robinlovesreading's review
5.0
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Aubrey Nelson is a wealthy man - new money, as it were - and has very good friends that include the Duke and Duchess of Westbrook. Aubrey has invited them, as well as other dear friends to summer at his mother's estate.
As Aubrey's father is ill, he arrives ahead of his parents. This turns out to be a very good thing. His mother is a tyrant to the fullest extent and had upset her household staff when she was last there that they left the house to ruin. When Aubrey steps into the home, he only sees one person, the housekeeper. He is inexplicably drawn to her. She is a young Irish woman named Maeve Brown.
Before she realizes that Aubrey is related to the owner, they quickly share confidences about the state of the house. They develop an immediate bond. However, it is shattered almost immediately once she discovers who he is. Aubrey wants to forget rules and convention and is determined to pursue Maeve. Of course, she wants nothing more to do with him.
However, Aubrey learns that Maeve is in danger, and offers her his protection - by marriage. He can protect her with his name and his wealth. Maeve is more than reluctant to accept his offer, but she cannot deny that he is indeed everything her heart desires.
This was quite an enjoyable book. It had more than enough to offer. The romance felt real, the dynamic between Aubrey and his mother, and also the rules of society was handled well, and the mystery surrounding the reason for Maeve being in danger was a good part of the story.
Although Deceived by Desire is the second book in a series, it will do quite well as a standalone. Quite naturally, readers who read the first book, Duchess by Deception, will be familiar with some of the characters.
Many thanks to Zebra and to Inkslinger PR for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Aubrey Nelson is a wealthy man - new money, as it were - and has very good friends that include the Duke and Duchess of Westbrook. Aubrey has invited them, as well as other dear friends to summer at his mother's estate.
As Aubrey's father is ill, he arrives ahead of his parents. This turns out to be a very good thing. His mother is a tyrant to the fullest extent and had upset her household staff when she was last there that they left the house to ruin. When Aubrey steps into the home, he only sees one person, the housekeeper. He is inexplicably drawn to her. She is a young Irish woman named Maeve Brown.
Before she realizes that Aubrey is related to the owner, they quickly share confidences about the state of the house. They develop an immediate bond. However, it is shattered almost immediately once she discovers who he is. Aubrey wants to forget rules and convention and is determined to pursue Maeve. Of course, she wants nothing more to do with him.
However, Aubrey learns that Maeve is in danger, and offers her his protection - by marriage. He can protect her with his name and his wealth. Maeve is more than reluctant to accept his offer, but she cannot deny that he is indeed everything her heart desires.
This was quite an enjoyable book. It had more than enough to offer. The romance felt real, the dynamic between Aubrey and his mother, and also the rules of society was handled well, and the mystery surrounding the reason for Maeve being in danger was a good part of the story.
Although Deceived by Desire is the second book in a series, it will do quite well as a standalone. Quite naturally, readers who read the first book, Duchess by Deception, will be familiar with some of the characters.
Many thanks to Zebra and to Inkslinger PR for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
frostatmidnite's review against another edition
3.0
A light and breezy regency romance. All of the usual trope that goes with this genre is to be found in proportionate quantities that make this book a perfect read for that cozy weekend!
beckymmoe's review against another edition
3.0
I'm going to have to call it quits with this series.
Between the instalove, the black and white qualities of the characters (as in they're either 100% treacle-y good or they're vile human beings; for main characters here there's no other options), the clunky dialogue and the repetition (both Maeve and Aubrey dwell internally on the same concerns over. And. Over. And. Over. And. Over. And that's before anything happens plotwise to bring those concerns to the fore or to change anything); I just can't even.
Aubrey falls in love with the back of the neck of his family's new Irish housekeeper. (Get used to the phrase; you'll read it a lot.) She's on the run from her past. The past catches up to her. He proposes to her to "save" her, but it'll just be a marriage of convenience until/if she says the word. About two pages later, she apparently says the word because the virgin heroine is a virgin no more. His awful mother comes into town and glares at Maeve for pages and pages and pages before making verbal threats to her, which of course cause her to run off and Aubrey has to come to her rescue. Cue the HEA.
Really, that's about it. Everybody loves Maeve and Aubrey and Aubrey's mother is a snobbish, social climbing witch.
Deceived by Desire is the second book in Ms. Force's Gilded series. It should work just fine as a standalone, though, because it really is Aubrey and Maeve's story. Plus, Maeve (and by default, the reader) is essentially given the plot synopsis of Duchess by Deception during the course of this story, under the guise of getting to know Aubrey's friends better. The last remaining singleton in their group is clearly being set up for book three, but my optimism with this series has run its course.
Rating: 3 stars / C-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Between the instalove, the black and white qualities of the characters (as in they're either 100% treacle-y good or they're vile human beings; for main characters here there's no other options), the clunky dialogue and the repetition (both Maeve and Aubrey dwell internally on the same concerns over. And. Over. And. Over. And. Over. And that's before anything happens plotwise to bring those concerns to the fore or to change anything); I just can't even.
Aubrey falls in love with the back of the neck of his family's new Irish housekeeper. (Get used to the phrase; you'll read it a lot.) She's on the run from her past. The past catches up to her. He proposes to her to "save" her, but it'll just be a marriage of convenience until/if she says the word. About two pages later, she apparently says the word because the
Spoiler
(already married)Really, that's about it. Everybody loves Maeve and Aubrey and Aubrey's mother is a snobbish, social climbing witch.
Deceived by Desire is the second book in Ms. Force's Gilded series. It should work just fine as a standalone, though, because it really is Aubrey and Maeve's story. Plus, Maeve (and by default, the reader) is essentially given the plot synopsis of Duchess by Deception during the course of this story, under the guise of getting to know Aubrey's friends better. The last remaining singleton in their group is clearly being set up for book three, but my optimism with this series has run its course.
Rating: 3 stars / C-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
jillmlong's review
3.0
This book had so much potential but it just fizzled out. I loved the main characters. I loved the plot. I found it got a little repetitive with Maeve being so fearful and not trusting Aubrey's motives. The tension was built that something nefarious was going to happen, but it was not nefarious for my liking.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
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