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pammie823'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
4.5
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There are a couple of things in this story that make reviewing it without spoilers difficult for me. I’ll do the best I can and hope it doesn’t make this too vague.
Aiden already had my heart from the previous book, knowing the things he had done for his brother. He is amazing in this story. While he is enamored of Selena and wants to seduce her, he is also very aware of the precarious situation she is in. He can tell she has a fondness for her late husband so never disparages him all the while knowing Selena has missed out on passion in her marriage. Everything he does, even when he tells himself it’s for his selfish wants, is done with Selena’s happiness in mind. This makes Selena hard to love at the beginning of the book.
Selena’s husband, a duke, died young and without an heir. Unfortunately, Selena’s three younger sisters have relied on Selena and the duke for their well-being and they are just coming of age and will need dowries to make good matches. She is desperate and does some amazingly underhanded things to try to protect her family. There is a scene about halfway through that could have had this one be a DNF for me. If you stick with it, Selena will prove to be a better person than it seems she will be. Eventually, I ended up sympathizing with Selena. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
I love how much time Aiden and Selena get to spend together. The author does a beautiful job of showing the growing feelings between this couple. There is a connection from the beginning, which is why Selena chooses Aiden for her ploy, but they grow to understand each other so well with their time alone together.
Although it doesn’t take up a lot of this book, there are some scenes with Lady Elverton that I enjoyed immensely. I love the journey she takes in this book. Overall, this book shows a lot of different sides of life. The question of where sin lies in different circumstances is asked over and over in several ways. In most cases, no answer is 100% correct.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
melfierro's review against another edition
4.0
This was accidentally the first book I read in the series.
The prologue of this book is not for the faint of heart. I was taken aback at it and almost didn't read the book because of it. However, It was a necessary element to the remainder of the book and I'm glad I persevered. Had I started this series from the beginning, I'm sure the prologue wouldn't have hit me so hard.
Selena is a widow who has never known passion. She seeks out Aiden to secure her future, and she does, but not in the way she expected.
Aiden has a rule never to get involved with his clients. With Selena he is tempted to break the rules.
This is solidly written period romance. Heath creates real characters who have to sift through their feelings and sometimes make hard choices. Worth the time to read this, and the other books in the series.
The prologue of this book is not for the faint of heart. I was taken aback at it and almost didn't read the book because of it. However, It was a necessary element to the remainder of the book and I'm glad I persevered. Had I started this series from the beginning, I'm sure the prologue wouldn't have hit me so hard.
Selena is a widow who has never known passion. She seeks out Aiden to secure her future, and she does, but not in the way she expected.
Aiden has a rule never to get involved with his clients. With Selena he is tempted to break the rules.
This is solidly written period romance. Heath creates real characters who have to sift through their feelings and sometimes make hard choices. Worth the time to read this, and the other books in the series.
greylandreviews's review against another edition
2.5
Didn't really care about Aiden and Selena's book.
melanierae's review against another edition
u n h i n g e d !!! what a ride, I didn’t know what outcome I was hoping for right up until the end. I will say I was hoping Aiden would be 🤏🏻 this much more of a bad boy, but ultimately it’s okay the Trewlove boys are all big softies
somasunshine's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The opening scene made me think that we would have a femme fatale as a protagonist since Selena is a widow. However, we find out that she is not that at all. Her motives for approaching Aiden are rather selfish but I ended up liking and understanding Selena. The inevitable catastrophe was not what I thought it would be and I love Lorraine Heath so much for that.
The opening scene made me think that we would have a femme fatale as a protagonist since Selena is a widow. However, we find out that she is not that at all. Her motives for approaching Aiden are rather selfish but I ended up liking and understanding Selena. The inevitable catastrophe was not what I thought it would be and I love Lorraine Heath so much for that.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
For once I was not sure how this would end, I mean it is romance so I knew they would end up together but how?
Aiden is the bastard son of a nobleman who sold him to a babyfarm. Lucky for him a wonderful woman raised him and his other siblings. He now owns a gambling den, and one that caters to women. Women need to relax too and have some fun. And you know what, I liked all about Aiden, he was rather wonderful.
Selena is a widow and in dire straits. Her family is poor and she wants to give her siblings the freedom she did not have. But for that she would need to be raising a ducal heir, and she is not. Selena was played with this cool, calm voice and it fit her so well. She was the quintessential Duchess. I also liked that she had actually not had a bad marriage, no her husband had been kind, but they had been friends only. That is why her choices had me wondering, and I did not know what route I wanted her to take.
Sparks fly, they really want each other.
We meet the other Trelowe bastards, an interesting bunch to be sure!
But she is a Duchess, he is a commoner. She needs money to back her siblings in society. So that is the drama.
I enjoyed it.
Narrator
I did have to up the speed to 2x, but that is only a good thing in my book. I liked her calm Selena voice like I mentioned before, she was marvelous. She also had nice voices for the rest too. A good reading
Aiden is the bastard son of a nobleman who sold him to a babyfarm. Lucky for him a wonderful woman raised him and his other siblings. He now owns a gambling den, and one that caters to women. Women need to relax too and have some fun. And you know what, I liked all about Aiden, he was rather wonderful.
Selena is a widow and in dire straits. Her family is poor and she wants to give her siblings the freedom she did not have. But for that she would need to be raising a ducal heir, and she is not. Selena was played with this cool, calm voice and it fit her so well. She was the quintessential Duchess. I also liked that she had actually not had a bad marriage, no her husband had been kind, but they had been friends only. That is why her choices had me wondering, and I did not know what route I wanted her to take.
Sparks fly, they really want each other.
We meet the other Trelowe bastards, an interesting bunch to be sure!
But she is a Duchess, he is a commoner. She needs money to back her siblings in society. So that is the drama.
I enjoyed it.
Narrator
I did have to up the speed to 2x, but that is only a good thing in my book. I liked her calm Selena voice like I mentioned before, she was marvelous. She also had nice voices for the rest too. A good reading
sharonwb's review against another edition
3.0
This book moved slowly and too much rehashing of the family's history. The heroine was too worried about her sister's future for a bit too long in the book and was hard to connect with her.
kiana's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
4.5
Loved these characters. My favourite of the series so far.