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Notorious Gentlemen #1
After the Kiss
A Notorious Gentleman . . .
Sullivan Waring wants only two things: his rightful inheritance, and revenge against the man who stole it from him. By day, Sullivan is the most respected horse breeder in England; by night, he plunders the tons' most opulent homes to reclaim his late mother's beautiful paintings. His quest is going swimmingly . . . until the night he's discovered by Lady Isabel Chalsey. Clad only in a revealing nightdress, she's an entrancingly different kind of plunder, and how can a thief resist stealing a kiss?
A Curious Lady . . .
Surprised by a masked man in her own home, Isabel should be quaking with fear. Instead the sight of the sinfully handsome Sullivan makes her tremble with excitement. Who is this man, and why is he so set on this reckless pursuit? Lady Isabel loves a challenge, and she'll dare anything to uncover Sullivan's secret--but she may instead convince him that she is the greatest prize of all.
Sullivan Waring wants only two things: his rightful inheritance, and revenge against the man who stole it from him. By day, Sullivan is the most respected horse breeder in England; by night, he plunders the tons' most opulent homes to reclaim his late mother's beautiful paintings. His quest is going swimmingly . . . until the night he's discovered by Lady Isabel Chalsey. Clad only in a revealing nightdress, she's an entrancingly different kind of plunder, and how can a thief resist stealing a kiss?
A Curious Lady . . .
Surprised by a masked man in her own home, Isabel should be quaking with fear. Instead the sight of the sinfully handsome Sullivan makes her tremble with excitement. Who is this man, and why is he so set on this reckless pursuit? Lady Isabel loves a challenge, and she'll dare anything to uncover Sullivan's secret--but she may instead convince him that she is the greatest prize of all.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
105 people are currently reading
2203 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Enoch
103 books2,633 followersSuzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
June 3, 2025
Read: 5/25/25
Setting: Regency England
Trope: class difference, forbidden love, bastard H
I was shocked on how much I liked this book. It's not my type of book. The H is the illegitimate commoner and the HEROINE is pursuing him.
Plot:
One night Sullivan Waring was going about his business stealing his mother's paintings from aristocrats homes when he runs into trouble. He is caught by a beautiful woman and he decides to kiss her. Sullivan thinks the distraction worked until he realizes she has removed his mask. 😲
The next day, Isabel accompanies her brother to meet a renowned horse breeder and the last person she ever expected to see again. She blackmails Sullivan into training the horse he just so generously gifted.😉 Isabel is intrigued by Sullivan and wants to get to know him. One problem .... Isabel is terrified of horses.
Poor Sullivan has his work cut out for him. He eventually gets the frightened Isabel to begin riding again. Soon a romance develops between the pair. A romance that cannot be. She is a lady and he is an unrecognized illegitimate horse breeder. Hell, he's half-brother is courting her! Their romance is doomed. Sullivan would never bring Isbel down socially.
Sullivan has a pretty sad story. His father refused to recognize him. He never saw him. When Sullivan came back from the war, he discovered that his father and brother sold Sullivan's mother's paintings. The only inheritance he had. So he is stealing them back from the new owners and embarrassing his father in the process. Now he is being blackmailed by a delectable female. One he is falling deeply in love. Unfortunately, there is no hope for them. He must resist this beautiful woman.
How will these two get their HEA? Can Sullivan get his revenge?
This is not my type of book. I rarely read class difference trope reversed but this book had me on the first page. This was so well written. Sullivan was such a compelling character. I loved he and Isabel grew as their romance developed. It was great seeing the pair come together and the sexual tension was amazing between the two.
The secondary characters were wonderful. Isabel younger brother who was quite the young adult. Bram, Sullivan's friend, was the bored nobleman who might be more than meets the eye. Sullivan's brother was diverse. There were times when I liked him then I remembered what he did to Sullivan. A boy who had nothing. 😥. Now, Sullivan's father was interesting. I still haven't figured him out.
Conclusion: I read this for my bingo# horsebreed. I wasn't expecting such a wonderful story. Strangely, Sullivan not being a nobleman made things more interesting.
I would highly recommend this book!
Setting: Regency England
Trope: class difference, forbidden love, bastard H
I was shocked on how much I liked this book. It's not my type of book. The H is the illegitimate commoner and the HEROINE is pursuing him.
Plot:
One night Sullivan Waring was going about his business stealing his mother's paintings from aristocrats homes when he runs into trouble. He is caught by a beautiful woman and he decides to kiss her. Sullivan thinks the distraction worked until he realizes she has removed his mask. 😲
The next day, Isabel accompanies her brother to meet a renowned horse breeder and the last person she ever expected to see again. She blackmails Sullivan into training the horse he just so generously gifted.😉 Isabel is intrigued by Sullivan and wants to get to know him. One problem .... Isabel is terrified of horses.
Poor Sullivan has his work cut out for him. He eventually gets the frightened Isabel to begin riding again. Soon a romance develops between the pair. A romance that cannot be. She is a lady and he is an unrecognized illegitimate horse breeder. Hell, he's half-brother is courting her! Their romance is doomed. Sullivan would never bring Isbel down socially.
Sullivan has a pretty sad story. His father refused to recognize him. He never saw him. When Sullivan came back from the war, he discovered that his father and brother sold Sullivan's mother's paintings. The only inheritance he had. So he is stealing them back from the new owners and embarrassing his father in the process. Now he is being blackmailed by a delectable female. One he is falling deeply in love. Unfortunately, there is no hope for them. He must resist this beautiful woman.
How will these two get their HEA? Can Sullivan get his revenge?
This is not my type of book. I rarely read class difference trope reversed but this book had me on the first page. This was so well written. Sullivan was such a compelling character. I loved he and Isabel grew as their romance developed. It was great seeing the pair come together and the sexual tension was amazing between the two.
The secondary characters were wonderful. Isabel younger brother who was quite the young adult. Bram, Sullivan's friend, was the bored nobleman who might be more than meets the eye. Sullivan's brother was diverse. There were times when I liked him then I remembered what he did to Sullivan. A boy who had nothing. 😥. Now, Sullivan's father was interesting. I still haven't figured him out.
Conclusion: I read this for my bingo# horsebreed. I wasn't expecting such a wonderful story. Strangely, Sullivan not being a nobleman made things more interesting.
I would highly recommend this book!
September 9, 2020
First things first, “stealing” kisses is rapey, ok? Let’s just never forget that. Now onto the review.
The premise here makes little sense and the logic is stretched to the maximum, but then we don’t read historical romance novels looking for plausibility.
It’s supposed to be a traditional story of a good girl falling for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. She is a society darling, and he is, while not exactly a commoner, a bastard son of an aristocrat who refuses to acknowledge him, even though his parentage is an open secret.
The hero goes round Mayfair residences at night and steals his mother’s paintings that were stolen from him by his asshat father. So as a revenge he steals them back, knowing his father wouldn’t be able to do anything about it unless he acknowledged the whole situation, causing a scandal. This set up is already fairly convoluted but gets even more bananas when the heroine catches our thief red-handed and gets kissed by him in the middle of the night. She then discovers he is a famous horse-breeder and blackmails him to sell and train a horse for her so that she can keep an eye on him (?). To add to this, she is also petrified of horses.
