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hmperson's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! It was such a cute story and unpredictable. I really like the depth of the characters and how they all fit together. I loved how well Grace and Lord Sutherland's personalities even each other out. This was such an enjoyable read and I plan to re-read it many times. Definitely one of my new favorites.
cchestnut's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
It was a sweet, clean regency book but a little slow at times. I could do without the unnecessary love triangle but I guess the author was setting up the next hero in book 2. I would have preferred more focus on the main couple.
It was a sweet, clean regency book but a little slow at times. I could do without the unnecessary love triangle but I guess the author was setting up the next hero in book 2. I would have preferred more focus on the main couple.
sonny's review
5.0
**Actually 4.5-rating**
I am having such a hard time coming to grips with this heroine's sensibilities, or what she is actually trying to do in order to--well, she is making it very difficult for her to be a viable "wife' prospect for a bunch of random men in Society that her father has deemed profitable for marriage. Her father has a huge gambling problem, in fact, it is possible the only thing he has done with himself that reeks of a "job", but he isn't very good at it. He has acquired a shit-ton of debts and having these prospective rich fiances/future husbands/sons-in-law in his sights makes him sleep better at night. But Grace, as the eldest sibling of a trio [Helen & Christopher], is the one their father is attempting to marry off first.
This is what is boggling my mind. I think her father is scheming. He is sending his older daughter, Grace out, on the random invites of these prospective husbands [I don't know that this is something that would be proper etiquette, but I am giving the benefit of doubt here] with a Lady's maid and a groomsman and a terribly cheaply constructed coach. Grace is thinking she can get out of these horrid men's betrothals by doing something or quite a few things that are "un-ladylike".
Hence why the first prospective groom we see her dressing to go fox hunting with him, and then he is so horrified on her antics that he kicks her out of his hunting party and his house. So she moves on to the next groom...and another situation happens where she injures herself, falling off her horse and has a Doctor/medical professional lie through his teeth to her possible fiance by saying she might never have children ever again because of HOW she was bruised in the fall--?? And she is on her way to another man's dwelling--another stranger called Mr. Preston, one who is actually hosting her at a nice ballroom soiree.
Anyway, caught in the rain, she and her servants get in an accident. Not an overturned coach, but they lose a wheel and the mud is so thick, I believe the coach is teetering a little, about to tip over. Not only is Grace drenched, she still has residual injuries plus new ones, especially from hitting her head in the coach accident--quite possibly a severe concussion. They had to walk in the rain, but only to the nearest dwelling, which just happened to be our male MC's estate, Lord Sutherland, or Nicholas. He is not there at this time of night, so his own servants put her in the only room that has been prepared. Because the house does expect their master to show, they simply do not know when he will arrive. Grace goes to rest in the bed, having taken off all her wet, sopping clothing and wearing a dry nightgown. It is very likely this woman is close to pneumonia and side effects of the concussion, as she is dizzy and unable to stay awake for long periods.
Little do the servants at this house know that Nicholas will be returning this very night, in the very hour that Grace is sleeping in his bed. Well, readers do not know this as it was simply mentioned "let's put her in the Blue Room" and we don't know what room that is at this point in time. When Nicholas arrives at home, his butler/valet thinks he has time to switch Grace out of the bed as he puts his master in his office, off to read all the piled-up correspondences. But one piece of mail disturbs him, sets him on edge of anger, and wishing to quit everything and head off to bed. It is an invitation to a ball/soiree at Mr. Preston's house and we are given this idea that Nicholas HATES this man with the fire of a thousand suns. It has something pretty tragic to do with Nicholas dear departed sister, Elizabeth, who he was genuinely close to during their years growing up in the very house he lives in.
Now we come to the moment when our two MCs meet, Nicholas & Grace. Nicholas was thought to spend quite a few hours inside his office, reading correspondences, but he won't...and he will do everything he can to leave in order to return to his bed-chamber. It feels peculiar to him because yes, it does look prepared for him, except he had sat in his chair near the fireplace and felt how "wet w/moisture" it was while he was fully dried off at this point. He pays it no mind and simply goes over to his huge bed and climbs in...only the minute he stretches out an arm, he literally hits another body laying beside him, somewhere.
This is where the book never quite "got" me, or that anyone with common sense would wrap their head around and understand why Grace took this moment to the levels she did. And why was she so desperate to ruin herself yet when she had a great opportunity, literally, dumped into her lap, she ran away like a frightened virgin or another female MC TSTL? Grace had varying moments of hardness, strength, determination and then that would all crumbled into being this fragile, simple-minded unicorn. I was frustrated enough to consider just backing out of the story, but I moved on because it became better, and Grace improved in personality to a certain degree. Well, maybe it was that she stopped being such a dichotomy and she was stable in one personality--the strong, independent one.
