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kellybronwynt's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
firedew's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. Historical niceties and seduction scenes and not enough plot. Even though the ending improved matters, I found it largely boring.
33p3barpercent's review against another edition
2.0
So SLOOOOOOOW. Some cute moments, but this could have been half the length. The heroine, oh man, I just wanted to shake her. I didn't understand why she wouldn't tell the Hero why she couldn't marry him. I didn't understand why, when he found out the reason, why she still kept rejecting him. WHAT IS YOUR REASON, YOU SILLY GIRL!
skrau's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually write reviews for these kinds of books (due to both a slight embarrassment for reading them, and the way in which they're like literary junk food - quick to consume too many without stopping to think, feels kind of unhealthy), but Grace Burrowes is probably my new favorite writer in this genre. I hadn't even come across her, until a library patron at work recommended her to me after we were discussing why we both liked Julia Quinn so much. But Burrowes is almost unique in my experience, with longer books and more substantial plots than most, and largely well-developed, three dimensional characters. Plus, just about the right amount of steamier scenes (too often the better books have too few, while the worse-written books have too many), in which the writing is actually pretty good - not too ridiculous, not too corny, very little eye-rolling. I think Burrowes has managed to add substance to a genre that's very easy to dismiss.
00laura23's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
Gayle and Anna are interesting, well-developed characters. Their romance is sweet and had me cheering for their HEA. The secondary characters added to the story and the various subplots. I love when a story includes family members that show different sides to the character – which we have in this story. We get to see each of the main characters via relationships with various family members.
Both the romance and the mystery subplots are interesting and compelling. The way in which each story was wrapped up worked for me, fitting the story and characters. I found the story relatively easy to read and at times very compelling.
For me there were times when the story dragged, both in terms of plot and scenes. The mystery plot wasn’t built out enough before it became a main part of the story for me.
Gayle and Anna are interesting, well-developed characters. Their romance is sweet and had me cheering for their HEA. The secondary characters added to the story and the various subplots. I love when a story includes family members that show different sides to the character – which we have in this story. We get to see each of the main characters via relationships with various family members.
Both the romance and the mystery subplots are interesting and compelling. The way in which each story was wrapped up worked for me, fitting the story and characters. I found the story relatively easy to read and at times very compelling.
For me there were times when the story dragged, both in terms of plot and scenes. The mystery plot wasn’t built out enough before it became a main part of the story for me.
ladyhighwayman's review against another edition
2.0
There were a few things I liked about this book, but most of the time I found myself just wanting the book to be over with.
Let me start with the things I liked about it. The main characters – the earl and his housekeeper Anna – while a nice hero and heroine, were a bit infuriating at times. However, I adored the earl's brothers – Valentine and Dev. They were both quite charming. The dialogue, overall, was quite witty and humorous. The exchanges between the three brothers are among my favorite parts.
The story was basically about the earl being pressured by his father the duke to marry and produce an heir, and the earl's steadfast resistance. The earl finally does find a woman he wants to marry in his housekeeper Anna, but of course, she keeps trying to push him away because she is hiding some sort of secret.
The romance was quite nice, but every time I turned around there was a romantic scene. After a while, I just started skimming through them. I like a scene here and there in my romance novels, but it gets old after a while. And for the first 300 pages it was basically the story of the earl and Anna's give and take romance. Around page 300 I thought things were gonna pick up when Anna's secret started to come to light. However, the last 100 pages were pretty anticlimactic. Everything was pretty much patched up with a bow on top.
I love historical romances, but I like them to have a rather thrilling side story, so that's probably why this book fell so flat for me. Fans of the typical Regency romances will probably like this.
Let me start with the things I liked about it. The main characters – the earl and his housekeeper Anna – while a nice hero and heroine, were a bit infuriating at times. However, I adored the earl's brothers – Valentine and Dev. They were both quite charming. The dialogue, overall, was quite witty and humorous. The exchanges between the three brothers are among my favorite parts.
The story was basically about the earl being pressured by his father the duke to marry and produce an heir, and the earl's steadfast resistance. The earl finally does find a woman he wants to marry in his housekeeper Anna, but of course, she keeps trying to push him away because she is hiding some sort of secret.
The romance was quite nice, but every time I turned around there was a romantic scene. After a while, I just started skimming through them. I like a scene here and there in my romance novels, but it gets old after a while. And for the first 300 pages it was basically the story of the earl and Anna's give and take romance. Around page 300 I thought things were gonna pick up when Anna's secret started to come to light. However, the last 100 pages were pretty anticlimactic. Everything was pretty much patched up with a bow on top.
I love historical romances, but I like them to have a rather thrilling side story, so that's probably why this book fell so flat for me. Fans of the typical Regency romances will probably like this.
emlaal's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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
3.75
bookishanjali's review against another edition
3.0
Review from www.bookflame.blogspot.com
3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed reading The Heir. The main characters were really well developed and they had a lot of depth to them which made them very believable.
Although not most likely to happen in Regency England the plot was entertaining. Gayle Windham the heir to the Duke of Moreland escapes to his summer house in London to avoid his fathers constant pressure of marriage.Upon his arrival he meets Mrs. Anna Seaton a beautiful housekeeper who has ladylike ways and does not fit the mold of a typical housekeeper.
