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Widows Club #1
A Dangerous Beauty
Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by the removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder.The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce
A Courageous Outcast . . .
Rosamunde Baird has lost everything and has no choice but to accept an invitation to spend a season with a dowager duchess and her clandestine ladies club. Determined to stay in the shadows and live quietly, she has sworn never again to come face to face with adventure and temptation, two things that brought her ruin years ago. But then the Duke of Helston dangles before her the very things she craves most . . .
Lord Fire & Ice . . .
Mysterious Luc St. Aubyn has a much-deserved reputation for exuding blistering passion at night and frost the morning after. What demons drive this audacious war hero to hide secrets about the dowager's club and his devilish dictionary? When he's blindsided by his reactions to a virtuous siren, he has no choice but to reveal all during a scandal that will doom them . . . or save them, if only they dare to believe in love.
A Courageous Outcast . . .
Rosamunde Baird has lost everything and has no choice but to accept an invitation to spend a season with a dowager duchess and her clandestine ladies club. Determined to stay in the shadows and live quietly, she has sworn never again to come face to face with adventure and temptation, two things that brought her ruin years ago. But then the Duke of Helston dangles before her the very things she craves most . . .
Lord Fire & Ice . . .
Mysterious Luc St. Aubyn has a much-deserved reputation for exuding blistering passion at night and frost the morning after. What demons drive this audacious war hero to hide secrets about the dowager's club and his devilish dictionary? When he's blindsided by his reactions to a virtuous siren, he has no choice but to reveal all during a scandal that will doom them . . . or save them, if only they dare to believe in love.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2007
95 people are currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Nash
17 books269 followersSophia Nash’s novels have won almost two dozen national awards including the prestigious RITA Award and two spots on the American Library Association's “Top Ten Romances of the Year.” Sophia was born in Switzerland, raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long held dream of writing Historicals, Sophia was an award winning television producer for CBS, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 2, 2016
2.5 stars because, weird plot stuff
I'm going though a DNF phase at the moment - one strike and it's out. So the fact that that I finished this is - in a back-handed way - a reflection of the potential of the writing, in spite of some total no-nos.
I started reading this because of Caz's review (this, and so many other books! - thanks, Caz), and like her very nearly gave up after chapter one: the heroine, having been (apparently) compromised beyond recovery, is brow-beaten by her father and his into marriage with the man of her dreams in a scene of rather tedious melodrama.
Anyway.
Back to poor Rosamunde and the brace of Mark III's bullying her into doing the Right Thing. When she (somewhat perversely) refuses to marry the duke's heir she has adored from afar, out comes the bread and water and the first of the author's brutal manipulations of the story.
"Then her father mysteriously unlocked her door without a word and left for London with orders for the rest of the family to join him in a fortnight. Now she was ripe for the plucking.
"[Along came] a marriage-minded country squire [whose] chief allure was his timing and his false sympathy. The very day her father left for town, Mr. Baird appeared with flowers in his hands and the enticing offer of a marriage of convenience to a pillar of Cornish society on his lips...and the promise to shield her from gossip.
"Without anyone’s knowledge or approval, Rosamunde fled with him to Scotland, married in haste, and repented not in leisure." (Btw, if I'm going to cavil, I'll do the thing properly - Rosamunde did repent, and in the next paragraph too.)
But the oleaginous Baird and his false flowers last little longer than this brief appearance - for, by the next chapter, we have been rushed forward eight years, beastly Baird is dead and his ashes swept under the authorial carpet with barely a pause for startled breath. Rosamunde, now homeless and alienated from her Mark III pa, has been chosen - sight unseen - to join a bizarre club of impoverished widows, chaired by the hero's grandmother. So she ends up trudging the length of England with her worldly possessions in two small suitcases ("Carrying life’s possessions was hot work," incidentally) in order to join a ducal house party.
This is not thoughtful story-telling. It shows, I would say, disdain for the reader. Yes, the H & h need to be brought together in circumstances where they can become acquainted (nothing propinks like propinquity), but must the contrivances be so blatant? The first part of chapter one is dedicated to explaining how much - how very very much - Rosamunde is the apple of her father's eye. Are we to disregard this when all is changed in a moment, in the cessation of the twinkling of an eye? Certainly the heroine must be on her own, defenceless (yet brave) - that's a perfectly acceptable trope in HR - but, please, couldn't it be a little more realistic?
I think why I've got quite so hot under the collar about this is that there are actually good things in this book. What works in the story - and works really quite well - is the dialogue between principals. The duke and his grandmother, for instance -
[The duke asks] “Have I ever let you down?”
She raised her penciled-in eyebrows until they almost disappeared under her fussy black lace cap.
“I resent that,” he muttered.
“Did I say anything?”
This is naturalistic speech that is amusing to read, and gives a good idea of the characters involved. Ms Nash pulls this off for the duke and Rosamunde as well - there's a lovely scene near the beginning where the duke's loose interpretation of a game's rules costs Rosamunde a prize of £500.
“Cheater.” Her voice was so low he barely made out the word.
“Devil’s rules, Mrs. Baird, devil’s rules.” He turned to her as he checked the smoldering flint and priming pan. “Or perhaps just bad manners. Shall I take another shot or shall you concede, then?”
She ignored him as she placed the bow she had been clenching on the stand. “I suppose your rules include reneging on debts of honor too?”
“Naturally. That is the beauty of them. They constantly evolve as necessary.”
“Your logic is as sinful, I think, as you, sir.”
“We understand each other perfectly, madam.”
All good stuff, and I decided to put the first couple of chapters behind me and read on.
But then, damn me if the author didn't decide to play around more. A potential villain is introduced, built up - and demolished within a chapter. An OW floats around, jabs a little, but is ultimately insubstantial. The duke decides on a whim to take Rosamunde out for a day's ocean sailing. Then - this is the scene I simply couldn't get over - during the interval at the theatre, Rosamunde cuts the duke's hair. I'm going to say that again. At Drury Lane Theatre, in a box, with Society wandering around, Rosamunde cuts off the duke's pony tail (they call it a queue, because he's a peer, but - trust me- it's a pony tail). This is the scene, because this is so absurd I'd forgive you for not believing me.
[Rosamunde says -]“I would like you to give me a lock of your hair.”
...“Dare I ask why you want it?”
“I’d hoped you wouldn’t ask,” she replied softly.
... “Why not? I assume you’ve brought your gardening sheers,” he said archly. “Or some other suitable lethal weapon appropriate for attending the theatre.”
“Of course,” she said, the sound of relief and a smile coming through the words. “Thank you.”
He closed his eyes again when he felt her touching the tight queue he always wore. Before he could think, he said in a rush, “Cut it all.”
...“All right,” she whispered. “If you’re sure.”
“Do it.”
He immediately heard the blades sheering off his queue, and his head felt a stone lighter.
“Lean back, please,” she said.
He felt her soft hands smoothing his hair as she made a few more snips on the sides of his head.
[I'm not even going to mention that it should be "shears", duckie - her gardening "sheers" are, like, see-through dresses for weeding in.]
This is an author who can write good witty dialogue, who can create characters (who mostly stay in character), but who - every now and then - decides to drive a coach and four through sense and my sensibilities. How can someone not have said, "Sophia, love, this is just plain daft"? Well, I'm calling her out on it - this is plain daft and makes me feel played.
I'm going though a DNF phase at the moment - one strike and it's out. So the fact that that I finished this is - in a back-handed way - a reflection of the potential of the writing, in spite of some total no-nos.