NOTHING HAPPENED IN THAT BED. Except maybe in the darkness and from rolling around blindly in tangled covers, Grace's long flowing nightgown got ripped at a seam. But even all his servants knew nothing had happened and her own knew this as well. Grace's reaction was... confounding, because while she did want to look unappealing and no way close to "wife material" to these strange men her father sent her to seek out proposals from... as I stated, the minute she is handed this moment she freaks out, becomes apoplectic almost and doesn't know what to do.
Except she knows exactly what to do which is to have her servants talk to HIS servants and spread false rumors that something actually DID happen. Which was all the more confusing with Grace's odd virginal freak-out. Privately she was outraged, and she knows she didn't do ANYTHING sexual or intimate, but then to discourage any man from marrying her ever again--thereby possibly ruining her family name as well and any chances of her two younger siblings marrying...she forces fake rumors to fly about them through the grapevine.
She leaves Nicholas's home with her two loyal servants - who know the falsehoods yet spread gossip; Grace asked them to - because she HAS TO show at this Mr. Preston's home next in order to arrive safely or the "party" being held in her honor. This is quite possibly when the book became something completely different from what it had been, and probably why Grace improved and finally chose whom she wanted to portray herself as. Grace has never met Preston, though HE has met her, from afar, and knows of her, which is why he asked to be introduced and is holding this party for her.
And, yes, Preston is looking to get married again, and there are several reasons why. One of which we finally discover why he and Nicholas are at such severe odds. Nicholas's dear precious sister, Elizabeth, was Mrs. Preston, once upon a time. Nicholas holds Preston [whose real name is Samuel] responsible for Elizabeth's death. But he is keeping a very huge secret from them, one that could most likely squash all this large divide between them [Nicholas & his mother] and Preston.
When Grace meets Preston, she sees not only a very handsome man but a kind, helpful and gentle one, too. He is very unlike all these creepy older men she has been sent to in order to seek out betrothals. She LIKES Samuel, so much so she strikes up an easy friendship with him and she can even see a "prospect" in maybe this once, giving in, except she still has conviction about NEVER giving into her father and marrying rich, because he will always use her...her sister and brother to get more and more cash to gamble away and pay off debts he owes.
Nicholas will show at Preston's house - because he did get an invite from his former BIL - but also because someone has made it impossible NOT to move on from the tiny mistake he did by climbing into his own bed and finding Grace there. If he is the "gentleman" he says he is he cannot walk away from all these fabricated rumors and gossip, and he's going to search for Grace and bring her back to his home in order to "protect" her name and good fortune. Maybe even become a stop-gap from any other men her father wishes to send in order to propose and seek out better income thru marriage. Nicholas not only is a better man but an even better human being. He does have ONE pittance against which is his trident anger toward Preston.
When Grace figures she will be safer in Nicholas's protection, [they BOTH determine they will merely give off the sense of being a couple and moving on close to an engagement] the only reason Grace will live with Nicholas is to eat up time. Time for them to allow their family to search out a proper lawyer so they can finally read with their own eyes how legal the situation is and where each sibling stands...especially in being prepared for their father going into a rager about Grace not securing a husband so they can move onto Helen's prospective husband.
Like I said the back half of the book is a much better story than the first half, and not only did Grace achieve a better sense of herself, but she also treated the people in her life, mainly Nicholas, much better than she had started out the gate. Not ALL men were bad guys; it's just she has a POS father. Nicholas does bring in viable chaperones so that it's not as if Grace and he are living in sin.
But, because Nicholas & Preston are neighbors...Grace carries on a secretive relationship with Preston where she will learn some pretty heartbreaking things...plus the biggest secret of all. Elizabeth - his wife...had a child, who is now 4yrs old. Nicholas nor his mother know of this young girl's existence and Preston has kept it this way because he fears what will happen if they do find out. This was quite possibly the only situation I really had misgivings with Grace for. The fact she kept seeing Preston and then when she did find out there is a "part" of Elizabeth living and breathing next door to Nicholas & his mother...O_O...she promises to never reveal it to Nicholas.
I get it. I understood not wishing to get involved in secrets and thinking someone's truth is MY TRUTH and I need to pass it on because...whoa, what a difference it could make to patching things up between everyone. I hated that the more Grace and Nicholas got closer, became friends and a little bit closer to intimacy and having feelings...she has THIS SECRET in her grasp and feels it's never going to be all right for her to reveal it to Nicholas. I just...yeah, I'm flabbergasted. She didn't have to wait, because...well, Elizabeth's daughter did find her way over to her Uncle's property and she introduced herself. So, yeah...the secret at this point just kind of exploded in everyone's face.
There is also a moment where Preston does something truly kind for Grace and it showed me that he could quite possibly be gaining feelings for Grace to a certain degree. Grace could sense it, too, but she was still doing her personal struggle with Nicholas, as they ebbed and flowed back to one another. Preston actually went and found Grace's siblings and brought them back to his house, so they are living with him, in his protection. Grace will know this but never tell Nicholas that the sister she writes to is actually RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
Let me say this...Nicholas had the patience of a god damn saint which is why I like him a step or two above Grace. I enjoyed them together because they did develop slowly and intricately, but the shit he had to put up with from Grace's family drama and her father's lechery and gambling was just unheard of. Thing is - and I kind of saw this happening, as well - other romances are going on in the background that we are not privy to.