This is the set-up and the reader is just going to have to ride with it, so to speak. From there things progress nicely. Though, personally I prefer if the conflict in my romance novels is more internal than external. These two have to overcome mostly the external obstacles to their happiness and not their own hang-ups. The heroine here had tantrums instead of a personality, although that’s somewhat explainable as she was only 19 (again, I prefer my heroines on the other side of twenty generally and without a glaring age gap).
Her parents were a nice surprise, though. They were of the loving and understanding kind, but also aware of the rules their society lives by, so their actions didn’t feel completely anachronistic.
What was anachronist was the language. Some of it was so obviously not from the right time and place, and I noticed it even though I’m far from being a linguistic expert.
There was also a big mistake relating to one of the main events of the set up – when the heroine shows up at Tattersall’s and recognises the thief. When relating that to his friend the hero defends himself saying:
“I never expected her to appear at Tattersall’s.”
And quite correctly, as women weren’t allowed there in that era. Poor guy, he had no idea he was starring in a romance written by a fumbling author who hadn’t done her research properly.
So yeah, some serious misgivings overall but the sex scenes in the stables were hot, so if you’re into that, knock yourself out.
The premise here makes little sense and the logic is stretched to the maximum, but then we don’t read historical romance novels looking for plausibility.
It’s supposed to be a traditional story of a good girl falling for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. She is a society darling, and he is, while not exactly a commoner, a bastard son of an aristocrat who refuses to acknowledge him, even though his parentage is an open secret.
The hero goes round Mayfair residences at night and steals his mother’s paintings that were stolen from him by his asshat father. So as a revenge he steals them back, knowing his father wouldn’t be able to do anything about it unless he acknowledged the whole situation, causing a scandal. This set up is already fairly convoluted but gets even more bananas when the heroine catches our thief red-handed and gets kissed by him in the middle of the night. She then discovers he is a famous horse-breeder and blackmails him to sell and train a horse for her so that she can keep an eye on him (?). To add to this, she is also petrified of horses.
This is the set-up and the reader is just going to have to ride with it, so to speak. From there things progress nicely. Though, personally I prefer if the conflict in my romance novels is more internal than external. These two have to overcome mostly the external obstacles to their happiness and not their own hang-ups. The heroine here had tantrums instead of a personality, although that’s somewhat explainable as she was only 19 (again, I prefer my heroines on the other side of twenty generally and without a glaring age gap).
Her parents were a nice surprise, though. They were of the loving and understanding kind, but also aware of the rules their society lives by, so their actions didn’t feel completely anachronistic.
What was anachronist was the language. Some of it was so obviously not from the right time and place, and I noticed it even though I’m far from being a linguistic expert.
There was also a big mistake relating to one of the main events of the set up – when the heroine shows up at Tattersall’s and recognises the thief. When relating that to his friend the hero defends himself saying:
“I never expected her to appear at Tattersall’s.”
And quite correctly, as women weren’t allowed there in that era. Poor guy, he had no idea he was starring in a romance written by a fumbling author who hadn’t done her research properly.
So yeah, some serious misgivings overall but the sex scenes in the stables were hot, so if you’re into that, knock yourself out.
June 23, 2019
(3.5-4 stars) I reread this book and unfortunately did not like it as much as I remembered - had to take my rating down from 5 stars to 4. Someone wrote recently in their own review that they found Isabel to be quite spoiled, haughty, and snobbish for too much of the book and I have to
completely
agree on that one (really hated how much she ordered him around)! I was a little shocked by how turned off I was this time around, considering I apparently liked the book so much the first time. Sullivan was darling and Bram made me laugh out loud several times and has me reaching for his book, but Isabel - for about the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the book - definitely detracts.
P.S. Was also slightly bothered by how young Isabel was - she's only 19. I've definitely reached the point where a heroine under 20 just doesn't really cut it for me anymore.
(Written on September 4, 2010)
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After the Kiss is the first in Enoch's "The Notorious Gentlemen" trilogy and so far I had only read the last one, Always a Scoundrel, which was absolutely fantastic (5+++ stars) and definitely one of my favorite historical romances ever. After the Kiss was also absolutely great and I cannot wait to read the second in the trilogy, Before the Scandal (I know, I know, these titles are ridiculous - and some of the covers make it so that one can never be seen reading them in public!).
Sullivan is looked down on by society because not only is he the bastard (as in born on the wrong on the side of the blanket) of the Marquis of Dunston, but his father refuses to acknowledge him. The ton (i.e. society/aristocracy) respect him for his talent and knowledge of horses, but if it's not about business they don't really want to have anything to do with him. This made for a very interesting story, since Isabel is herself a marquis' (legitimate) daughter and the darling of society, therefore making even the idea of her falling in love with a horse breeder absolutely preposterous. The tensions that this situation created and the clashes and conflicts that resulted really made the story engaging; they each risk a lot to be together and Isabel and Sullivan's constant desire to protect the other was very sweet to read.
Isabel's family is wonderful and it was nice not having the stereotypical "evil-parents-who-want-to-tear-their-daughter-away-from-her-love-and-marry-her-off-to-an-old-titled-geezer". The hero and heroine, as well as the secondary characters, all provided many laugh-out-loud moments and after having read Always a Scoundrel in which Bram is reformed and tamed by his love for that book's heroine, it was that much more enjoyable to read in this book about how outrageous he was before.
(Written on May 31, 2009)
P.S. Was also slightly bothered by how young Isabel was - she's only 19. I've definitely reached the point where a heroine under 20 just doesn't really cut it for me anymore.
(Written on September 4, 2010)
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After the Kiss is the first in Enoch's "The Notorious Gentlemen" trilogy and so far I had only read the last one, Always a Scoundrel, which was absolutely fantastic (5+++ stars) and definitely one of my favorite historical romances ever. After the Kiss was also absolutely great and I cannot wait to read the second in the trilogy, Before the Scandal (I know, I know, these titles are ridiculous - and some of the covers make it so that one can never be seen reading them in public!).
Sullivan is looked down on by society because not only is he the bastard (as in born on the wrong on the side of the blanket) of the Marquis of Dunston, but his father refuses to acknowledge him. The ton (i.e. society/aristocracy) respect him for his talent and knowledge of horses, but if it's not about business they don't really want to have anything to do with him. This made for a very interesting story, since Isabel is herself a marquis' (legitimate) daughter and the darling of society, therefore making even the idea of her falling in love with a horse breeder absolutely preposterous. The tensions that this situation created and the clashes and conflicts that resulted really made the story engaging; they each risk a lot to be together and Isabel and Sullivan's constant desire to protect the other was very sweet to read.
Isabel's family is wonderful and it was nice not having the stereotypical "evil-parents-who-want-to-tear-their-daughter-away-from-her-love-and-marry-her-off-to-an-old-titled-geezer". The hero and heroine, as well as the secondary characters, all provided many laugh-out-loud moments and after having read Always a Scoundrel in which Bram is reformed and tamed by his love for that book's heroine, it was that much more enjoyable to read in this book about how outrageous he was before.
(Written on May 31, 2009)
August 11, 2008
What a delightful Regency historical Suzanne Enoch has provided with "After the Kiss". This is the first story in her new trilogy 'The Notorious Gentlemen' which, according to her blog, will tell the tales of three friends who somehow end up on the wrong side of the law after returning from the Peninsula War (1808-1814). First up is Sullivan Waring, the 'natural child' of a peer, yet unacknowledged.
Sullivan is a successful horse breeder/trainer and has only turned to theivery to recover his mother's paintings which were unjustly taken from him while he was fighting on the Peninsula. His life and nighttime exploits are going well...until he steals a kiss in the course of one robbery.