I started reading this because of Caz's review (this, and so many other books! - thanks, Caz), and like her very nearly gave up after chapter one: the heroine, having been (apparently) compromised beyond recovery, is brow-beaten by her father and his into marriage with the man of her dreams in a scene of rather tedious melodrama.
Here I am going to indulge myself with a short (but overdue) aside on Fathers of Heroines in HR. To a man, they are distressingly two-dimensional, with well-defined stock sub-species, categorised (à la Heyer) into:-
Mark I - thoughtless charming gamblers, frequently dead. The Dead Gambler model generally leaves unwise mortgages and at least one soggy widow whose primary function is to be a helpless burden on the victimised heroine.
Mark II - benevolent old souls, often with a cloud of gossamer-like silver hair (however unlikely this is in men who can - on a strict accounting - be very little older than 45) and no money. They are also absent-minded and call the heroine "my dear", possibly because they have forgotten her real name, as they also tend to have more than usually large families. That absent-mindedness again.
Mark III - "You'll do as I say, young lady, or it'll be bread and water for a week." The rewards of tyranny are sweet: the Dictator Daddy model is always rich, well-connected, and enjoys fine food and wine. The natural habitat of these fathers is their study, although they have also been sighted on doorsteps, kicking undesirables down into the mud.
The fathers of heroes are generally the Mark III (Paediatric Whipping) model. It should be noted, though, as a warning to heroes' fathers everywhere, that they are more than likely to have died in freak hunting accidents before the story opens. This is obviously tough on the father in question, but it does allow the hero to suffer stoically the effects of childhood abuse while sleeping on silken sheets. [Note to self - become a Regency-era therapist next time round.]
I'd be delighted to hear of any properly nuanced exceptions to Wickham's Law of Awful Fathers. Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is the only real candidate, and since he doesn't actually talk to his daughter during the entire book, I'm not sure he's altogether typical.
Anyway.
Back to poor Rosamunde and the brace of Mark III's bullying her into doing the Right Thing. When she (somewhat perversely) refuses to marry the duke's heir she has adored from afar, out comes the bread and water and the first of the author's brutal manipulations of the story.
"Then her father mysteriously unlocked her door without a word and left for London with orders for the rest of the family to join him in a fortnight. Now she was ripe for the plucking.
"[Along came] a marriage-minded country squire [whose] chief allure was his timing and his false sympathy. The very day her father left for town, Mr. Baird appeared with flowers in his hands and the enticing offer of a marriage of convenience to a pillar of Cornish society on his lips...and the promise to shield her from gossip.
"Without anyone’s knowledge or approval, Rosamunde fled with him to Scotland, married in haste, and repented not in leisure." (Btw, if I'm going to cavil, I'll do the thing properly - Rosamunde did repent, and in the next paragraph too.)
But the oleaginous Baird and his false flowers last little longer than this brief appearance - for, by the next chapter, we have been rushed forward eight years, beastly Baird is dead and his ashes swept under the authorial carpet with barely a pause for startled breath. Rosamunde, now homeless and alienated from her Mark III pa, has been chosen - sight unseen - to join a bizarre club of impoverished widows, chaired by the hero's grandmother. So she ends up trudging the length of England with her worldly possessions in two small suitcases ("Carrying life’s possessions was hot work," incidentally) in order to join a ducal house party.
This is not thoughtful story-telling. It shows, I would say, disdain for the reader. Yes, the H & h need to be brought together in circumstances where they can become acquainted (nothing propinks like propinquity), but must the contrivances be so blatant? The first part of chapter one is dedicated to explaining how much - how very very much - Rosamunde is the apple of her father's eye. Are we to disregard this when all is changed in a moment, in the cessation of the twinkling of an eye? Certainly the heroine must be on her own, defenceless (yet brave) - that's a perfectly acceptable trope in HR - but, please, couldn't it be a little more realistic?
I think why I've got quite so hot under the collar about this is that there are actually good things in this book. What works in the story - and works really quite well - is the dialogue between principals. The duke and his grandmother, for instance -
[The duke asks] “Have I ever let you down?”
She raised her penciled-in eyebrows until they almost disappeared under her fussy black lace cap.
“I resent that,” he muttered.
“Did I say anything?”
This is naturalistic speech that is amusing to read, and gives a good idea of the characters involved. Ms Nash pulls this off for the duke and Rosamunde as well - there's a lovely scene near the beginning where the duke's loose interpretation of a game's rules costs Rosamunde a prize of £500.
“Cheater.” Her voice was so low he barely made out the word.
“Devil’s rules, Mrs. Baird, devil’s rules.” He turned to her as he checked the smoldering flint and priming pan. “Or perhaps just bad manners. Shall I take another shot or shall you concede, then?”
She ignored him as she placed the bow she had been clenching on the stand. “I suppose your rules include reneging on debts of honor too?”
“Naturally. That is the beauty of them. They constantly evolve as necessary.”
“Your logic is as sinful, I think, as you, sir.”
“We understand each other perfectly, madam.”
All good stuff, and I decided to put the first couple of chapters behind me and read on.
But then, damn me if the author didn't decide to play around more. A potential villain is introduced, built up - and demolished within a chapter. An OW floats around, jabs a little, but is ultimately insubstantial. The duke decides on a whim to take Rosamunde out for a day's ocean sailing. Then - this is the scene I simply couldn't get over - during the interval at the theatre, Rosamunde cuts the duke's hair. I'm going to say that again. At Drury Lane Theatre, in a box, with Society wandering around, Rosamunde cuts off the duke's pony tail (they call it a queue, because he's a peer, but - trust me- it's a pony tail). This is the scene, because this is so absurd I'd forgive you for not believing me.
[Rosamunde says -]“I would like you to give me a lock of your hair.”
...“Dare I ask why you want it?”
“I’d hoped you wouldn’t ask,” she replied softly.
... “Why not? I assume you’ve brought your gardening sheers,” he said archly. “Or some other suitable lethal weapon appropriate for attending the theatre.”
“Of course,” she said, the sound of relief and a smile coming through the words. “Thank you.”
He closed his eyes again when he felt her touching the tight queue he always wore. Before he could think, he said in a rush, “Cut it all.”
...“All right,” she whispered. “If you’re sure.”
“Do it.”
He immediately heard the blades sheering off his queue, and his head felt a stone lighter.
“Lean back, please,” she said.
He felt her soft hands smoothing his hair as she made a few more snips on the sides of his head.
[I'm not even going to mention that it should be "shears", duckie - her gardening "sheers" are, like, see-through dresses for weeding in.]
This is an author who can write good witty dialogue, who can create characters (who mostly stay in character), but who - every now and then - decides to drive a coach and four through sense and my sensibilities. How can someone not have said, "Sophia, love, this is just plain daft"? Well, I'm calling her out on it - this is plain daft and makes me feel played.
May 15, 2009
The title and book cover is lovely, but other than that this newest by Nash for Avon is a major disappointment. The plot and characters were written in a way that has been done over and over again. Simply, no originality here.
The heroine Rosamunde has been harshly punished for simply kissing a young man (GASP THE HORROR!) when she was a teenager and because of that she runs away and marries a man who tortures her sexually for years because she is wanton and a sex fiend- all because of a kiss. PLEASE!
Her hasty first husband (Yes, that typical nasty first husband always found in these types of stories) has died and Rose needs to dance a jib because she is free! But she can't because she has no money and she assumes her father and brothers have all disowned her because of that scandal of the kiss. Watch as the ton and townspeople talk about her and whisper ghastly things about her.
But Rose is stronger than that and goes to a house party she was invited to by some older woman who is rich or has some title. Her grandson is also there- Luc who is nicknamed "Fire and Ice" because in bed he is a firecracker but in public he is mean and cold.
