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megloveswords12's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Racism
thatcrazybooklover's review against another edition
I enjoyed Griff and Rosalind. They are characters with flaws making them believable although I hated that Swanlea wasn't punished for his sins. It was seemingly swept off the rag. Heinous actions should have a re-precaution.
virginiaduan's review against another edition
3.0
Despite my utter annoyance with Rosalind, the female lead, who I find completely slappable and truly frustrating, I still liked the story overall. Even though I found the secondary leads far more interesting and found myself reading the book for hints of their story (and of course, the setup for the next in this series), the main pair's storyline and conflict and resolution was interesting enough, I suppose.
Since I mostly skip the smexy parts of romance novels (after you've read hundreds of novels, the sex scenes get rather perfunctory and boring), I read these types of books for the story and the plot. Crazy, I know. Sometimes, even for the writing! But I'll tell you what I don't like - sudden insertions of extra POVs for no reason other than to give us new information. That is truly distracting in a genre that usually only has two POVs. I dislike this very much!
Since I mostly skip the smexy parts of romance novels (after you've read hundreds of novels, the sex scenes get rather perfunctory and boring), I read these types of books for the story and the plot. Crazy, I know. Sometimes, even for the writing! But I'll tell you what I don't like - sudden insertions of extra POVs for no reason other than to give us new information. That is truly distracting in a genre that usually only has two POVs. I dislike this very much!
smiley7245's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little disappointed in this book. It just did not grab and hold my attention like other Sabrina Jeffries books. I put it down for quite a while and did not feel an overwhelming need to pick it up and finish it. However, I am interested in finding out what happens in the second book; that story gets set up nicely in this book. Griff is normally the kind of hero I like in my books: tall, dark, and handsome with a huge heart that he doesn't realize he has. And normally I love characters like Rosalind: strong and sassy, but I just was not into them. Still, I will be reading the next one.
rjordan19's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book of the Swanlea Spinster series. The Earl of Swanlea has 3 daughters that he desperately wants to see settled securely before he passes. He also has regrets he plans trying to right. He sends a letter to Griff Knighton trying to get him to marry one of his daughters.
Griff, our hero, has a plan during the visit that will give him more freedom to do what he wants and be able to get to know everyone under a different guise.
I thought this book was just okay. Unfortunatley I just could NOT get into the hero. He was okay. I didn't hate him. But I didn't care about him. In fact he was a bit annoying. He had no problem lying and saying cruel things. He kept coming across like he couldn't control his sexual urges, which is usually not a negative for me! Yet with him, it just felt different. Like he didn't care he couldn't control himself. There wasn't an internal struggle of trying to stop himself that I love. He used it almost as a manipulation tactic. I think I read in another review that he used it to shut the heroine up and it always worked and I find that I totally agree with that. So because of that, the tension didn't build for me as it might have otherwise. The scenes that were there, though, I felt were really good. Descriptive and sexy, yet because of everything else it didn't reach what it should have to me.
I overall liked the heroine. I think she was spunky and really just determined to protect her family the best she could. But she also let the hero kiss her into submission repeatedly and definitely didn't make him grovel as much as I wanted.
This definitely has an enemies to lovers trope feel. They argue and are trying to win against each other with everything. Fight, kiss, fight more, kiss more. I just wasn't feeling it. However, I was left extremely curious about the sisters. My library has this whole series so I have already ordered book 2.
(This book is 1815 time period)
Content warnings:
A touch of unfaithfulness - heroine has a chaste kiss with her betrothed, who is not the hero, to instigate him
Antiziganism - heroine catches the hero in her father's study and makes assumptions about him and the word 'gypsy' is used
Location of kisses/sex scenes
Pg 100 - kiss
Pg 164 - fingering orgasm for her
Pg 218 - kiss
Pg 237 - chaste kiss with her betrothed, who is not the hero
Pg 245 - kisses, oral for her on a swing (no orgasm), missionary virginity loss on a blanket outside
Pg 304 - kisses, oral on a settee for her (orgasm), she offers a blowjob but he says NO and then her on top on the settee (orgasms for both)
Pg 367 - kiss (brief)
Total pages 373
Griff, our hero, has a plan during the visit that will give him more freedom to do what he wants and be able to get to know everyone under a different guise.