Isabel can't believe the gall of that man. Not only stealing a painting, but a kiss! It's a good thing she grabbed his mask and caught a glimpse of him. But the next day she is stunned to find out that 'her' burglar is none other than famed horse breeder Sullivan. Isabel loves a mystery and uses her knowledge to blackmail Sullivan into training her new horse. Romance and mayhem ensue.
I've been a fan of Suzanne Enoch's books since I picked up my first one in the 1990s. Since then, I've read 'em all and although I enjoy some more than other, none have been 'stinkers'. Her books provide a pleasant escape from this world for a few hours, some sensual sex scenes, and grand HEAs. If you like regencies with a little steam...pick up "After the Kiss".
Sullivan is a successful horse breeder/trainer and has only turned to theivery to recover his mother's paintings which were unjustly taken from him while he was fighting on the Peninsula. His life and nighttime exploits are going well...until he steals a kiss in the course of one robbery.
Isabel can't believe the gall of that man. Not only stealing a painting, but a kiss! It's a good thing she grabbed his mask and caught a glimpse of him. But the next day she is stunned to find out that 'her' burglar is none other than famed horse breeder Sullivan. Isabel loves a mystery and uses her knowledge to blackmail Sullivan into training her new horse. Romance and mayhem ensue.
I've been a fan of Suzanne Enoch's books since I picked up my first one in the 1990s. Since then, I've read 'em all and although I enjoy some more than other, none have been 'stinkers'. Her books provide a pleasant escape from this world for a few hours, some sensual sex scenes, and grand HEAs. If you like regencies with a little steam...pick up "After the Kiss".
August 21, 2010
I honestly don't know why I finished this book. Though in my defense, I pretty much only skimmed from the halfway point onward. I think it was morbid curiosity - I had to know if it was really going to be as lamely predictable as it seemed.
And it was.
I knew it wasn't my kind of book from the first POV chapter of the heroine. A 19 year old who had the inner narrative of a 15 year old cast member of High School Musical. At least once per page, she either said or thought some variation of "he/you have to do what I say"... it was ridiculous. The spoiled child heroine is SO not my thing. I was rooting for her to be trampled by a horse before I got 50 pages in.
Aside from the obnoxious heroine, the story itself was flat and predictable. And while I liked the hero's personality, I quickly lost patience with his repetitive narrative - constant bitterness and expressions of low self-worth. Dude, grow a pair. Seriously.
The only thing I liked in this book was the hero's friend, Lord Bramwell - he seemed to be a complicated, layered character with lots going on beneath the surface (though who knows? there were no chapters from his POV... so perhaps his narrative would have been just as banal as the h/h). It is a shame he was wasted in such a boring book.
And it was.
I knew it wasn't my kind of book from the first POV chapter of the heroine. A 19 year old who had the inner narrative of a 15 year old cast member of High School Musical. At least once per page, she either said or thought some variation of "he/you have to do what I say"... it was ridiculous. The spoiled child heroine is SO not my thing. I was rooting for her to be trampled by a horse before I got 50 pages in.
Aside from the obnoxious heroine, the story itself was flat and predictable. And while I liked the hero's personality, I quickly lost patience with his repetitive narrative - constant bitterness and expressions of low self-worth. Dude, grow a pair. Seriously.
The only thing I liked in this book was the hero's friend, Lord Bramwell - he seemed to be a complicated, layered character with lots going on beneath the surface (though who knows? there were no chapters from his POV... so perhaps his narrative would have been just as banal as the h/h). It is a shame he was wasted in such a boring book.
December 9, 2020
Aslında kötü değil ama sen daha iyilerine layıksın, benden sana eş olmaz vs. muhabbetleri biraz sıktı. Puanım ondan 3.
October 10, 2016
If my reading experience had been better this year, I probably would have given this book 2 stars and be done with it. But no I grow incessantly impatient with the offers in the market and realize I have lost my patience. This book's biggest problem is the ditzy heroine. She caught the hero sneaking around in her house. And our brave heroine said nothing to anybody. Then upon seeing the "thief" aka our hero again, she decided to blackmail him for no good reasons. Just for her own amusement I suppose. And of course they are attracted to each other so our ditzy heroine got more ditzy by the day. On one hand she was blackmailing the hero knowing that she could destroy him in a second, on the other hand she told her brother about the hero thinking that she couldn't hold back the secret anymore. Talk about irresponsible unreliable childish ditzy women, if you believe him a bad man, why risk yourself by blackmailing him? If you believe him a good man, why risk his neck by opening your big mouth? I don't get this heroine. The book goes down the drain when I can't like the heroine.
April 12, 2025
Books I Own. Mad About Series Challenge 2025. HRBC. Tropes: Regency Romance,Class Difference, Disguise, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Erotica.
MC's h. L.Isabel (Tibby) Chalsey, daughter of the Marquis of Dalshear, brother's Phillip and Dudley, a loving and closeknit family. H Sullivan Waring, retired soldier, war hero, renouned horsebreeder, thief Mayfair Marauder, unclaimed bastard of Marquess of Dunston, George Sullivan. His mother was a painter and married so Sullivan had a father figure.
Comment: I liked the storyline. It was a page turner for me and I would re-read this book. I gave it 4.5 stars. I would have given it 5 if the sex scenes were more raunchy.
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MC's h. L.Isabel (Tibby) Chalsey, daughter of the Marquis of Dalshear, brother's Phillip and Dudley, a loving and closeknit family. H Sullivan Waring, retired soldier, war hero, renouned horsebreeder, thief Mayfair Marauder, unclaimed bastard of Marquess of Dunston, George Sullivan. His mother was a painter and married so Sullivan had a father figure.
Comment: I liked the storyline. It was a page turner for me and I would re-read this book. I gave it 4.5 stars. I would have given it 5 if the sex scenes were more raunchy.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2008
I think I probably wanted to give this a 3 1/2 but I gave it a 4. I thought the story was different... that was a plus... a non-titled bastard who would never be recognized by his Marquis father and the heroine was a titled daughter. He was a horse breader and she blackmails him in to training an unbroken horse for her for her silence in some burglaries that she knows he has committed. It moves fast, but for some reason I wasn't feeling the love. They fell in love but really all the had was this horse connection and this secret. I have checked up on the other two books and Bram (a secondary character) was not the lead in eithers. He presented so much in this book I thought for sure he would be in a book of his own. So either his story is resolved during the 3 book arch or Ms. Enoch needs to make it a quartet LOL. I will definitely seek out the next in this series!
May 23, 2023
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Hart op hol - Candlelight Historische roman 805 .
Lady Isabel Chalsey staat midden in de nacht oog in oog met een dief die nadat ze zijn masker afgerukt heeft de meest gerespecteerde paardenfokker / trainer van Engeland blijkt te zijn nl. Sullivan Waring . Hij is zijn moeders schilderijen terug aan het halen die zij na haar dood aan hem heeft nagelaten maar die door zijn vader en halfbroer zijn verkocht en weggegeven terwijl hij in het buitenland in het leger was . Isabel wil een mooi paard van hem kopen en hij moet haar leren er op te rijden en als tegenprestatie houdt zij haar mond over dat zij weet wie de dief is .
Dit is een leuk geschreven maar totaal ongeloofwaardig verhaal .