But there is something about Rose Luc likes. They have witty conversations and lovely kissing in the dark hallways of his huge mansion. Luc has a boat and watch him seduce Rose on there because she needs some pleasure and it is her decision with no one to tell her otherwise!
There is some inane plot about Luc having money problems, going blind from an illness, getting his eyesight back and some mystery with Rose's younger sister Sybil that comes out at the end.
Will Rose be forgiven from daddy dearest and will Luc marry her and continue to seduce her on his boat? That is one mystery that won't be hard to figure out.
The heroine Rosamunde has been harshly punished for simply kissing a young man (GASP THE HORROR!) when she was a teenager and because of that she runs away and marries a man who tortures her sexually for years because she is wanton and a sex fiend- all because of a kiss. PLEASE!
Her hasty first husband (Yes, that typical nasty first husband always found in these types of stories) has died and Rose needs to dance a jib because she is free! But she can't because she has no money and she assumes her father and brothers have all disowned her because of that scandal of the kiss. Watch as the ton and townspeople talk about her and whisper ghastly things about her.
But Rose is stronger than that and goes to a house party she was invited to by some older woman who is rich or has some title. Her grandson is also there- Luc who is nicknamed "Fire and Ice" because in bed he is a firecracker but in public he is mean and cold.
But there is something about Rose Luc likes. They have witty conversations and lovely kissing in the dark hallways of his huge mansion. Luc has a boat and watch him seduce Rose on there because she needs some pleasure and it is her decision with no one to tell her otherwise!
There is some inane plot about Luc having money problems, going blind from an illness, getting his eyesight back and some mystery with Rose's younger sister Sybil that comes out at the end.
Will Rose be forgiven from daddy dearest and will Luc marry her and continue to seduce her on his boat? That is one mystery that won't be hard to figure out.
February 23, 2017
I really loved this book. The execution was very impressive and just made the entire story pretty amazing. Loved this author's style of writing. I had randomly picked this up on a whim because the cover intrigued me and the back cover description caught my interest and when I started reading it, it really surprised me. A very pleasant wonderful surprise for me. I was expecting to get the predictable plot seen in romance books but this book really grabbed me and kept surprising me. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I loved both the hero and heroine who both have difficult dark backgrounds but come together and can't let go. A very heartbreaking forlorn couple who have lots of ups and downs. Very angsty emotionally-heavy story. But so very good.
The only negative I would say is the story does get dragged out a bit too long until the conclusion but the author makes up for it with the character interaction, great dialogue and wonderful ending. When I say I couldn't put this down I really mean it. I was completely sucked in and actually sad when the story ended. It's not the typical fluff light-hearted stuff you get in other romance period books which is one of the reasons why I liked it so much, it's darker, more realistic and has so much more depth. The characters in this are 3 dimensional, fully fleshed out, believable and just enthralling to read about. I almost didn't want to finish it because it was so good. If you want a real love story, with angst, heartbreak, passion and lots of drama then this is it. It had everything with a few surprises here and there. The characters in this will always stay with me, they were very unique, very real and just heartbreaking. Great book!!!
The only negative I would say is the story does get dragged out a bit too long until the conclusion but the author makes up for it with the character interaction, great dialogue and wonderful ending. When I say I couldn't put this down I really mean it. I was completely sucked in and actually sad when the story ended. It's not the typical fluff light-hearted stuff you get in other romance period books which is one of the reasons why I liked it so much, it's darker, more realistic and has so much more depth. The characters in this are 3 dimensional, fully fleshed out, believable and just enthralling to read about. I almost didn't want to finish it because it was so good. If you want a real love story, with angst, heartbreak, passion and lots of drama then this is it. It had everything with a few surprises here and there. The characters in this will always stay with me, they were very unique, very real and just heartbreaking. Great book!!!
September 28, 2009
I liked this book. It bogged down a bit in the middle and I never quite buy the excuses for past abusive behavior from family members who instantly get forgiven, but since that seems to be typical for regencies, I shouldn't complain so much.
The leads both have issues and they're both very likable. He's cranky and she's subverted a wild streak after a bad marriage. Tragic pasts, but not so tragic you can't believe they'd ever get beyond them. There's a secret out there, though, that comes out of left field at the end and it's a little distancing. If it had been foreshadowed I think it wouldn't have been so distracting, but it seemed like it needed more time and story than it was given thrown in at the last minute as it was.
I discovered this author from an anthology where it was one of only three of the stories I liked. This story is the first of Nash's "Widows Club" series. I'll be moving on to the second book in the series next and we'll see if she can keep it up.
No huge surprises (except for the red herring at the end), but a nice, diverting romance.
The leads both have issues and they're both very likable. He's cranky and she's subverted a wild streak after a bad marriage. Tragic pasts, but not so tragic you can't believe they'd ever get beyond them. There's a secret out there, though, that comes out of left field at the end and it's a little distancing. If it had been foreshadowed I think it wouldn't have been so distracting, but it seemed like it needed more time and story than it was given thrown in at the last minute as it was.
I discovered this author from an anthology where it was one of only three of the stories I liked. This story is the first of Nash's "Widows Club" series. I'll be moving on to the second book in the series next and we'll see if she can keep it up.
No huge surprises (except for the red herring at the end), but a nice, diverting romance.
July 11, 2024
A for narration; B for content .
A Dangerous Beauty is the first in Sophia Nash’s Widows Club series, that was originally published between 2007 and 2010. This audiobook is a reissue of a recording originally made in 2008.
Lady Rosamunde is the apple of her father’s eye. A long awaited daughter following the birth of four sons, she is bright, courageous and rather precocious, but is, when we meet her at fifteen, self-aware enough to realise those things. But, as is always the way with such romance heroines, her boisterous nature gets her into trouble when, a couple of years later, she is accused of seducing Lord Sumner, eldest son of the Duke of Helston and told in no uncertain terms that she’s got to marry him. Considering all she did was kiss him on the cheek, this is a bit much, but the stentorian duke all but calls her a whore and her own – supposedly doting – father says nothing in her defence. Knowing that Sumner is, by his own admission, in love with someone else, Rosamund, instead jumps into the arms of one Mr Alfred Baird – a man she’s never met before, mind you – and runs off with him to Gretna Green.
I confess that at this point, I hit ‘pause’ on my mp3 player, wondering whether I wanted to continue to listen to a story in which the heroine was capable of doing something that dumb.
But I persevered, mostly because I was in the middle of some chores – probably a pile of ironing – and wanted to listen to something. By the end of this chapter, we have learned that Rosamunde then endured eight years of misery with a husband whose attractive, attentive persona disappeared when her father cut her off, and that when he died, he left her with nothing.
By the first few minutes of listening to the next chapter, however, I was glad I’d kept listening, because from the moment the hero appeared, I was completely captivated by him. Luc St. Aubyn, younger son of the Duke of Helston, was a decorated Naval officer before the deaths of his father and brother led to his inheriting the dukedom. He is a hero very much in the mold of Heyer’s Damerel (from Venetia) – one of those devil-may-care, ennui-laden types who hides their true feelings beneath layers of sarcasm and a biting wit.
When we meet him, he is in discussion with his grandmother over a family wedding, and it’s immediately clear that he adores her and she him. Their dialogue is full of little digs and snark and they obviously love needling each other, but the affection between them is tangible. The dowager has invited a few extra ladies to the gathering a little early, all of whom are members of her ‘Widows Club’. We aren’t immediately informed as to what this club is or why it exists, but that does gradually become clear as the story progresses.