I thought this book was just okay. Unfortunatley I just could NOT get into the hero. He was okay. I didn't hate him. But I didn't care about him. In fact he was a bit annoying. He had no problem lying and saying cruel things. He kept coming across like he couldn't control his sexual urges, which is usually not a negative for me! Yet with him, it just felt different. Like he didn't care he couldn't control himself. There wasn't an internal struggle of trying to stop himself that I love. He used it almost as a manipulation tactic. I think I read in another review that he used it to shut the heroine up and it always worked and I find that I totally agree with that. So because of that, the tension didn't build for me as it might have otherwise. The scenes that were there, though, I felt were really good. Descriptive and sexy, yet because of everything else it didn't reach what it should have to me.
I overall liked the heroine. I think she was spunky and really just determined to protect her family the best she could. But she also let the hero kiss her into submission repeatedly and definitely didn't make him grovel as much as I wanted.
This definitely has an enemies to lovers trope feel. They argue and are trying to win against each other with everything. Fight, kiss, fight more, kiss more. I just wasn't feeling it. However, I was left extremely curious about the sisters. My library has this whole series so I have already ordered book 2.
(This book is 1815 time period)
Content warnings:
Spoiler
A touch of unfaithfulness - heroine has a chaste kiss with her betrothed, who is not the hero, to instigate him
Antiziganism - heroine catches the hero in her father's study and makes assumptions about him and the word 'gypsy' is used
Location of kisses/sex scenes
Spoiler
Pg 100 - kiss
Pg 164 - fingering orgasm for her
Pg 218 - kiss
Pg 237 - chaste kiss with her betrothed, who is not the hero
Pg 245 - kisses, oral for her on a swing (no orgasm), missionary virginity loss on a blanket outside
Pg 304 - kisses, oral on a settee for her (orgasm), she offers a blowjob but he says NO and then her on top on the settee (orgasms for both)
Pg 367 - kiss (brief)
Total pages 373
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
-Voi fi plecat pentru două săptămâni sau mai mult.
Marsden Griffith Knighton privea din capul mesei mari cum entuziasmul previzibil freamătă printre angajații lui. Ultima oară când Griff părăsise cârma Knighton Trading pentru atât de mult timp își deschisese un birou în Calcutta care triplase profitul firmei – și îi distrusese pe doi dintre competitorii săi.
Chiar și Daniel Brennan, asistentul lui, de obicei un om neimpresionabil, își îndreaptă spatele în scaun. Daniel lua destul de rar parte la aceste întâlniri, acum că se ocupa de interesele private ale lui Griff, dar Griff avea un motiv întemeiat pentru care îi ceruse să fie prezent.
-Îl lăsați pe domnul Brennan la conducere, ca de obicei, domnule? Întrebă un tânăr neguțător.
-Nu. Va merge cu mine. Când Daniel îl privi cu gura căscată, Griff își reținu un zâmbet. Daniel nu era foarte ușor de șocat, fiind alături de Knighton Trading din zilele când își câștiga primul profit din marfa de contrabandă. Domnul Harrison va prelua conducerea.
Marsden Griffith Knighton privea din capul mesei mari cum entuziasmul previzibil freamătă printre angajații lui. Ultima oară când Griff părăsise cârma Knighton Trading pentru atât de mult timp își deschisese un birou în Calcutta care triplase profitul firmei – și îi distrusese pe doi dintre competitorii săi.
Chiar și Daniel Brennan, asistentul lui, de obicei un om neimpresionabil, își îndreaptă spatele în scaun. Daniel lua destul de rar parte la aceste întâlniri, acum că se ocupa de interesele private ale lui Griff, dar Griff avea un motiv întemeiat pentru care îi ceruse să fie prezent.
-Îl lăsați pe domnul Brennan la conducere, ca de obicei, domnule? Întrebă un tânăr neguțător.
-Nu. Va merge cu mine. Când Daniel îl privi cu gura căscată, Griff își reținu un zâmbet. Daniel nu era foarte ușor de șocat, fiind alături de Knighton Trading din zilele când își câștiga primul profit din marfa de contrabandă. Domnul Harrison va prelua conducerea.
jacqueline1989's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5