Burrowes did a great job in keeping the mystery around Anna Seaton. I found myself reading through the more than 400 page book just to find out who she was and what terrible thing her and her sister Morgan were running away from. As much as I was glad to reach the reasoning behind their running off and their true identity it felt like the problem solved too quickly for something that was left a mystery for entirely the whole entire story.
There were a few characters who did grow on me and that would be the brothers of Gayle Windham - Valentine and Dev I found them more entertaining than the main hero.
If you are big on the accuracy of historical romance novels this book might annoy you slightly seeing how there were few things that happened in the plot that was just unrealistic for that time period, unfortunately I can't list them without giving spoilers. For me personally I was able to overlook it and enjoy the book for what it was.
I did have to double check and make sure that I didn't miss a book in the series when I was reading The Heir since there were characters being thrown in that made me think I should already know who they are. I usually don't mind a ton of characters but only if they are well introduced and that just wasn't the case with many of the "extra" characters. I really thought this was a second book to the series but it is the first.
Regardless of the few negative aspects I talked about regarding this book it was still a good read. I loved Grace Burrowes writing style and seeing how the second book to the series is about Dev one of my favorite characters besides Valentine I do look forward to reading the next book in the series.
3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed reading The Heir. The main characters were really well developed and they had a lot of depth to them which made them very believable.
Although not most likely to happen in Regency England the plot was entertaining. Gayle Windham the heir to the Duke of Moreland escapes to his summer house in London to avoid his fathers constant pressure of marriage.Upon his arrival he meets Mrs. Anna Seaton a beautiful housekeeper who has ladylike ways and does not fit the mold of a typical housekeeper.
Burrowes did a great job in keeping the mystery around Anna Seaton. I found myself reading through the more than 400 page book just to find out who she was and what terrible thing her and her sister Morgan were running away from. As much as I was glad to reach the reasoning behind their running off and their true identity it felt like the problem solved too quickly for something that was left a mystery for entirely the whole entire story.
There were a few characters who did grow on me and that would be the brothers of Gayle Windham - Valentine and Dev I found them more entertaining than the main hero.
If you are big on the accuracy of historical romance novels this book might annoy you slightly seeing how there were few things that happened in the plot that was just unrealistic for that time period, unfortunately I can't list them without giving spoilers. For me personally I was able to overlook it and enjoy the book for what it was.
I did have to double check and make sure that I didn't miss a book in the series when I was reading The Heir since there were characters being thrown in that made me think I should already know who they are. I usually don't mind a ton of characters but only if they are well introduced and that just wasn't the case with many of the "extra" characters. I really thought this was a second book to the series but it is the first.
Regardless of the few negative aspects I talked about regarding this book it was still a good read. I loved Grace Burrowes writing style and seeing how the second book to the series is about Dev one of my favorite characters besides Valentine I do look forward to reading the next book in the series.
brandiwyne4018's review against another edition
4.0
Inching towards 5 stars for this book. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and one of the most complete historical novels I've read in a long time. This book had been on a perpetual TBR list and I was finally able to have The Heir and The Soldier (haven’t read yet) together so that I would be able to read in sequence. For fans of regency romance this is wonderful example of witty language and just enough sexiness to keep you turning pages.
Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven is being plagued by his father to begat an heir; so much so that the Duke of Moreland has planted spies inside his son’s residence, bribes his mistress, and blackmails women into betrothals. His Grace reminds me of Prince Charming father from Cinderella. In fact, there are more than a few parallels to be drawn from that fairy tale. Anna Seaton is playing at being the best housekeeper in Mayfair and when the Earl appears to take up residence, the two of them become most intimate. She has been changing houses and looking over her shoulder, hiding from a mysterious enemy. Their relationship seamlessly turns into affection and neither one of them is trying to deny their mutual attraction.
This book took several days to read and I almost gave up because it seemed as if I was always reading the same thing (due to the length of the book, of course). Also, I think the author assumed that we were a part of her creative process because I had to keep re-reading the beginning to understand where the story was going. I loved Devlin (The Soldier) Valentine., and Morgan. A wonderful read and I can’t wait to begin on The Soldier: Devlin St.Just is an interesting character and can’t wait to see what happens with him.
Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven is being plagued by his father to begat an heir; so much so that the Duke of Moreland has planted spies inside his son’s residence, bribes his mistress, and blackmails women into betrothals. His Grace reminds me of Prince Charming father from Cinderella. In fact, there are more than a few parallels to be drawn from that fairy tale. Anna Seaton is playing at being the best housekeeper in Mayfair and when the Earl appears to take up residence, the two of them become most intimate. She has been changing houses and looking over her shoulder, hiding from a mysterious enemy. Their relationship seamlessly turns into affection and neither one of them is trying to deny their mutual attraction.
This book took several days to read and I almost gave up because it seemed as if I was always reading the same thing (due to the length of the book, of course). Also, I think the author assumed that we were a part of her creative process because I had to keep re-reading the beginning to understand where the story was going. I loved Devlin (The Soldier) Valentine., and Morgan. A wonderful read and I can’t wait to begin on The Soldier: Devlin St.Just is an interesting character and can’t wait to see what happens with him.