Needless to say, Rosamunde is one of those ladies, and while she is somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of staying at the Helston country seat given her past association with the family, she and her sister Sylvia have nowhere else to go, and she thinks that they will at least have a little time in which to regroup and decide what to do next.
While Luc normally avoids the widows his grandmother invites to stay, there is something about Rosamunde Baird that captures his interest. She’s quick witted, matches him quip for quip and is easily able to ascend to a level of sarcasm that matches his own. But there is something about her which indicates that here is a woman whose passion and spirit have been crushed - and he finds himself wanting to restore the fire he occasionally glimpses lighting in her eyes.
The relationship between Luc and Rosamunde is well-developed and proceeds at a sensible pace, but its real strength is in the brilliance of the dialogue and the witty verbal sparring between them. I have never read a book by this author before – and as I am always a goner for a hero with a smart mouth and a heroine who can keep up with him, I shall have to check out some of Ms. Nash’s other books. Luc is a really swoonworthy hero – all sardonic aloofness on the outside, but a truly caring, compassionate individual on the inside. Both he and Rosamunde – who, fortunately, ended up being a much more engaging heroine than I had originally anticipated – are carrying emotional scars from their pasts, and I loved hearing them opening up to one another and helping each other to come to terms with the things that happened to them.
My principal criticism of the story is with the author’s insertion of a Big Misunderstanding a few chapters from the end. It felt as though it was there simply to pad out the page count and in an attempt to create a bit of extra uncertainty and drama. Luc and Rosamunde have already been through more than their fair share of both of those things, and there was no need for anything extra.
Not only is this the first book I have read or listened to by this author, it’s also the first time I’ve heard Bianca Amato – and her performance here is so incredibly good that I’m asking myself why it’s taken so long for me to listen to her! Her pacing in both narrative and dialogue is excellent, and every single character is clearly differentiated so that there is never any confusion as to who is speaking, whether it be one of the widows, or any of the various friends and relations that appear throughout the course of the story. Her interpretation of the dowager is superb, expertly conveying the essence of the character by means of a sharpened tone but with an injection of warmth that suggests the affection that underlies her frequent exasperation. Ms. Amato has a pleasantly modulated voice in the contralto range so doesn’t need to drop the pitch greatly in order to portray the men, all of whom are just as clearly delineated as the women. Her portrayal of Luc is the real star-turn, though; she captures him and his sardonic personality so perfectly that it’s not at all difficult to get a picture of him in the mind’s eye. He sounds so masculine and sexy that it was easy to forget I was listening to a female narrator! The scenes in which Luc and Rosamunde trade witticisms are perfectly judged, as are the more deeply felt, emotional moments, which are performed with just the right amount of pathos. In fact, all the acting choices are spot on and my only criticism of Ms. Amato’s performance as a whole is of the very dodgy Scottish accent given to Luc’s steward, Mr. Brown.
A Dangerous Beauty turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, considering I had no prior experience with either the author or narrator. There are a few inconsistencies in the story; for instance, there is a twist near the end I didn’t see coming which is then somewhat glossed over; and there is a section in the middle during which a couple of key characters become seriously ill which doesn’t really seem to serve much of a purpose. But otherwise, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable love story with some nicely steamy love scenes and a hero to sigh over.
A Dangerous Beauty is the first in Sophia Nash’s Widows Club series, that was originally published between 2007 and 2010. This audiobook is a reissue of a recording originally made in 2008.
Lady Rosamunde is the apple of her father’s eye. A long awaited daughter following the birth of four sons, she is bright, courageous and rather precocious, but is, when we meet her at fifteen, self-aware enough to realise those things. But, as is always the way with such romance heroines, her boisterous nature gets her into trouble when, a couple of years later, she is accused of seducing Lord Sumner, eldest son of the Duke of Helston and told in no uncertain terms that she’s got to marry him. Considering all she did was kiss him on the cheek, this is a bit much, but the stentorian duke all but calls her a whore and her own – supposedly doting – father says nothing in her defence. Knowing that Sumner is, by his own admission, in love with someone else, Rosamund, instead jumps into the arms of one Mr Alfred Baird – a man she’s never met before, mind you – and runs off with him to Gretna Green.
I confess that at this point, I hit ‘pause’ on my mp3 player, wondering whether I wanted to continue to listen to a story in which the heroine was capable of doing something that dumb.
But I persevered, mostly because I was in the middle of some chores – probably a pile of ironing – and wanted to listen to something. By the end of this chapter, we have learned that Rosamunde then endured eight years of misery with a husband whose attractive, attentive persona disappeared when her father cut her off, and that when he died, he left her with nothing.
By the first few minutes of listening to the next chapter, however, I was glad I’d kept listening, because from the moment the hero appeared, I was completely captivated by him. Luc St. Aubyn, younger son of the Duke of Helston, was a decorated Naval officer before the deaths of his father and brother led to his inheriting the dukedom. He is a hero very much in the mold of Heyer’s Damerel (from Venetia) – one of those devil-may-care, ennui-laden types who hides their true feelings beneath layers of sarcasm and a biting wit.
When we meet him, he is in discussion with his grandmother over a family wedding, and it’s immediately clear that he adores her and she him. Their dialogue is full of little digs and snark and they obviously love needling each other, but the affection between them is tangible. The dowager has invited a few extra ladies to the gathering a little early, all of whom are members of her ‘Widows Club’. We aren’t immediately informed as to what this club is or why it exists, but that does gradually become clear as the story progresses.
Needless to say, Rosamunde is one of those ladies, and while she is somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of staying at the Helston country seat given her past association with the family, she and her sister Sylvia have nowhere else to go, and she thinks that they will at least have a little time in which to regroup and decide what to do next.
While Luc normally avoids the widows his grandmother invites to stay, there is something about Rosamunde Baird that captures his interest. She’s quick witted, matches him quip for quip and is easily able to ascend to a level of sarcasm that matches his own. But there is something about her which indicates that here is a woman whose passion and spirit have been crushed - and he finds himself wanting to restore the fire he occasionally glimpses lighting in her eyes.
The relationship between Luc and Rosamunde is well-developed and proceeds at a sensible pace, but its real strength is in the brilliance of the dialogue and the witty verbal sparring between them. I have never read a book by this author before – and as I am always a goner for a hero with a smart mouth and a heroine who can keep up with him, I shall have to check out some of Ms. Nash’s other books. Luc is a really swoonworthy hero – all sardonic aloofness on the outside, but a truly caring, compassionate individual on the inside. Both he and Rosamunde – who, fortunately, ended up being a much more engaging heroine than I had originally anticipated – are carrying emotional scars from their pasts, and I loved hearing them opening up to one another and helping each other to come to terms with the things that happened to them.
My principal criticism of the story is with the author’s insertion of a Big Misunderstanding a few chapters from the end. It felt as though it was there simply to pad out the page count and in an attempt to create a bit of extra uncertainty and drama. Luc and Rosamunde have already been through more than their fair share of both of those things, and there was no need for anything extra.
Not only is this the first book I have read or listened to by this author, it’s also the first time I’ve heard Bianca Amato – and her performance here is so incredibly good that I’m asking myself why it’s taken so long for me to listen to her! Her pacing in both narrative and dialogue is excellent, and every single character is clearly differentiated so that there is never any confusion as to who is speaking, whether it be one of the widows, or any of the various friends and relations that appear throughout the course of the story. Her interpretation of the dowager is superb, expertly conveying the essence of the character by means of a sharpened tone but with an injection of warmth that suggests the affection that underlies her frequent exasperation. Ms. Amato has a pleasantly modulated voice in the contralto range so doesn’t need to drop the pitch greatly in order to portray the men, all of whom are just as clearly delineated as the women. Her portrayal of Luc is the real star-turn, though; she captures him and his sardonic personality so perfectly that it’s not at all difficult to get a picture of him in the mind’s eye. He sounds so masculine and sexy that it was easy to forget I was listening to a female narrator! The scenes in which Luc and Rosamunde trade witticisms are perfectly judged, as are the more deeply felt, emotional moments, which are performed with just the right amount of pathos. In fact, all the acting choices are spot on and my only criticism of Ms. Amato’s performance as a whole is of the very dodgy Scottish accent given to Luc’s steward, Mr. Brown.
A Dangerous Beauty turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, considering I had no prior experience with either the author or narrator. There are a few inconsistencies in the story; for instance, there is a twist near the end I didn’t see coming which is then somewhat glossed over; and there is a section in the middle during which a couple of key characters become seriously ill which doesn’t really seem to serve much of a purpose. But otherwise, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable love story with some nicely steamy love scenes and a hero to sigh over.
October 11, 2009
Rosamunde is the stereotypical widow whose husband was a total douche. Of course Dr. Hero - in this book played by a duke named Lucifer - will heal her with the power of love, but not until the author has dragged the story out by 100 pages with a Big Misunderstanding.
The novel starts off well enough. Luc feels bad at how his father bollixed her life up so he endeavors to befriend her. He takes her on walks, horse rides and other platonic adventures while honoring a self-imposed "no touching" rule because of her fear of men and sex.
Then, for someone sexually abused by her first husband, she sheds her fear of intimacy very quickly - in a matter of minutes - and manages mindblowing orgasms her first go-around. It whitewashes the deep emotional scars that accompany sexual abuse and, frankly, made the hero seem more predatory than nuturing.
Sexual tension thereby resolved, what to do with the other half of the book? Toss in two-dimensional villains, a bizarre bout with blindness, and denial of love at all costs then stir over low heat.
I finished this book only out of a sense of duty. At page 220 I wanted to close the book at walk away. What could have been a lovely story about two damaged souls slowly healing each other turned into an exasperating exercise in misunderstandings.
The novel starts off well enough. Luc feels bad at how his father bollixed her life up so he endeavors to befriend her. He takes her on walks, horse rides and other platonic adventures while honoring a self-imposed "no touching" rule because of her fear of men and sex.
Then, for someone sexually abused by her first husband, she sheds her fear of intimacy very quickly - in a matter of minutes - and manages mindblowing orgasms her first go-around. It whitewashes the deep emotional scars that accompany sexual abuse and, frankly, made the hero seem more predatory than nuturing.
Sexual tension thereby resolved, what to do with the other half of the book? Toss in two-dimensional villains, a bizarre bout with blindness, and denial of love at all costs then stir over low heat.
I finished this book only out of a sense of duty. At page 220 I wanted to close the book at walk away. What could have been a lovely story about two damaged souls slowly healing each other turned into an exasperating exercise in misunderstandings.
October 8, 2016
4.5 stars - a very nicely written story with a few unexpected twists and turns. The new to me narrator, Bianca Amato is a really good find - thank you, Caz.
November 10, 2021
This was a new author for me. She has been on my TBR list for a year and I am finally getting around to reading her.
I liked this book. The beginning was a bit slow and sometimes confusing but once I read more, it started flowing better. The author didn’t really go into a lot of details in certain areas which I felt were left a big vague because of it. Also, I’ve read other books where the ton shuns someone but this time it was a bit over the top. But besides all that, about ½ way through the book I really started enjoying it. I already have book 2 on my Kindle so will read it and if I like that enough I’ll get the remainder of this series.
I liked this book. The beginning was a bit slow and sometimes confusing but once I read more, it started flowing better. The author didn’t really go into a lot of details in certain areas which I felt were left a big vague because of it. Also, I’ve read other books where the ton shuns someone but this time it was a bit over the top. But besides all that, about ½ way through the book I really started enjoying it. I already have book 2 on my Kindle so will read it and if I like that enough I’ll get the remainder of this series.
May 19, 2010
This is a good book. Not great, not memorable, not life-changing, just good. I'll refrain from giving a synopsis as other reviewers have done such a great job, but I will tell you why I give this 3 stars.
The torture of this heroine took place within the confines of a marriage that we are not privy to. She speaks of the marriage only in bits and pieces to the Dowager and then to Luc. This is such a huge component of this book and it's what makes her the woman that she is, however, because it is skimmed over so quickly and ineffectively, something important to empathizing and identifying with the heroine is lost.
Luc is also skimmed over. It is obvious that he has issues with his late father but again, we are left without the vital information and depth that would makes us care.
I thought it was very well written. I loved the definitions from The Devil's Dictionary that was at the beginning of each chapter, and I did care about the characters...just not enough to make this anything else besides...okay.
The torture of this heroine took place within the confines of a marriage that we are not privy to. She speaks of the marriage only in bits and pieces to the Dowager and then to Luc. This is such a huge component of this book and it's what makes her the woman that she is, however, because it is skimmed over so quickly and ineffectively, something important to empathizing and identifying with the heroine is lost.
Luc is also skimmed over. It is obvious that he has issues with his late father but again, we are left without the vital information and depth that would makes us care.
I thought it was very well written. I loved the definitions from The Devil's Dictionary that was at the beginning of each chapter, and I did care about the characters...just not enough to make this anything else besides...okay.
January 30, 2013
Amusing and touching story of two tortured souls finding redemption by learning how to love each other.
The first chapter is necessary backstory told simply and quickly in an omni-present POV. Chapter two begins eight years later where the heart of the romance begins.
The dialgue is witty, the characters complex, the plot simple but elegant. (I love when dukes behave like the powerful men the title gives them. This duke plays by the Devil's Rules - which means he decides when or if any rules apply).
I loved the hero's wager with the heroine. He allowed her five shots (arrows) in the center of the target and would pay her 100 pounds for evey one that remained after he took his five shots. She shoots four out of five arrows into the center.
His turn? He pulls out a pistol and shoots at her arrows, dislodging several. She accuses him of cheating. He replies, "I warned you I follow the Devil's Rules." Yeah, he never stated he'd shoot arrows!
Loved this story.
The first chapter is necessary backstory told simply and quickly in an omni-present POV. Chapter two begins eight years later where the heart of the romance begins.
The dialgue is witty, the characters complex, the plot simple but elegant. (I love when dukes behave like the powerful men the title gives them. This duke plays by the Devil's Rules - which means he decides when or if any rules apply).
I loved the hero's wager with the heroine. He allowed her five shots (arrows) in the center of the target and would pay her 100 pounds for evey one that remained after he took his five shots. She shoots four out of five arrows into the center.
His turn? He pulls out a pistol and shoots at her arrows, dislodging several. She accuses him of cheating. He replies, "I warned you I follow the Devil's Rules." Yeah, he never stated he'd shoot arrows!
Loved this story.
October 30, 2018
(4.5 stars) Sophia Nash is a relatively new author to the genre, so although I really enjoyed this book (obviously, since I gave it 4.5 stars), I think she needs to work a little more on making all of the puzzle pieces and threads come together. There were some holes in the H&H's stories/pasts that were hinted at or given to us in bits and pieces; also, the heroine's estrangement from her family needed to be worked on a little, because it was hard to believe that it lasted eight years if both sides had actually wanted to reunite - it was sabotaged by outside evil forces, but if they had both wanted to end the estrangement it was hard to believe that even with that obstacle it lasted so long. I definitely liked the book and Nash is an author-to-watch for me!
April 20, 2018
Candlelight Historische roman 711 .
Eindelijk weer eens een goed verhaal met heel erg leuke dialogen in de Candlelight reeks . Je moet even door het onlogische begin heen maar alles wordt duidelijk bijna op het eind . Gelukkig geen eindeloos gezwijmel over brede schouders en harde spieren : ) in dit verhaal .
Dit is deel 1 van 4 delen over de weduwen club geleid door Merceditas St. Aubyn (Ata ) , douairière Hertogin van Helston .
Eindelijk weer eens een goed verhaal met heel erg leuke dialogen in de Candlelight reeks . Je moet even door het onlogische begin heen maar alles wordt duidelijk bijna op het eind . Gelukkig geen eindeloos gezwijmel over brede schouders en harde spieren : ) in dit verhaal .
Dit is deel 1 van 4 delen over de weduwen club geleid door Merceditas St. Aubyn (Ata ) , douairière Hertogin van Helston .
April 18, 2012
Rosamunde Baird grew up the apple of her father's eye and adored by her older brothers and her younger sister Sylvia. Raised by her father the Earl with the manners of a proper lady, Rosamunde's spontaneous sense of adventure lands her in great scandal when she is seen unchaperoned on a private stretch of beach giving the heir apparent Duke Henry a kiss. She refuses his marriage proposal because he admits he loves someone else and Rosamunde is then cast out by her family and banished from the parish by the local vicar, only to charge heedlessly into a marriage of convenience to a Scottish squire who is nothing but cruel to her. She's eventually widowed and forced to flee her home yet again in fear of her husband's brother and heir to the estate. Rosamunde and her ever loyal sister Sylvia are now without a home and practically penniless and have no choice but to accept the unusual invitation from the now deceased Duke's grandmother, the Dowager Duchess Merceditas 'Ata' St. Aubyn to join her secret Widow's Club.
Luc St. Aubyn is the mysterious grandson of the dowager duchess and current Duke of Helston, also known as Lord Fire & Ice for "exuding blistering passion at night and frost the morning after." He supports his grandmother's endeavor with her secret Widow's Club to help young widows find happiness again either through placement as a companion or governess or by introducing the young women to potential new husbands. The Duke normally avoids the widows altogether, but there's something special about Rosamunde that captures his attention--perhaps it's that she meets his sarcasm and wit with some of her own or perhaps he senses the dim spark that used to dance in her now sad eyes. Whatever it is, he's mesmerized by this young woman and finds himself wanting to re-ignite her verve for life.
Rosamunde's spirit has been stamped out by the betrayal, loss and abuse she has experienced from her father and then her late husband. She's lost a lot of the confidence she used to have, but she's still very courageous. She does her best to hold her head up high, which is challenging given the bleak time in her life.
Luc keeps to himself and minds his own business, which supports his mysteriousness, but part of his secrecy is also that he's writing a book under a pen name. Like Rosamunde, he's also harboring guilt over some family secrets of his own. Luc has a fantastic and intelligent sense of humor laced heavily with wit and sarcasm and a big heart, although he tries to hide the latter. He shares his sense of humor with his grandmother who is equally charming. The relationship between the duke and his grandmother is based on obvious love and respect for one another and is a wonderful bonus in this story. In fact, the dowager herself is a great character who truly added much needed kindness and compassion to Rosamunde's and the other widows' lives.
It was a joy to watch Luc rekindle Rosamunde's sense of adventure and bring a spark to her eyes again as it was likewise really nice to see Luc opening up and actually talking to someone about the sadness in his family. Luc gives Rosamunde the wonderful gift of passion and confidence--things she never thought she'd feel again in her lifetime. In return, Rosamunde shows Luc joy and wonder that depth of friendship and love can bring into one's life because for the first time in his life, he craves the company of one woman beyond just one night.
A Dangerous Beauty is a sweet story of courage and love written with an unusual but winsome combination of heartbreak and humor. The dialogue is witty, the passion sweet and sexy and the characters very likable.
A Dangerous Beauty is well written and gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me as it could have benefitted from a bit more depth into the Helston family problems--Luc's past, Ata's past, Luc's financial problems and his need to marry an heiress. I look forward to reading more from Sophia Nash!
Luc St. Aubyn is the mysterious grandson of the dowager duchess and current Duke of Helston, also known as Lord Fire & Ice for "exuding blistering passion at night and frost the morning after." He supports his grandmother's endeavor with her secret Widow's Club to help young widows find happiness again either through placement as a companion or governess or by introducing the young women to potential new husbands. The Duke normally avoids the widows altogether, but there's something special about Rosamunde that captures his attention--perhaps it's that she meets his sarcasm and wit with some of her own or perhaps he senses the dim spark that used to dance in her now sad eyes. Whatever it is, he's mesmerized by this young woman and finds himself wanting to re-ignite her verve for life.
Rosamunde's spirit has been stamped out by the betrayal, loss and abuse she has experienced from her father and then her late husband. She's lost a lot of the confidence she used to have, but she's still very courageous. She does her best to hold her head up high, which is challenging given the bleak time in her life.
Luc keeps to himself and minds his own business, which supports his mysteriousness, but part of his secrecy is also that he's writing a book under a pen name. Like Rosamunde, he's also harboring guilt over some family secrets of his own. Luc has a fantastic and intelligent sense of humor laced heavily with wit and sarcasm and a big heart, although he tries to hide the latter. He shares his sense of humor with his grandmother who is equally charming. The relationship between the duke and his grandmother is based on obvious love and respect for one another and is a wonderful bonus in this story. In fact, the dowager herself is a great character who truly added much needed kindness and compassion to Rosamunde's and the other widows' lives.
It was a joy to watch Luc rekindle Rosamunde's sense of adventure and bring a spark to her eyes again as it was likewise really nice to see Luc opening up and actually talking to someone about the sadness in his family. Luc gives Rosamunde the wonderful gift of passion and confidence--things she never thought she'd feel again in her lifetime. In return, Rosamunde shows Luc joy and wonder that depth of friendship and love can bring into one's life because for the first time in his life, he craves the company of one woman beyond just one night.
A Dangerous Beauty is a sweet story of courage and love written with an unusual but winsome combination of heartbreak and humor. The dialogue is witty, the passion sweet and sexy and the characters very likable.
A Dangerous Beauty is well written and gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me as it could have benefitted from a bit more depth into the Helston family problems--Luc's past, Ata's past, Luc's financial problems and his need to marry an heiress. I look forward to reading more from Sophia Nash!
May 29, 2025
As this was my first Sophia Nash book, I really did want to like this one. However, it just fell short for me in several ways unfortunately.
Rosamunde, the main character, was seen kissing a Duke's son on a beach, and her father, who claimed to love her more than anything (and we're told multiple times in the first chapter how much he dotes on her and loves her) immediately demands that she marry him, even though the duke's son clearly doesn't want to marry her because he says he loves someone else. She can't stand the idea of them being forced to marry when his affections are engaged elsewhere, so she defies her father's wishes and turns down the marriage. Her father immediately turns cold and angry towards her and leaves the house to go to London. He won't hear out any of her explanations that nothing happened between her and the duke's son (he thinks she did the deed with him). So his deep love for her seems to immediately vanish as soon as she doesn't do exactly what he says... what a great dad...
The current Duke of Halsten, Luc, is the hero of the story. His grandmother Ata was painted as such a nice old lady, but near the end of the story, she rubbed me the wrong way so badly. It comes out, during the course of the story, that Rosamunde can't conceive children, because she was married to her previous husband for several years, and she never got pregnant. And he had a child with a previous wife, so it does seem like she may not be able to have children. Ata finds out about this somehow, I don't remember how, and, after finding out Luc might have feelings for Rosamunde, she visibly winces and then starts pushing him towards another woman who she thinks would be a good match for him (aka, she can have children probably). She claims to care so much for Luc and Rosamunde, but she actively tries to push them apart, even though she knows Luc loves Rosamunde. That just shows how much she actually cares...
And - I hate when this happens in historical romances - the epilogue reveals that, surprise, surprise, Rosamunde just gave birth to twins! So the fact that she very much seemed like she couldn't have children based on her history throughout the entire book just disappeared as soon as she was with Luc. Even though they had both discussed it, and he said he loved her no matter whether they could have children or not. It was so nice to have the story end with them just being happy to be together. But, no, we can't have that - there can't be a happy ending without them having kids! Such a disappointment to have the heroine's inability to have children just magically disappear - it would have been nice if that plot line could have followed through to show that it's ok if you don't or can't have children - to show they still had a happy ending.
Also, Rosamunde forgave her family way too fast. She had several brothers who also claimed to love her so much, but none of them tried to reach out to her or check on her after she was married (she was married to an abusive man, by the way). Her father never tried to reach out. He apparently wrote her one letter, but her abusive husband intercepted the letter and then lied to her father to say Rosamunde wanted nothing to do with him or the rest of her family. And, apparently, they just never tried to reach out to her again for years. I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling the family love here at all... But as soon as she has a meeting with her father after all these years, Rosamunde just instantly forgives him and goes back to live in his house.
And don't get me started on her sister, Sylvia, who was actually the one who was spotted all those years ago with the duke's son - the cause of the whole original scandal in the first place! And she never came forward and just sat silently, watching her sister take all the blame and shame and criticism from the public and the family. And Rosamunde immediately forgives her too. What is happening right now!? Her brothers claim they couldn't come and visit her for all those years because "it would have killed father if he found out". Great, so you clearly care more about your father's hurt feelings than you do about checking on your sister who you claim to love but haven't seen or heard from in years... No thanks.
And, lastly, the hero, Luc, really made me angry at the end of the book. He's distraught because he doesn't know what to do - should he propose to the woman Ata wants him to be with, a woman named Grace, or should he try to be with Rosamunde, even though, at this point, he's not sure whether she loves him or not. So he goes out, gets drunk, goes to a brothel but changes his mind, leaves the brothel, and then, on the way home, the book declares he knows what he has to do and he's made his decision. My thought was, yes, finally, grow a backbone and have a conversation with Rosamunde about how you feel. But, no. What does he do? He goes and proposes to Grace! And this is in the next to last chapter of the book. What is happening?! Luckily Grace turns him down because she can see that he's in love with Rosamunde. So, then, finally, he has a conversation with Rosamunde and tells her he loves her no matter what. Funny, because he was just proposing to another woman the day before, so clearly he does place some importance on producing an heir, even if it means marrying someone he doesn't love. But whatever... Then, right after he proposes to Rosamunde and she accepts, she asks him, "what about Grace?" and he tells her Grace turned him down! I don't know about anyone else, but that would have just made me feel wonderful if I was Rosamunde... would have started a fight for sure... But, no, Rosamunde just laughs it off like it's so funny he was just willing to spend his life with another woman, but, since she turned him down, only now is he proposing to Rosamunde. How romantic...
This book just had so many things that irked me - it was a struggle to get through. I hope the next Sophia Nash book I read is better than this one.
Rosamunde, the main character, was seen kissing a Duke's son on a beach, and her father, who claimed to love her more than anything (and we're told multiple times in the first chapter how much he dotes on her and loves her) immediately demands that she marry him, even though the duke's son clearly doesn't want to marry her because he says he loves someone else. She can't stand the idea of them being forced to marry when his affections are engaged elsewhere, so she defies her father's wishes and turns down the marriage. Her father immediately turns cold and angry towards her and leaves the house to go to London. He won't hear out any of her explanations that nothing happened between her and the duke's son (he thinks she did the deed with him). So his deep love for her seems to immediately vanish as soon as she doesn't do exactly what he says... what a great dad...
The current Duke of Halsten, Luc, is the hero of the story. His grandmother Ata was painted as such a nice old lady, but near the end of the story, she rubbed me the wrong way so badly. It comes out, during the course of the story, that Rosamunde can't conceive children, because she was married to her previous husband for several years, and she never got pregnant. And he had a child with a previous wife, so it does seem like she may not be able to have children. Ata finds out about this somehow, I don't remember how, and, after finding out Luc might have feelings for Rosamunde, she visibly winces and then starts pushing him towards another woman who she thinks would be a good match for him (aka, she can have children probably). She claims to care so much for Luc and Rosamunde, but she actively tries to push them apart, even though she knows Luc loves Rosamunde. That just shows how much she actually cares...
And - I hate when this happens in historical romances - the epilogue reveals that, surprise, surprise, Rosamunde just gave birth to twins! So the fact that she very much seemed like she couldn't have children based on her history throughout the entire book just disappeared as soon as she was with Luc. Even though they had both discussed it, and he said he loved her no matter whether they could have children or not. It was so nice to have the story end with them just being happy to be together. But, no, we can't have that - there can't be a happy ending without them having kids! Such a disappointment to have the heroine's inability to have children just magically disappear - it would have been nice if that plot line could have followed through to show that it's ok if you don't or can't have children - to show they still had a happy ending.
Also, Rosamunde forgave her family way too fast. She had several brothers who also claimed to love her so much, but none of them tried to reach out to her or check on her after she was married (she was married to an abusive man, by the way). Her father never tried to reach out. He apparently wrote her one letter, but her abusive husband intercepted the letter and then lied to her father to say Rosamunde wanted nothing to do with him or the rest of her family. And, apparently, they just never tried to reach out to her again for years. I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling the family love here at all... But as soon as she has a meeting with her father after all these years, Rosamunde just instantly forgives him and goes back to live in his house.
And don't get me started on her sister, Sylvia, who was actually the one who was spotted all those years ago with the duke's son - the cause of the whole original scandal in the first place! And she never came forward and just sat silently, watching her sister take all the blame and shame and criticism from the public and the family. And Rosamunde immediately forgives her too. What is happening right now!? Her brothers claim they couldn't come and visit her for all those years because "it would have killed father if he found out". Great, so you clearly care more about your father's hurt feelings than you do about checking on your sister who you claim to love but haven't seen or heard from in years... No thanks.
And, lastly, the hero, Luc, really made me angry at the end of the book. He's distraught because he doesn't know what to do - should he propose to the woman Ata wants him to be with, a woman named Grace, or should he try to be with Rosamunde, even though, at this point, he's not sure whether she loves him or not. So he goes out, gets drunk, goes to a brothel but changes his mind, leaves the brothel, and then, on the way home, the book declares he knows what he has to do and he's made his decision. My thought was, yes, finally, grow a backbone and have a conversation with Rosamunde about how you feel. But, no. What does he do? He goes and proposes to Grace! And this is in the next to last chapter of the book. What is happening?! Luckily Grace turns him down because she can see that he's in love with Rosamunde. So, then, finally, he has a conversation with Rosamunde and tells her he loves her no matter what. Funny, because he was just proposing to another woman the day before, so clearly he does place some importance on producing an heir, even if it means marrying someone he doesn't love. But whatever... Then, right after he proposes to Rosamunde and she accepts, she asks him, "what about Grace?" and he tells her Grace turned him down! I don't know about anyone else, but that would have just made me feel wonderful if I was Rosamunde... would have started a fight for sure... But, no, Rosamunde just laughs it off like it's so funny he was just willing to spend his life with another woman, but, since she turned him down, only now is he proposing to Rosamunde. How romantic...
