner life. Too many romance novels read like a screenplay. One of my favorite books ever is "Winter Garden". If you want nuanced and simmering sexual tension, this is the book for you.
Mary's passion for sexy lingerie is anachronistic and doesn't even fit her personality. I was actually excited to read about a heroine who isn't a "fiery spitfire" as they all tend to be. I appreciated her serene and restrained demeanor, it was a breath of fresh air. There's a fine line between a spitfire and a shrew, and after 100 books of spitfires it gets boring. As for Marcus, I applaud Adele for crafting an unconventional romance book hero who isn't a boorish alpha male. He's actually a pretty decent hero. Introverted/sensitive characters are a rare breed in romance novels. While it's nice to see a romance build without the overdose of angst and misunderstandings, I think it was a bit too smooth. A dash of resistance from the family or within themselves would add some spark.
The class difference isn't extreme (she not aristocratic but has good breeding) however everyone's reaction was unrealistically benign. The countess' opposition was token and didn't last long. It was a missed opportunity to create some tension in the plot. There were some good ways to make it less "inevitable" for the H/h to get together.
I can see why other reviewers found the book boring. There are a just too many implausible elements. The answer to the mystery, the class difference, Mary's profession as a sexy lingerie maker, the way Christine's death happened, and more.
I really like Adele's writing. She is among the top of the list of romance writers in her writing style. It's mature and nuanced, and she's good at conveying a character's inner life. Too many romance novels read like a screenplay. One of my favorite books ever is "Winter Garden". If you want nuanced and simmering sexual tension, this is the book for you.
Mary's passion for sexy lingerie is anachronistic and doesn't even fit her personality. I was actually excited to read about a heroine who isn't a "fiery spitfire" as they all tend to be. I appreciated her serene and restrained demeanor, it was a breath of fresh air. There's a fine line between a spitfire and a shrew, and after 100 books of spitfires it gets boring. As for Marcus, I applaud Adele for crafting an unconventional romance book hero who isn't a boorish alpha male. He's actually a pretty decent hero. Introverted/sensitive characters are a rare breed in romance novels. While it's nice to see a romance build without the overdose of angst and misunderstandings, I think it was a bit too smooth. A dash of resistance from the family or within themselves would add some spark.
The class difference isn't extreme (she not aristocratic but has good breeding) however everyone's reaction was unrealistically benign. The countess' opposition was token and didn't last long. It was a missed opportunity to create some tension in the plot. There were some good ways to make it less "inevitable" for the H/h to get together.
I can see why other reviewers found the book boring. There are a just too many implausible elements. The answer to the mystery, the class difference, Mary's profession as a sexy lingerie maker, the way Christine's death happened, and more.
March 10, 2014
I love when you meet up with an old friend and that joy you get. Well, Adele's WHEN IT'S PERFECT is that old friend to me. I have read it before and loved it then and I love it now. Mary is a maker of beautiful, sexy and daring intimate lingerie. In 1855 England, corsets and lingerie where suppose to be sturdy and boring. But Mary isn't any of those things and her lingerie is silky, sexy, beautiful, daring and made with satin, silk, precious news and made with love. Lord Rein, Marcus has come back from Egypt to discovered why his baby sister, Christine, is dead. Mary and Christine were close as they made lingerie for her trousseau for her upcoming wedding to Viscount Exeter. Mary and Marcus work together to find out to Christine. They find mystery, danger, evil, desire and love. This story has many twists and turns and will keep up in from the beginning to the end. I gave this book 5 fingers up and 8 toes.
November 16, 2011
I've had this on my "to read" list for the longest time. When I finally got a copy of it I was very excited to read it. The book started out strong. The main character, Miss Mary Marsh, is a woman of good breeding but is not of the titled class. She works as a seamstress creating garments for brides to be. The young lady she is working with suddenly dies at a very young age. The deceased's brother travels home from Egypt to solve the mystery of what has happened to his little sister. He is intrigued by this woman who was a friend to his sister, an employee in his house and feels a strong attraction to her. He is an Earl and she is convinced nothing will ever come of it.
As the mystery unravels, the two become more and more involved. I felt that by the end of this book the author let things drag out for too long. You could see the secrets long before the author reveals them and it just took too long to get there.
As the mystery unravels, the two become more and more involved. I felt that by the end of this book the author let things drag out for too long. You could see the secrets long before the author reveals them and it just took too long to get there.
August 27, 2018
When the mesmerizing Marcus Longfellow, the Earl of Renn, comes striding into Miss Mary Marsh's life, her world is set spinning. The ladies of London's ton clamor for the lacy confections Mary creates, but the earl is seeking something more from her. And he is very persuasive in his pursuit. Gentle, quiet Mary has always avoided romance, but her strong attraction to theadventurous nobleman is immediate and irresistible. Dare she trust the dashing lord with her secrets? She is hiding something -- Marcus is certain of it -- a clue, perhaps, to explain his sister's untimely death. A sensuous seduction will surely loosen young Mary's tongue,and the determined earl is eager to oblige -- for in all his world travels, Marcus has found no treasure more exquisite than she. But is his growing passion for her interfering with his search for the truth?
September 9, 2012
re-read september 9, 2012
5 star-rate
why didn't i rate it a five star rate when i first read this? i just now realized that this story made my heart flutter for marcus and mary. i just love their being close and solving the mystery to his sister's death and that eventually lead them to an intimate relationship. what shocked me while re-reading it again was that it was a coincidence that what happened to mary also happened to christine. it was also nice that the ending/epilogue made marcus and mary live happily ever after living in egypt and discovering so much more about it.
5 star-rate
why didn't i rate it a five star rate when i first read this? i just now realized that this story made my heart flutter for marcus and mary. i just love their being close and solving the mystery to his sister's death and that eventually lead them to an intimate relationship. what shocked me while re-reading it again was that it was a coincidence that what happened to mary also happened to christine. it was also nice that the ending/epilogue made marcus and mary live happily ever after living in egypt and discovering so much more about it.
September 18, 2013
Oh yes! The first half of this book was funny and brilliant while the 3rd quarter turned me a bit off the course. I was glad that it was a happy ending but I just felt that it was so abrupt and that there are few unsettled things between the main characters that I wish were given attention to; a heartwarming conversation would suffice.
October 17, 2010
I love the build up of the characters, but the ending was not satisfying. Although the couple live happily ever after, my Cinderella syndrome wished to see something besides the weak bodied George receiving the title.
May 8, 2011
you can always tell when i'm under stress by the sheer amount of romance novels i read. this was okay. It was a little too much to accept story wise at times however. But these aren't intended to propagate reality.
August 5, 2010
I enjoyed this unusal story. It was so different from most historical stories.
May 17, 2011
The title says it all... It's perfect! The story is a wonderful blend of action and romance and that is what makes Adele Ashworth a unique historical romance writer.
October 23, 2011
4.5 stars
June 6, 2013
Not much of a mystery, but a thoughtful yarn.
May 20, 2014
just ... perfect!
January 21, 2015
The story was good, but I didn't feel too invested with the characters. I didn't actually feel involved in it.
February 7, 2016
2.5 stars It tried but it was mediocre at best.
Read
March 23, 2018Note to self: I remember the story, but why I did not like it much?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews