rclz's review
5.0
Well, this was a two day read. Very good Victorian era romance/adventure. I smiled all the way through it. I will most certainly read the others and also the authors other series. I do like the way she writes. Lots of action, adventure and romance.
buuboobaby's review
5.0
4.5 star
What a fun, clever, and sexy book. Mr Kennedy remained a vibrant, daring hero to the end, and Cassie proved a worthy partner. Looking forward to more about the Yard boys.
Full review soon at www.mangamaniaccafecom
What a fun, clever, and sexy book. Mr Kennedy remained a vibrant, daring hero to the end, and Cassie proved a worthy partner. Looking forward to more about the Yard boys.
Full review soon at www.mangamaniaccafecom
dumblydore's review
3.0
I picked this book up completely on a whim. It was the blurb's opening words: "LONDON 1887" that sold me. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see a Victorian romance again. I mean, yeah, Regencies are all well and good but there are plenty of other eras out there to play with! And heck, there are even other countries too!
But I digress.
This is a very solid debut from Jillian Stone. And once I have recovered from the sheer happiness of reading something both good (relatively) and refreshing, I will write a better review ...
But I digress.
This is a very solid debut from Jillian Stone. And once I have recovered from the sheer happiness of reading something both good (relatively) and refreshing, I will write a better review ...
gawronma's review
3.0
A nice very romantic suspense novel. A little heavy on the romance but it was a nice fun read.
krisrid's review
4.0
This was a light, fluffy, easy-reading romp of a story and I reveled in every fun escapest moment of it!
This was a well-done combination of a historical action/thriller plot, with a sweet romance between two unlikely [though inevitable given the genre] though ultimately perfect-for-each other people. The characters were delightful, including the supporting characters, from Cassie's family, to Zeno's housekeeper and Scotland Yard compatriots.
There was action, humour, silliness, drama and Queen Victoria even makes a minor appearance. The Fenian terrorist sub-plot gave the romance aspect a nice off-set to keep this story from straying into sickly-sweet territory.
There was nothing earth-shaking here, but the story was entertaining, and the characters made me smile. I enjoyed this very much!
This was a well-done combination of a historical action/thriller plot, with a sweet romance between two unlikely [though inevitable given the genre] though ultimately perfect-for-each other people. The characters were delightful, including the supporting characters, from Cassie's family, to Zeno's housekeeper and Scotland Yard compatriots.
There was action, humour, silliness, drama and Queen Victoria even makes a minor appearance. The Fenian terrorist sub-plot gave the romance aspect a nice off-set to keep this story from straying into sickly-sweet territory.
There was nothing earth-shaking here, but the story was entertaining, and the characters made me smile. I enjoyed this very much!
madhamster's review
3.0
Meet the Gentlemen of Scotland Yard – a group of men dedicated to dealing with the Fenian terrorist threat in the late 1880s.
Zeno (nickname Zak) is a member of the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, and is determined to uncover the identities of the men of The Bloody Four – gentlemen who may, or may not, be working for Irish Home Rule, through terrorist actions.
When he discovers that Cassandra (Cassie) St Cloud has links to one of the suspects, Zeno uses her. But his interest in her soon becomes personal.
Zeno and Cassie are well-developed as characters. And it will be interesting to see the development of the other men as heroes, particularly Flynn.
Cassie is not your traditional historical romance heroine – she is an artist and a widow, so can operator outside the normal rules of society. She also has very progressive parents, both doctors. It’s not often you have a historical roman heroine being given condoms by her mother.
Historical quibbles: according to the quick research I did… yes, the Special Irish Branch was formed in 1883 but, the Fenian Dynamite Campaign ran from 1881 til 1885 so, in theory, was over by 1887 when the novel is set. Oh, and the whole progressive parent thing. Not too sure of this one. It would take a fair bit of convincing for me to feel comfortable with this set-up. Cassie is a bit too modern – even with her family background – smoking, tattoo, bicycle riding, pantaloons… and a lover. Hmmm.
With those caveats it’s a 3.5 – 4 star read for me, and about a 3.5 in the steaminess scale.
Zeno (nickname Zak) is a member of the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, and is determined to uncover the identities of the men of The Bloody Four – gentlemen who may, or may not, be working for Irish Home Rule, through terrorist actions.
When he discovers that Cassandra (Cassie) St Cloud has links to one of the suspects, Zeno uses her. But his interest in her soon becomes personal.
Zeno and Cassie are well-developed as characters. And it will be interesting to see the development of the other men as heroes, particularly Flynn.
Cassie is not your traditional historical romance heroine – she is an artist and a widow, so can operator outside the normal rules of society. She also has very progressive parents, both doctors. It’s not often you have a historical roman heroine being given condoms by her mother.
Historical quibbles: according to the quick research I did… yes, the Special Irish Branch was formed in 1883 but, the Fenian Dynamite Campaign ran from 1881 til 1885 so, in theory, was over by 1887 when the novel is set. Oh, and the whole progressive parent thing. Not too sure of this one. It would take a fair bit of convincing for me to feel comfortable with this set-up. Cassie is a bit too modern – even with her family background – smoking, tattoo, bicycle riding, pantaloons… and a lover. Hmmm.
With those caveats it’s a 3.5 – 4 star read for me, and about a 3.5 in the steaminess scale.
silvercal's review
4.0
Wow, this book is so unique and fascinating! First, our hero is not a duke, earl, etc...he is the son of one but he is not going to inherit and it is always nice to read a change of pace from that scenario. Same for our heroine, Cassie St. Cloud. She gained the Lady title by marriage but her husband is deceased and she prefers to be called Cassie. She is the daughter of two prominent doctors in society and her mother is a strong advocate for women's suffrage which brings up another key factor in this story to set it apart--it is set in 1887 which allows for such things as the London Underground (laying electric work), women riding bicycles and bloomers. Jillian Stone brings all this to life with a fresh breath of air that I enjoyed.
Cassie was such a bold female--she smokes cigars, rides bikes, and rents a flat next to a handsome man...that just happens to have a connecting door between the premisses. Locked of course...but for how long? She is a painter and she is accepted for all her uniqueness by not just her parents and friends, but also by Zak. Zeno Augustus Kennedy, nickname Zak, works for Scotland Yard (does anyone else love saying that in their faux British accent? I do, lol) and helped defuse a large bomb plot that has arisen again and Cassies former brother-in-law seems to be a part of the murderous group so Zak is determined to find out what Cassie knows. However, the pair find themselves in a hot flirtation that soon leads to a hot affair and matters of the heart become involved all while trying to uncover the dangerous group know as the Bloody Four.
Overall, this is a fascinating piece of work! I really hope we see more and more books set during this time period as it adds so much richness to the story. I adored Cassie and Zak together and I appreciated that even though Cassie is strong and independent, she is also a female who wants the love of a good man to be known to her and will not accept anything else. Nothing to major to complain about with the book other than it is long. It is almost 400 pages so you will need to carve out some time to sink into this one and enjoy it. The mystery aspect will keep you flipping the pages and I know my heart was racing in the final chapters! Jillian Stone has delivered a strong story set within a unique setting with characters that are smart, sexy and perfect for each other mixed together with an intriguing mystery and wonderful supporting characters that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next story! 4 stars
Thanks to Pocket and Jillian Stone for providing me with this ARC!
Cassie was such a bold female--she smokes cigars, rides bikes, and rents a flat next to a handsome man...that just happens to have a connecting door between the premisses. Locked of course...but for how long? She is a painter and she is accepted for all her uniqueness by not just her parents and friends, but also by Zak. Zeno Augustus Kennedy, nickname Zak, works for Scotland Yard (does anyone else love saying that in their faux British accent? I do, lol) and helped defuse a large bomb plot that has arisen again and Cassies former brother-in-law seems to be a part of the murderous group so Zak is determined to find out what Cassie knows. However, the pair find themselves in a hot flirtation that soon leads to a hot affair and matters of the heart become involved all while trying to uncover the dangerous group know as the Bloody Four.
Overall, this is a fascinating piece of work! I really hope we see more and more books set during this time period as it adds so much richness to the story. I adored Cassie and Zak together and I appreciated that even though Cassie is strong and independent, she is also a female who wants the love of a good man to be known to her and will not accept anything else. Nothing to major to complain about with the book other than it is long. It is almost 400 pages so you will need to carve out some time to sink into this one and enjoy it. The mystery aspect will keep you flipping the pages and I know my heart was racing in the final chapters! Jillian Stone has delivered a strong story set within a unique setting with characters that are smart, sexy and perfect for each other mixed together with an intriguing mystery and wonderful supporting characters that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next story! 4 stars
Thanks to Pocket and Jillian Stone for providing me with this ARC!
larisa2021's review
1.0
After 98 pages & skipping to the final chapter, I just couldn't get into this book. Sadly the cover and the excerpt were more appealing.
Solid writing, clear descriptions and era definitions , just not suiting my mood.
Solid writing, clear descriptions and era definitions , just not suiting my mood.
thepassionatereader's review
2.0
I realized I wasn’t enjoying this Victorian romance when, for the tenth night in a row, I avoided the book. I turned on my Kindle and, instead of opening the aptly named “Review These Books Now!” collection in which this book was stored; I yet again clicked on my “Ballin’ Bodice Rippers” list and happily re-read bits and pieces of other historicals I love. I found An Affair with Mr. Kennedy a chore to read.
The novel takes place in London in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Our hero, the thoroughly modern Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is a detective for Scotland Yard. The brilliant, clever, dedicated, athletic Zeno has a skill set so prodigious that, by the time he turned out to be a hell of a tenor with a facility for Italian opera, I abandoned any idea of seeing him as a plausible character. Zeno is a man with a mission; three years ago, a deadly bombing at King’s Cross left him missing a lover and unwaveringly determined to rid London of explosive-oriented anarchists. Currently, he’s got his eagle eye on a group of secretly seditious lords — he calls them the Bloody Four - who, Zeno believes, plan to explode a series of bombs in order to spark a violent Irish revolt which would then cause the House of Lords to vote against Irish Home Rule and thus create a possible path towards ultimate Irish independence.
One of these aristocrats, Gerald St. Clair, happens to be the brother-in-law of an impossibly gorgeous young widow, Cassandra St. Clare. The Yard wonders if Cassandra, who is also connected to another of the possible Bloody Four, the odious Lord Delamere, could be a part of the Fenian plot. Cassandra, conveniently, just moved into a townhouse in Belgravia owned by Zak which is (sigh) adjacent to his. Super sexy Cassandra, after a brief and constraining marriage, is living a rather outré life. She is an (extraordinarily talented) artist (her uber-progressive parents sent her to Paris to study when she was just seventeen where she drank, painted, and got a tattoo), rides a bicycle, lives on her own, and once she sees her fine-looking landlord, takes a lover with ease.
Zak and Cassie begin a passionate affair despite Zak’s lack of transparency about his initial interest in her. The two can’t get enough of each other, which was inopportune; I’d had enough of them as a couple by the hundredth page. Ms. Stone’s sexual prose is clunky; her descriptions of the bawdy shenanigans between Cassie and Zak veer from awkward to icky. Zak has “a brute of a penis.” Cassie, the morning after the two have first made love, as her maid Cecile serves the naked lovers breakfast in bed describes him (in French) to as “frightfully large and as hard as a Bengal tiger.” In one of many overwrought love scenes, Zak makes love to Cassie with his “throbbing shaft” as she murmurs “musical and mysterious female whispers and growls.”
This is just a partial review. To read the complete review, please go to All About Romance:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=8825
The novel takes place in London in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Our hero, the thoroughly modern Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is a detective for Scotland Yard. The brilliant, clever, dedicated, athletic Zeno has a skill set so prodigious that, by the time he turned out to be a hell of a tenor with a facility for Italian opera, I abandoned any idea of seeing him as a plausible character. Zeno is a man with a mission; three years ago, a deadly bombing at King’s Cross left him missing a lover and unwaveringly determined to rid London of explosive-oriented anarchists. Currently, he’s got his eagle eye on a group of secretly seditious lords — he calls them the Bloody Four - who, Zeno believes, plan to explode a series of bombs in order to spark a violent Irish revolt which would then cause the House of Lords to vote against Irish Home Rule and thus create a possible path towards ultimate Irish independence.
One of these aristocrats, Gerald St. Clair, happens to be the brother-in-law of an impossibly gorgeous young widow, Cassandra St. Clare. The Yard wonders if Cassandra, who is also connected to another of the possible Bloody Four, the odious Lord Delamere, could be a part of the Fenian plot. Cassandra, conveniently, just moved into a townhouse in Belgravia owned by Zak which is (sigh) adjacent to his. Super sexy Cassandra, after a brief and constraining marriage, is living a rather outré life. She is an (extraordinarily talented) artist (her uber-progressive parents sent her to Paris to study when she was just seventeen where she drank, painted, and got a tattoo), rides a bicycle, lives on her own, and once she sees her fine-looking landlord, takes a lover with ease.
Zak and Cassie begin a passionate affair despite Zak’s lack of transparency about his initial interest in her. The two can’t get enough of each other, which was inopportune; I’d had enough of them as a couple by the hundredth page. Ms. Stone’s sexual prose is clunky; her descriptions of the bawdy shenanigans between Cassie and Zak veer from awkward to icky. Zak has “a brute of a penis.” Cassie, the morning after the two have first made love, as her maid Cecile serves the naked lovers breakfast in bed describes him (in French) to as “frightfully large and as hard as a Bengal tiger.” In one of many overwrought love scenes, Zak makes love to Cassie with his “throbbing shaft” as she murmurs “musical and mysterious female whispers and growls.”
This is just a partial review. To read the complete review, please go to All About Romance:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=8825
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