This book just had so many things that irked me - it was a struggle to get through. I hope the next Sophia Nash book I read is better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
3 1/2 stars. A lot of characters to introduce early in the story, some of whom have limited but important roles in the latter stages of the story. The heroine is, I suspect, a character that some readers may have trouble relating to initially, but she’s easier to relate to once more of her story is known. The hero is easy to relate to initially, but more difficult later because logic sometimes did not determine his actions, which seemed unusual for a former captain in the Royal Navy.
Both of the main characters and many of the secondary characters have emotional baggage, but most are trying to work through it.
An enjoyable, well-crafted story.
Both of the main characters and many of the secondary characters have emotional baggage, but most are trying to work through it.
An enjoyable, well-crafted story.
February 19, 2012
The story had its good moments, but the book lacked continuity and ended up not making much sense.
June 7, 2012
Stupidest premise ever.
August 21, 2018
It was fine. Scenes of their courtship was cute and I liked the relationship between Luc and his grandmother. Aside from that, many parts of this book were confusing or lackluster. Luc seems troubled and disturbed that Rosamunde had flung herself at his brother. And...then it's forgotten. Nothing is mentioned, nothing deeper comes out of it, and the I wonder why the author had our heroine love his brother anyway. Could have been anyone for all we explore the issue.
I really dislike when a heroine has a traumatic past, in large part to her family, and it's conveniently forgotten under the guise of forgiveness. It reeks of poorly fleshed out characters and an inability to settle real conflict.
What I dislike more is when a heroine has a traumatic past and the hero exploits it. Example: "He hated forcing her to speak, but like a perverse voyeur he had to know the full horror of how she'd lived." Really? I mean, really?! This is how the hero learns about her past? She doesn't come to trust him and confide in him. He doesn't decide that her trauma does not define her. Instead, he likens himself to a "perverse voyeur." Truly, the romance is astonishing.
I really dislike when a heroine has a traumatic past, in large part to her family, and it's conveniently forgotten under the guise of forgiveness. It reeks of poorly fleshed out characters and an inability to settle real conflict.
What I dislike more is when a heroine has a traumatic past and the hero exploits it. Example: "He hated forcing her to speak, but like a perverse voyeur he had to know the full horror of how she'd lived." Really? I mean, really?! This is how the hero learns about her past? She doesn't come to trust him and confide in him. He doesn't decide that her trauma does not define her. Instead, he likens himself to a "perverse voyeur." Truly, the romance is astonishing.
June 3, 2018
The first in a widows series, this book has been on my shelf for sometime as I waited to gather all four in the series. I have read Sophie Nash before and enjoyed her books and I enjoyed this one, not necessarily for the story but because each chapter starts with a quote from the devil's dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, and the quotes are very funny. The hero of this story has written a book called Lucifer's lexicon but no one knows that he is the one who wrote it and the quotes and in it are also very funny. Rosamunde, the heroine has made many mistakes the worst of which was marrying a man who is awful to her. she is now a widow and Lucifer's Aunt collects widows and tries to save them. There are of course many ,many misunderstandings in the story and a surprise in the end as to who actually was the injured party. But of course , after several people have tried to be martyrs everyone realizes what should happened and there is a happily ever after.
June 25, 2019
Super Special heroine (~beautiful eyes~, so many names because of how special she is, can out-athletic anyone at anything even after 15 years of no practice), shitty boundary-pushing hero. I was invested mostly in the family drama, but even that was underwhelming.
Basically: the heroine's big scandal is that someone allegedly saw her and a dude she crushed on having sex on the beach. She refuses to marry him to save her reputation and runs away. Later it turns out that her sister, who was ~too embarrassed to say anything~ was the one with her crush instead. There's no real reason why Sophia wouldn't just fess up and marry the guy she was in a secret relationship with anyway, the author just needed something bad to happen to Rosamund so she could suffer for the drama.
I was expecting the crush's shit dad to have faked a scandal so that they'd have access to Rosamund's dowry, so the actual resolution was highly disappointing.
Basically: the heroine's big scandal is that someone allegedly saw her and a dude she crushed on having sex on the beach. She refuses to marry him to save her reputation and runs away. Later it turns out that her sister, who was ~too embarrassed to say anything~ was the one with her crush instead. There's no real reason why Sophia wouldn't just fess up and marry the guy she was in a secret relationship with anyway, the author just needed something bad to happen to Rosamund so she could suffer for the drama.
I was expecting the crush's shit dad to have faked a scandal so that they'd have access to Rosamund's dowry, so the actual resolution was highly disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ve been slightly nervous about reading it because of some of the reviews which were less than stellar. But I found the story extremely engaging. Yes of course it did have some familiar tropes like two people who love each other but failed to communicate their feelings, a lifetime of misery apparently caused by stupid youthful mistakes , and my absolute favourite one the miracle baby! I loved the character of Luc as it was the slightly novel variety of rake in that he was the scholarly rake ! He was also of course an idiot because he was prepared to marry a woman he didn’t love because his grandmother wanted him to and because he thought that her money would save his family from penury when in fact he had the tools to do that himself. I felt desperately sorry for poor old Rosemunde you had to wait till the very last pages to get her happy ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2019
A moving historical. Rosamund's story is heartbreaking but not maudlin. She and Lucifer banter in a fun way throughout. I liked the different side characters and that the families were not too perfect, despite a general generosity. I would say I took a star off because I found the forgiveness a little fast for the amount of vitriol the book dragged our MC through.
November 19, 2023
It was better than I thought it would be. Evidently I received this signed copy from the author waaaay back in 2008....perhaps I won it? Or somehow received it as a possible read for the bookclub that I organized at the time. There was more depth and story to this tale than I expected. It was an easy but enjoyable read.
January 15, 2020
I read half this book and skimmed the other half. It really should be called “conversations are helpful!” The number of misunderstandings between the leads, family members etc got more and worse with each passing page with neither comic relief nor interesting leads to make it worthwhile. Snooze.
November 23, 2021
Skipped at least 100 pages.
En az 100 sayfa atladım. Bu türden (biraz romantik okuyayım ama geçmişte olsun içinde büyük dramlar, kötü sonlar olmasın diyorsanız okunabilir) fazla bir şey beklemeyip okunursa vakit geçirilebilir.
En az 100 sayfa atladım. Bu türden (biraz romantik okuyayım ama geçmişte olsun içinde büyük dramlar, kötü sonlar olmasın diyorsanız okunabilir) fazla bir şey beklemeyip okunursa vakit geçirilebilir.
April 17, 2025
Loved!
I could not put down. This is a reread for me. The characters are so enjoyable. The storyline from being had me laughing and crying. So good. Sophia Nash is a fave of mine and can't wait to read more stories by her. Thanks for your story.
I could not put down. This is a reread for me. The characters are so enjoyable. The storyline from being had me laughing and crying. So good. Sophia Nash is a fave of mine and can't wait to read more stories by her. Thanks for your story.
January 24, 2019
Güzel bir konusu vardı ama arada kopukluklar mı vardı ne okurken hikayenin koptuğunu hissettim..
April 7, 2019
3.75 stars
July 1, 2020
2,5 kimi yerleri güzeldi ama konu çok dağınıktı .anlaşılmayan noktalar vardı oradan oraya atlamış gibiydi.
December 16, 2020
Pretty Good - read twice - 6/16 and 1/17
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