Lady Isabel Chalsey staat midden in de nacht oog in oog met een dief die nadat ze zijn masker afgerukt heeft de meest gerespecteerde paardenfokker / trainer van Engeland blijkt te zijn nl. Sullivan Waring . Hij is zijn moeders schilderijen terug aan het halen die zij na haar dood aan hem heeft nagelaten maar die door zijn vader en halfbroer zijn verkocht en weggegeven terwijl hij in het buitenland in het leger was . Isabel wil een mooi paard van hem kopen en hij moet haar leren er op te rijden en als tegenprestatie houdt zij haar mond over dat zij weet wie de dief is .
Dit is een leuk geschreven maar totaal ongeloofwaardig verhaal .
August 22, 2022
This is only my second book by Suzanne Enoch but I loved it just as I did the first one, England's Perfect Hero. Absolutely wonderful!
My only complaint is that the sex scenes were way too short. However, the author more than made up for it with her fantastic development of the couple's relationship. The depth of emotion just got me every single time. I loved the excitement of their first meeting. I loved the progression from sort of rivals to acquaintances to friends to lovers. I loved the fact Sullivan helped Isabel conquer her biggest fear. I loved the fact Isabel saw and loved Sullivan for who he truly was, even though she wasn't supposed to. My heart hurt and I found myself on the brink of tears a few times because it all seemed so hopeless for them, even though all they ever wanted was to be together. I am so glad they got their hearts' dream. Now off we go to Bram's book. That should be awesome too!
My only complaint is that the sex scenes were way too short. However, the author more than made up for it with her fantastic development of the couple's relationship. The depth of emotion just got me every single time. I loved the excitement of their first meeting. I loved the progression from sort of rivals to acquaintances to friends to lovers. I loved the fact Sullivan helped Isabel conquer her biggest fear. I loved the fact Isabel saw and loved Sullivan for who he truly was, even though she wasn't supposed to. My heart hurt and I found myself on the brink of tears a few times because it all seemed so hopeless for them, even though all they ever wanted was to be together. I am so glad they got their hearts' dream. Now off we go to Bram's book. That should be awesome too!
October 31, 2022
Sullivan Waring is the Masked Marauder of Marleybone and also a horse guy. He gets caught by Lady Isabel Chalsey in flagrante delicto so he compounds his crimes by stealing a kiss. Then she buys a horse and Sullivan's...........services. The end.
1. Nope.
2. Sullivan is a man bent on REVENGE and is therefore a weanie.
3. Isabel is a spoiled daughter of the ton and is therefore a weanie.
4. I honestly did not care about these two flirting it out in the stableyards at all. I didn't care about Sullivan's tragic backstory or Isabel's growing awareness of the world.
1. Nope.
2. Sullivan is a man bent on REVENGE and is therefore a weanie.
3. Isabel is a spoiled daughter of the ton and is therefore a weanie.
4. I honestly did not care about these two flirting it out in the stableyards at all. I didn't care about Sullivan's tragic backstory or Isabel's growing awareness of the world.
July 23, 2008
In this book, Suzanne Enoch strung together several plot lines, none of which I usually enjoy, and she somehow turned them into a story that really worked for me. I have enjoyed most of the dozen or so historical romances that I have read by Enoch, but this one is now one of my top two or three favorites by her.
Sullivan Waring, an illegitimate horse breeder who has never been acknowledged by his father, comes home from war to find that his inheritance has been stolen. All that Sullivan expected to receive from his artist mother was a few paintings that she kept and meant for him to have. Upon her death while Sullivan was away, these paintings were taken by the man who sired Sullivan and then sold or given to friends. Sullivan is enraged and decides to turn to thievery in order to take back what is his while also annoying his father. While recovering one painting, Sullivan is discovered by the daughter of the house, Lady Isabel Chalsey. When Sullivan recklessly kisses Isabel in order to keep her quiet, she unmasks him before he makes his getaway. To her astonishment, when Isabel accompanies her brother to a horse auction, she recognizes the breeder her brother is buying from as the man who robbed her home. Isabel blackmails Sullivan Waring into agreeing to sell her brother two horses at a reasonable price and training one of the horses for her at Chalsey House. Isabella isn't certain why she does this instead of immediately revealing Sullivan's identity, but she is fascinated both by him and the idea of having control of him. As Sullivan begins his twice daily lessons with Isabel's horse, she spends the time with him and begins to truy like and understand him. The relationship between Sullivan and Isabela grows and becomes intimate, but neither believes that good could possibly come from their connection. The difference in their social class, as well as Sullivan's thievery appear to be insurmountable barriers between them. Complicating matters are Isabel's latest suitor, who happens to be Sullivan's jealous half-brother, and her peers who disapprove of her friendship with a horse breeder and start to damage her reputation. Sullivan and Isabel have to decide if there is any chance that they can be together.
This book had so many storylines that I don't normally care much for - hero as a thief, blackmail, seemingly insurmountable class differences, illegitimate hero treated poorly by family - that I was shocked to truly enjoy the story. Everything about the book seemed to fit together just right for me, and I had a great time reading the story. I liked both the hero and the heroine, and I wondered how Enoch would be able to pull off a happy ending for these two. The way in which she did so may not have been completely realistic in every aspect (Isabel's family was suprisingly accepting of her feelings for Sullivan), but it worked for me in a fiction story.
Sullivan Waring, an illegitimate horse breeder who has never been acknowledged by his father, comes home from war to find that his inheritance has been stolen. All that Sullivan expected to receive from his artist mother was a few paintings that she kept and meant for him to have. Upon her death while Sullivan was away, these paintings were taken by the man who sired Sullivan and then sold or given to friends. Sullivan is enraged and decides to turn to thievery in order to take back what is his while also annoying his father. While recovering one painting, Sullivan is discovered by the daughter of the house, Lady Isabel Chalsey. When Sullivan recklessly kisses Isabel in order to keep her quiet, she unmasks him before he makes his getaway. To her astonishment, when Isabel accompanies her brother to a horse auction, she recognizes the breeder her brother is buying from as the man who robbed her home. Isabel blackmails Sullivan Waring into agreeing to sell her brother two horses at a reasonable price and training one of the horses for her at Chalsey House. Isabella isn't certain why she does this instead of immediately revealing Sullivan's identity, but she is fascinated both by him and the idea of having control of him. As Sullivan begins his twice daily lessons with Isabel's horse, she spends the time with him and begins to truy like and understand him. The relationship between Sullivan and Isabela grows and becomes intimate, but neither believes that good could possibly come from their connection. The difference in their social class, as well as Sullivan's thievery appear to be insurmountable barriers between them. Complicating matters are Isabel's latest suitor, who happens to be Sullivan's jealous half-brother, and her peers who disapprove of her friendship with a horse breeder and start to damage her reputation. Sullivan and Isabel have to decide if there is any chance that they can be together.
This book had so many storylines that I don't normally care much for - hero as a thief, blackmail, seemingly insurmountable class differences, illegitimate hero treated poorly by family - that I was shocked to truly enjoy the story. Everything about the book seemed to fit together just right for me, and I had a great time reading the story. I liked both the hero and the heroine, and I wondered how Enoch would be able to pull off a happy ending for these two. The way in which she did so may not have been completely realistic in every aspect (Isabel's family was suprisingly accepting of her feelings for Sullivan), but it worked for me in a fiction story.
December 31, 2012
Story and Writing Style
Ohmygod, I don’t know what it was about this story but I was addicted from Page 1. Perhaps it’s the haughty blueblood princess-type who falls in love with someone lower than her station that had me all hot and bothered. Maybe it was the fact that the hero was a horse breeder who appealed to my more wild love of cowboys. I dunno. But the story was hot. And the fact that she knows it was him—the Mayfair Marauder—stealing from her home in the middle of the night, and so she buys a horse and horseriding lessons from him to keep him under close watch, is a happy, sexy point.
Characters
Sullivan Waring is the unacknowledged bastard of a reputable lord, so he has a chip on his shoulder from the start. Fortunately, he sets his energy and talents to horsebreeding where he makes a fine reputation of being the only trustworthy, talented breeder in the London area. His mother, a painter, wanted him to grow up like a gentleman (perhaps on the off-chance that his father would ever acknowledge him as a peer), so he’s educated and witty and strong. Isabel is the middle child of a seemingly loving family with an older and younger brother who adore her. She knows exactly what she wants, and her high-and-mighty manner of dealing with Sullivan is great.
Sex
Just so you know, this is NOT erotica. It's only about as dirty and erotic as your average Regency romance. But their first sex scene was delicious…starting with his warning of not getting involved with him and his subsequent invitation to ruination. It was dirty in all the right ways, what with the melodious mixture of her primness to her being barefoot in a horse stable at midnight while she's wonderfully deflowered. And the tension was superb from the get-go. It was addictive. It was Sullivan taking her in raw, lustful ways and her happily engaging in the trysts, even if only for a few times.
Ohmygod, I don’t know what it was about this story but I was addicted from Page 1. Perhaps it’s the haughty blueblood princess-type who falls in love with someone lower than her station that had me all hot and bothered. Maybe it was the fact that the hero was a horse breeder who appealed to my more wild love of cowboys. I dunno. But the story was hot. And the fact that she knows it was him—the Mayfair Marauder—stealing from her home in the middle of the night, and so she buys a horse and horseriding lessons from him to keep him under close watch, is a happy, sexy point.
Characters
Sullivan Waring is the unacknowledged bastard of a reputable lord, so he has a chip on his shoulder from the start. Fortunately, he sets his energy and talents to horsebreeding where he makes a fine reputation of being the only trustworthy, talented breeder in the London area. His mother, a painter, wanted him to grow up like a gentleman (perhaps on the off-chance that his father would ever acknowledge him as a peer), so he’s educated and witty and strong. Isabel is the middle child of a seemingly loving family with an older and younger brother who adore her. She knows exactly what she wants, and her high-and-mighty manner of dealing with Sullivan is great.
Sex
Just so you know, this is NOT erotica. It's only about as dirty and erotic as your average Regency romance. But their first sex scene was delicious…starting with his warning of not getting involved with him and his subsequent invitation to ruination. It was dirty in all the right ways, what with the melodious mixture of her primness to her being barefoot in a horse stable at midnight while she's wonderfully deflowered. And the tension was superb from the get-go. It was addictive. It was Sullivan taking her in raw, lustful ways and her happily engaging in the trysts, even if only for a few times.
November 16, 2017
“After The Kiss” is the story of Sullivan and Isabel.
Sullivan is the illegitimate son of Dunston, who has two goals- to remain a respectful horse breeder, and to claim his rightful inheritance snatched away from him by his ass of a father.
He trains horses during the day, and robs houses at night as the Mayfair Marauder in order to gain back the paintings his mother made and which were ruthlessly sold by his sperm donor.
One of such thievings leads him to Lady Isabel Chalsey’s home- who catches him in the act and he steals a kiss!
When she recognizes him the next morning- she hires him to teach her horse riding by buying the prized mare Zephyr- something she’s morbidly in fear of, as well as unravel the mystery of Sullivan.
The story then involves a “taboo” tale of lust between a mere horse breeder and society ladies- including jealous douchenozzle of evil stepbrothers, stupid ton and rumors, condescending heroine and rage inducing father’s.
So honestly I got this book because of the awesome cover. However that was a mistake.
There was way too much negativity in it for me. I hated Dunston. I hated Lord Tidley aka Oliver. I hated the hero being hated on for his birth. I hated the ton and rich pigs.
The book becomes slightly better in the last 1/4, with the heroine’s family showing some humanity and justice for Sullivan, but overall this was only an average one time read. Also everything got magically resolved after dragging on what seemed like foreverrrrr.
Safe
2.25/5
Sullivan is the illegitimate son of Dunston, who has two goals- to remain a respectful horse breeder, and to claim his rightful inheritance snatched away from him by his ass of a father.
He trains horses during the day, and robs houses at night as the Mayfair Marauder in order to gain back the paintings his mother made and which were ruthlessly sold by his sperm donor.
One of such thievings leads him to Lady Isabel Chalsey’s home- who catches him in the act and he steals a kiss!
When she recognizes him the next morning- she hires him to teach her horse riding by buying the prized mare Zephyr- something she’s morbidly in fear of, as well as unravel the mystery of Sullivan.
The story then involves a “taboo” tale of lust between a mere horse breeder and society ladies- including jealous douchenozzle of evil stepbrothers, stupid ton and rumors, condescending heroine and rage inducing father’s.
So honestly I got this book because of the awesome cover. However that was a mistake.
There was way too much negativity in it for me. I hated Dunston. I hated Lord Tidley aka Oliver. I hated the hero being hated on for his birth. I hated the ton and rich pigs.
The book becomes slightly better in the last 1/4, with the heroine’s family showing some humanity and justice for Sullivan, but overall this was only an average one time read. Also everything got magically resolved after dragging on what seemed like foreverrrrr.
Safe
2.25/5
January 3, 2011
I really enjoyed it. I liked Sullivan and I thought it was great the way Ms. Enoch integrated his love of horses and their training into the book. Personally, Sully's gentle, respectful nature with the horses made me adore him all the more. I did kinda feel like we went from 3-4 stolen, hawt kisses to "meet me in the stables at midnight" pretty quickly, though I was ready for them to get there... All I can say, is that I'm notorious for being an "easy" 4-star review because my "favorite" book is always the one I'm currently reading... ;) But, this was a fun read. Oh, I also enjoyed the way Ms. Enoch showed the heroine's family as supportive as she did. While it may not be true to the time period, it was endearing and appreciated by me.
There you go... a few thoughts. Sorry, I know I'm a horrible reviewer. :D
There you go... a few thoughts. Sorry, I know I'm a horrible reviewer. :D
January 3, 2012
Really enjoyable story - fabulous hero, lovely heroine, amazing chemistry between them. The whole thread of Sullivan training Isabel's horse Zephyr and teaching Isabel how to ride is fascinating and nicely done - I have a weakness for animals, both in life and in stories, so this subject will always get to me if it is well handled. The scenes with the hero and his best buddy Bram are so funny but also heartfelt - Bram actually saves Sullivan's bacon after Sullivan is arrested, even though the consequences for Bram could have been very bad if he was caught.
Now I have to read Bram's story!
Now I have to read Bram's story!
Want to read
December 17, 201517 December 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
8 June 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
8 June 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
June 26, 2017
First up is Sullivan Waring, the 'natural child' of a peer, yet unacknowledged. Sullivan is a successful horse breeder/trainer and has only turned to theivery to recover his mother's paintings which were unjustly taken from him while he was fighting on the Peninsula. Someone wrote recently in their own review that they found Isabel to be quite spoiled, haughty, and snobbish for too much of the book and I have to completely agree on that one (really hated how much she ordered him around)! Sullivan was darling and Bram made me laugh out loud several times, but Isabel - for about the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the book - definitely detracts. P.S. Was also slightly bothered by how young Isabel was - she's only 19. I've definitely reached the point where a heroine under 20 just doesn't really cut it for me anymore. Sullivan Waring, an illegitimate horse breeder who has never been acknowledged by his father, comes home from war to find that his inheritance has been stolen. All that Sullivan expected to receive from his artist mother was a few paintings that she kept and meant for him to have. I liked Sullivan and I thought it was great the way Ms. Enoch integrated his love of horses and their training into the book. Personally, Sully's gentle, respectful nature with the horses made me adore him all the more. I did kinda feel like we went from 3-4 stolen, hawt kisses to "meet me in the stables at midnight" pretty quickly, though I was ready for them to get there... But it is the secondary characters that win it for me: Bram is great - rude, unpredictable, and dangerous, even the heroines's younger brother is a great character and William, the hero's friend's brother, is intriguing. A unique premise in which bastard war hero, Sullivan Waring, sells and breeds horses by day; by night he masquerades as a thief, stealing back his mother's paintings from aristocrats after they'd been wrongfully taken from him by his father. A father who refuses to acknowledge his son, at that. It just so happens during one raid Sullivan is caught unawares by Lady Isabel, but he quickly hushes her up with a kiss and so this epic romance begins. I thought the tension between Isabel and Sullivan was pretty damn palpable at the beginning, but I got bored at the end.
What a delightful Regency historical Suzanne Enoch has provided with "After the Kiss". This is the first story in her new trilogy 'The Notorious Gentlemen' which, according to her blog, will tell the tales of three friends who somehow end up on the wrong side of the law after returning from the Peninsula War (1808-1814). I thought the story was different... that was a plus... a non-titled bastard who would never be recognized by his Marquis father and the heroine was a titled daughter. He was a horse breader and she blackmails him in to training an unbroken horse for her for her silence in some burglaries that she knows he has committed. It moves fast, but for some reason I wasn't feeling the love. They fell in love but really all the had was this horse connection and this secret. In this book, Suzanne Enoch strung together several plot lines, none of which I usually enjoy, and she somehow turned them into a story that really worked for me. I have enjoyed most of the historical romances that I have read by Enoch, but this one is now one of my top two or three favorites by her. I really enjoyed it. The hero is a bastard son/war hero who returned from the war to discover that his noble father has sold all the paintings his mother left to him. So he's going to steal them all back again. He's only got a few left to go when the heroine surprises him in the act. He kisses her, to keep her from screaming, but she rips off his mask and sees his face. I started this one thinking "not another dreary HR with a blonde, beautiful Society darling as heroine", but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It developed nicely, and ended up being a lovely romantic story. The hero is fabulous the whole way through, knows how to handle horses ( sigh<\i>) and the heroine really improves, thankfully redeeming herself by realizing that what she wants is not what Society wants, and showing a bit of backbone along the way. Ahhh, a historical romance. Did you know those are my favorites? They are. And this was great. Oh man, I really liked this. Here was an obstacle that actually created tension and felt like it had stakes. Here, finally, was a believable reason that a hero would push a lady away and that she would be reluctant to like him. I just really loved the characters and the plot and I can't wait to read the next two books, and I wish I could get a dozen companion novels about the background characters.
What a delightful Regency historical Suzanne Enoch has provided with "After the Kiss". This is the first story in her new trilogy 'The Notorious Gentlemen' which, according to her blog, will tell the tales of three friends who somehow end up on the wrong side of the law after returning from the Peninsula War (1808-1814). I thought the story was different... that was a plus... a non-titled bastard who would never be recognized by his Marquis father and the heroine was a titled daughter. He was a horse breader and she blackmails him in to training an unbroken horse for her for her silence in some burglaries that she knows he has committed. It moves fast, but for some reason I wasn't feeling the love. They fell in love but really all the had was this horse connection and this secret. In this book, Suzanne Enoch strung together several plot lines, none of which I usually enjoy, and she somehow turned them into a story that really worked for me. I have enjoyed most of the historical romances that I have read by Enoch, but this one is now one of my top two or three favorites by her. I really enjoyed it. The hero is a bastard son/war hero who returned from the war to discover that his noble father has sold all the paintings his mother left to him. So he's going to steal them all back again. He's only got a few left to go when the heroine surprises him in the act. He kisses her, to keep her from screaming, but she rips off his mask and sees his face. I started this one thinking "not another dreary HR with a blonde, beautiful Society darling as heroine", but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It developed nicely, and ended up being a lovely romantic story. The hero is fabulous the whole way through, knows how to handle horses ( sigh<\i>) and the heroine really improves, thankfully redeeming herself by realizing that what she wants is not what Society wants, and showing a bit of backbone along the way. Ahhh, a historical romance. Did you know those are my favorites? They are. And this was great. Oh man, I really liked this. Here was an obstacle that actually created tension and felt like it had stakes. Here, finally, was a believable reason that a hero would push a lady away and that she would be reluctant to like him. I just really loved the characters and the plot and I can't wait to read the next two books, and I wish I could get a dozen companion novels about the background characters.
January 20, 2019
Bir Öpücükle Başladı Her Şey
Suzanne Enoch,
Yeni bir seriye başlamak güzel. Uzun ve sakin sakin okunacak bir kitaptı. Hiç bir atlama olmadan ve sindire sindire
Konu olarak kısaca kopya edeyim.
Yakışıklı Sullivan sadece iki şey istiyordur: Annesinin mirası ve intikam. Bunun için gündüzleri İngiltere'nin en çok tanınan at yetiştiricisiyken, geceleri en varlıklı ailelerin evlerine gizli bir şekilde giren maskeli bir hırsız.
Ve bir gece... Hırsızlık için girdiği bir malikanede yakalanmamak için Isabel Chalsey'i öper. Bu tehlikeli bir öpücüktür çünkü bu öpücük sırrının açığa çıkmasını önlemek için tatlı bir rüşvetten çok fazlasıdır. Sullivan'ın hayatını değiştiren tehlikeli bir oyun...
Konu tamamen açıklayıcı benim yorumum ise şöyle bu kızı sevdim kesinlikle😁 başlarda kızdım ama sonra hersey yerli yerinde olunca hak verdim. Zevkle ve tatminle okudum her satırını özelikle o güzel atların varlıklarını 😂 ben sevdim okurken ağır alsamda konu olarak hızlıydı😉
Suzanne Enoch,
Yeni bir seriye başlamak güzel. Uzun ve sakin sakin okunacak bir kitaptı. Hiç bir atlama olmadan ve sindire sindire
Konu olarak kısaca kopya edeyim.
Yakışıklı Sullivan sadece iki şey istiyordur: Annesinin mirası ve intikam. Bunun için gündüzleri İngiltere'nin en çok tanınan at yetiştiricisiyken, geceleri en varlıklı ailelerin evlerine gizli bir şekilde giren maskeli bir hırsız.
Ve bir gece... Hırsızlık için girdiği bir malikanede yakalanmamak için Isabel Chalsey'i öper. Bu tehlikeli bir öpücüktür çünkü bu öpücük sırrının açığa çıkmasını önlemek için tatlı bir rüşvetten çok fazlasıdır. Sullivan'ın hayatını değiştiren tehlikeli bir oyun...
Konu tamamen açıklayıcı benim yorumum ise şöyle bu kızı sevdim kesinlikle😁 başlarda kızdım ama sonra hersey yerli yerinde olunca hak verdim. Zevkle ve tatminle okudum her satırını özelikle o güzel atların varlıklarını 😂 ben sevdim okurken ağır alsamda konu olarak hızlıydı😉
February 17, 2023
9 yıl kadar önce seriye tam olarak ortadan bir dalış yapmıştım. kütüphaneden önü arkası olduğunu bilmeden, ne bulursam okuduğum zamanlardan bir okumaydı o tabii... sonra bu kitabı da aradım durdum, ama bir türlü çıkmadı karşıma.
şimdi yıllar sonra buldum, buruk bir sevinç oldu.
kitaba dönecek olursam yani, birçok hist-fic okuması yaptım. bu kategoride en iyi denebilecek yazarları tanıdım diyebilirim, belki o yüzden bana orta geldi. ama en rahatsız eden şey bazen anlamsızlığın dibini gören cümlelerdi.
o kadar sorunlu çeviri ve redaksiyonlar vardı ki anlam verebilmek için ikinci üçüncü kere okumak zorunda kaldım bazı bazı.
şimdi yıllar sonra buldum, buruk bir sevinç oldu.
kitaba dönecek olursam yani, birçok hist-fic okuması yaptım. bu kategoride en iyi denebilecek yazarları tanıdım diyebilirim, belki o yüzden bana orta geldi. ama en rahatsız eden şey bazen anlamsızlığın dibini gören cümlelerdi.
o kadar sorunlu çeviri ve redaksiyonlar vardı ki anlam verebilmek için ikinci üçüncü kere okumak zorunda kaldım bazı bazı.
January 12, 2009
Sullivan Warring, a by-blow of a nobleman without par in the Society, is intent on revenge. His mother died while he was at war against the French in Spain and upon his return his father (who never acknowledged him) has stolen his inheritance – his mother's paintings. Sullivan is adamant at getting those paintings back and embarrassing his lordly father in the process.
So, in broad daylight he's the most respected and sought-after horse breeder in England, while at night he visits his father's friends' homes, stealing the paintings back. He has only four left to go, when the lady of the house he's currently robbing stumbled upon him. To prevent her from alerting the household, he silences her with a kiss...But the lady isn't idle, either, and rids him of his mask in the process.
Lady Isabel Chalsey comes face to face with the infamous Mayfair Marauder the very next day, accompanying her brother to a horse auction. Instead of turning him in, she concocts a crazy scheme. In order to learn why he is robbing the residents of Mayfair and to keep an eye on him, preventing him from further mischief, she buys a horse – despite her debilitating fear of the animals – and employs Sullivan as trainer.
It took me quite a while to get into this book. Mostly because of Isabel's character in the first few chapters. As most Society belles she was spoiled and firmly ensconced in her narrow little world, but it was her bossy manner and dramaqueenesque manner that really put me off. Only when, in the course of the story, she finally grew up and had her eyes (forcibly) open to the pettiness and fickleness of polite society, I started really enjoying the whole deal.
It's almost unheard of for a romance heroine to go through such a drastic change in personality and perspective as Isabel did in this book, but still the author never made her appear inconsistent. Whatever she did or said was always perfectly in tune with the mind frame Isabel was in at the moment.
Sullivan, like Isabel, also went through a great change in the process of the story, and his development was completely tied in with Isabel's change. It was by looking at her, processing her own change, that he realized not all members of the Society were alike, and his bitter quest for revenge against the aristocracy slowly and irrevocably morphed into desire to (at least) try to understand the aristocracy and forget his anger and betrayal for her, to make her happy and him worthy of her admiration and love.
They were both acutely aware of their differences and possible consequences of the clandestine affair, yet still persisted in their quest for happiness (kudos to Isabel in this instance).
I loved the entire premise of the book. Ms. Enoch paired two characters from completely different backgrounds. While Isabel was the darling of the Society, Sullivan, thanks to his lucrative business merely brushed against its outskirts. The pairing of a haughty, aristocratic woman with an aristocratic by-blow was this story lifesaver, if you ask me.
And the development of their romance (which was again an organic in growing affair) and their secret courtship was a real joy to read. It slowly built from initial attraction between "enemies", to a grudging trust, to friendship, and finally to passion and love.
Unlike many of her fellow author, Ms. Enoch didn't forget about the secondary characters. They weren't just figures creating a backdrop for the leading couple, but had a life of their own. Some bad, some good, some shady and in between, but still real and believable, making the reader want to read their stories as well.
So if you like your romance to have a pinch of realism, wonderfully developed and multidimensional characters, and some great depths, this is the book for you.
So, in broad daylight he's the most respected and sought-after horse breeder in England, while at night he visits his father's friends' homes, stealing the paintings back. He has only four left to go, when the lady of the house he's currently robbing stumbled upon him. To prevent her from alerting the household, he silences her with a kiss...But the lady isn't idle, either, and rids him of his mask in the process.
Lady Isabel Chalsey comes face to face with the infamous Mayfair Marauder the very next day, accompanying her brother to a horse auction. Instead of turning him in, she concocts a crazy scheme. In order to learn why he is robbing the residents of Mayfair and to keep an eye on him, preventing him from further mischief, she buys a horse – despite her debilitating fear of the animals – and employs Sullivan as trainer.
It took me quite a while to get into this book. Mostly because of Isabel's character in the first few chapters. As most Society belles she was spoiled and firmly ensconced in her narrow little world, but it was her bossy manner and dramaqueenesque manner that really put me off. Only when, in the course of the story, she finally grew up and had her eyes (forcibly) open to the pettiness and fickleness of polite society, I started really enjoying the whole deal.
It's almost unheard of for a romance heroine to go through such a drastic change in personality and perspective as Isabel did in this book, but still the author never made her appear inconsistent. Whatever she did or said was always perfectly in tune with the mind frame Isabel was in at the moment.
Sullivan, like Isabel, also went through a great change in the process of the story, and his development was completely tied in with Isabel's change. It was by looking at her, processing her own change, that he realized not all members of the Society were alike, and his bitter quest for revenge against the aristocracy slowly and irrevocably morphed into desire to (at least) try to understand the aristocracy and forget his anger and betrayal for her, to make her happy and him worthy of her admiration and love.
They were both acutely aware of their differences and possible consequences of the clandestine affair, yet still persisted in their quest for happiness (kudos to Isabel in this instance).
I loved the entire premise of the book. Ms. Enoch paired two characters from completely different backgrounds. While Isabel was the darling of the Society, Sullivan, thanks to his lucrative business merely brushed against its outskirts. The pairing of a haughty, aristocratic woman with an aristocratic by-blow was this story lifesaver, if you ask me.
And the development of their romance (which was again an organic in growing affair) and their secret courtship was a real joy to read. It slowly built from initial attraction between "enemies", to a grudging trust, to friendship, and finally to passion and love.
Unlike many of her fellow author, Ms. Enoch didn't forget about the secondary characters. They weren't just figures creating a backdrop for the leading couple, but had a life of their own. Some bad, some good, some shady and in between, but still real and believable, making the reader want to read their stories as well.
So if you like your romance to have a pinch of realism, wonderfully developed and multidimensional characters, and some great depths, this is the book for you.
January 15, 2015
Although Sullivan Waring was in the Peninsula War in for England's rights, he still didn't know what was going on back home. When Sullivan comes back from the war he finds out that his father Lord Dunston sold all of his inheritance. Then he hatches up a plan, the plan is to steel everything back from the people his father gave his things to. Thats when he makes the mistake of going to the Chalsey house. Sullivan gets caught while trying to make it outside by Isabel Chalsey. And to keep her quiet he kisses her and then he escapes. Little did he know that his mask was taken off while he was kissing her. Sullivan Waring world re-nowned horse Breeder is about to know what it means to be under someone's thumb. When Isabel and Waring meet next they have a clash of wills. They meet again the next day when her brothers and her go to a horse auction, where they purchase two horses from Waring. So Isabel pays him to train the horse that she buys from him, until she finds out what he is really up to. But lines become blurred when Waring starts having feelings for her himself and then he sees who is courting her Oliver Sullivan. His half brother gets pissed when he sees who is training Isabel's horse, so he trys to get her to change instructors. And Oliver has him beaten because of all that he doing for Isabel's family. When Isabel sees this she doesn't immediately see that it was Oliver who did this to Waring. Waring then feels like he is getting in to deep, but then he decides that it's all worth it if he can stay close to the love of his life. So things go on after he ruins her as he puts it. Until Oliver finds out that they have had sex, then he calls her a whore. The next day Oliver goes to the police about Waring's extra curricular activities as the Mayfair Murader. Waring gets locked up, and Isabel trys to help him but he just says that it would be better for her if she just left him alone. But when the authorities find out that there was another painting and other stuff stolen they realize that Oliver was lying. They eventually let him go, but he leaves London, and Isabel. Waring ends up regretting leaving Isabel and goes back when his father acknowledges him. But he doesn't care about that he only cares if Isabel forgives him. Which she does after Waring explains how stupid her was. And they get married.
July 14, 2009
I think I have a whole essay brewing on why, when I pick up 1 historical romance, I have to then read 5 more. Books like this are like candy.
I think I'm a sucker for the noble criminal trope. So, meet Sullivan Waring, a horse breeder who moonlights as a cat burglar. Only, it's okay, see, because he's the unacknowledged bastard son of a nobleman, and he's in the process of stealing back paintings his father stole from him to begin with. And his trouble begins when he's caught in the act of liberating a painting from the Chalsey estate; he's caught by young Isabel Chalsey, whom he kisses to keep from screaming.
The setup is a little silly, but Sullivan is a likable hero. The plot is a little convoluted: Isabel blackmails him into helping her learn to ride a horse, because he arouses her curiosity (and some other things) and she wants to get to the bottom of why he's a thief before she turns him over to the authorities. They thus end up spending a lot of time together. The conflict in the novel is mostly external, as social mores make it impossible for Sullivan and Isabel to be together when they, predictably, fall in love. Which is a little irritating, particularly since it takes Sullivan until the end of the book to put together that he's well-respected enough that his common bastard status doesn't actually matter, at least not to Isabel.
Still, a fun read. I, of course, just downloaded the next one in the series to my Kindle. I am a sucker, I guess. (Can't wait for Book 3, though. Bram Johns? Best character in this novel.)
I think I'm a sucker for the noble criminal trope. So, meet Sullivan Waring, a horse breeder who moonlights as a cat burglar. Only, it's okay, see, because he's the unacknowledged bastard son of a nobleman, and he's in the process of stealing back paintings his father stole from him to begin with. And his trouble begins when he's caught in the act of liberating a painting from the Chalsey estate; he's caught by young Isabel Chalsey, whom he kisses to keep from screaming.
The setup is a little silly, but Sullivan is a likable hero. The plot is a little convoluted: Isabel blackmails him into helping her learn to ride a horse, because he arouses her curiosity (and some other things) and she wants to get to the bottom of why he's a thief before she turns him over to the authorities. They thus end up spending a lot of time together. The conflict in the novel is mostly external, as social mores make it impossible for Sullivan and Isabel to be together when they, predictably, fall in love. Which is a little irritating, particularly since it takes Sullivan until the end of the book to put together that he's well-respected enough that his common bastard status doesn't actually matter, at least not to Isabel.
Still, a fun read. I, of course, just downloaded the next one in the series to my Kindle. I am a sucker, I guess. (Can't wait for Book 3, though. Bram Johns? Best character in this novel.)
October 17, 2008
The hero is a bastard son/war hero who returned from the war to discover that his noble father has sold all the paintings his mother left to him. So he's going to steal them all back again. He's only got a few left to go when the heroine surprises him in the act. He kisses her, to keep her from screaming, but she rips off his mask and sees his face. And when she sees him at Tattersall's the next day (he's a Very well-respected horse breeder and trainer), she decides to teach him a lesson, and blackmails him into teaching her how to ride. The lesson backfires, and she's tempted further and further from propriety, with little more than kisses, and he dances faster and faster with danger, trying to steal back all his mom's paintings. His father refuses to recognize him. His half-brother is courting the heroine (and of course hero and brother look remarkably alike), which makes things worse. This is just a lovely, lovely story. I liked it a lot.
August 26, 2010
I started this one thinking "not another dreary HR with a blonde, beautiful Society darling as heroine", but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It developed nicely, and ended up being a lovely romantic story. The hero is fabulous the whole way through, knows how to handle horses ( sigh<\i>) and the heroine really improves, thankfully redeeming herself by realizing that what she wants is not what Society wants, and showing a bit of backbone along the way. But it is the secondary characters that win it for me: Bram is great - rude, unpredictable, and dangerous, even the heroines's younger brother is a great character and William, the hero's friend's brother, is intriguing.
So, this one started out as a 3 and ended up a 4, although I'd probably give it a 4.5 because it made me smile like an idiot at the end, which was cheesy, in a mushy, happy way.
So, this one started out as a 3 and ended up a 4, although I'd probably give it a 4.5 because it made me smile like an idiot at the end, which was cheesy, in a mushy, happy way.
September 6, 2009
A unique premise in which bastard war hero, Sullivan Waring, sells and breeds horses by day; by night he masquerades as a thief, stealing back his mother's paintings from aristocrats after they'd been wrongfully taken from him by his father. A father who refuses to acknowledge his son, at that. It just so happens during one raid Sullivan is caught unawares by Lady Isabel, but he quickly hushes her up with a kiss and so this epic romance begins.
I thought the tension between Isabel and Sullivan was pretty damn palpable at the beginning, but I got bored at the end. I was almost hoping Sullivan would hang at one stage.
Still, don't let that put you off; it's one of the more unique storylines and better written narratives in historical romance.
Rating: 3.5/5
I thought the tension between Isabel and Sullivan was pretty damn palpable at the beginning, but I got bored at the end. I was almost hoping Sullivan would hang at one stage.
Still, don't let that put you off; it's one of the more unique storylines and better written narratives in historical romance.
Rating: 3.5/5
August 5, 2018
Stuck on the tarmac, After the Kiss fails to take the reader off to a flight of fancy. It is a surprise to discover it lacks table stakes and a disappointment to know passion is missing from its pages. Sullivan is the Mayfair Thief. He is stealing his mother's paintings back to reclaim inheritance that his father sold when he was away at war. Isabel discovers Sullivan is the Mayfair Thief one night and decides to meddle in his affairs when the opportunity presents itself. She's a spoiled English rose who's bored and up for a lark, so it may as well be uncovering his motives. Sullivan's half-brother is also a serious suitor for her hand. Seems like this would be a spicy read, but frankly, this reader didn't care what happened after the kiss.
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