Mainly that Preston and Grace's sister, Helen, actually got to know one another and formed their own close intimate bond that flourished into love and marriage. Preston did make a random proposal to Grace, during one of their final secret meetings, but she outright rejected him to his face. While he was a little hurt he wasn't utterly devastated. And since Helen's book is next up, I think we will find out exactly what occurred when that happened. Readers might assume the same situation Grace was in will plague Preston/Helen in the next story. Lets really hope that Helen has a better head screwed on her shoulders than her sister.
I am having such a hard time coming to grips with this heroine's sensibilities, or what she is actually trying to do in order to--well, she is making it very difficult for her to be a viable "wife' prospect for a bunch of random men in Society that her father has deemed profitable for marriage. Her father has a huge gambling problem, in fact, it is possible the only thing he has done with himself that reeks of a "job", but he isn't very good at it. He has acquired a shit-ton of debts and having these prospective rich fiances/future husbands/sons-in-law in his sights makes him sleep better at night. But Grace, as the eldest sibling of a trio [Helen & Christopher], is the one their father is attempting to marry off first.
This is what is boggling my mind. I think her father is scheming. He is sending his older daughter, Grace out, on the random invites of these prospective husbands [I don't know that this is something that would be proper etiquette, but I am giving the benefit of doubt here] with a Lady's maid and a groomsman and a terribly cheaply constructed coach. Grace is thinking she can get out of these horrid men's betrothals by doing something or quite a few things that are "un-ladylike".
Hence why the first prospective groom we see her dressing to go fox hunting with him, and then he is so horrified on her antics that he kicks her out of his hunting party and his house. So she moves on to the next groom...and another situation happens where she injures herself, falling off her horse and has a Doctor/medical professional lie through his teeth to her possible fiance by saying she might never have children ever again because of HOW she was bruised in the fall--?? And she is on her way to another man's dwelling--another stranger called Mr. Preston, one who is actually hosting her at a nice ballroom soiree.
Anyway, caught in the rain, she and her servants get in an accident. Not an overturned coach, but they lose a wheel and the mud is so thick, I believe the coach is teetering a little, about to tip over. Not only is Grace drenched, she still has residual injuries plus new ones, especially from hitting her head in the coach accident--quite possibly a severe concussion. They had to walk in the rain, but only to the nearest dwelling, which just happened to be our male MC's estate, Lord Sutherland, or Nicholas. He is not there at this time of night, so his own servants put her in the only room that has been prepared. Because the house does expect their master to show, they simply do not know when he will arrive. Grace goes to rest in the bed, having taken off all her wet, sopping clothing and wearing a dry nightgown. It is very likely this woman is close to pneumonia and side effects of the concussion, as she is dizzy and unable to stay awake for long periods.
Little do the servants at this house know that Nicholas will be returning this very night, in the very hour that Grace is sleeping in his bed. Well, readers do not know this as it was simply mentioned "let's put her in the Blue Room" and we don't know what room that is at this point in time. When Nicholas arrives at home, his butler/valet thinks he has time to switch Grace out of the bed as he puts his master in his office, off to read all the piled-up correspondences. But one piece of mail disturbs him, sets him on edge of anger, and wishing to quit everything and head off to bed. It is an invitation to a ball/soiree at Mr. Preston's house and we are given this idea that Nicholas HATES this man with the fire of a thousand suns. It has something pretty tragic to do with Nicholas dear departed sister, Elizabeth, who he was genuinely close to during their years growing up in the very house he lives in.
Now we come to the moment when our two MCs meet, Nicholas & Grace. Nicholas was thought to spend quite a few hours inside his office, reading correspondences, but he won't...and he will do everything he can to leave in order to return to his bed-chamber. It feels peculiar to him because yes, it does look prepared for him, except he had sat in his chair near the fireplace and felt how "wet w/moisture" it was while he was fully dried off at this point. He pays it no mind and simply goes over to his huge bed and climbs in...only the minute he stretches out an arm, he literally hits another body laying beside him, somewhere.
This is where the book never quite "got" me, or that anyone with common sense would wrap their head around and understand why Grace took this moment to the levels she did. And why was she so desperate to ruin herself yet when she had a great opportunity, literally, dumped into her lap, she ran away like a frightened virgin or another female MC TSTL? Grace had varying moments of hardness, strength, determination and then that would all crumbled into being this fragile, simple-minded unicorn. I was frustrated enough to consider just backing out of the story, but I moved on because it became better, and Grace improved in personality to a certain degree. Well, maybe it was that she stopped being such a dichotomy and she was stable in one personality--the strong, independent one.
NOTHING HAPPENED IN THAT BED. Except maybe in the darkness and from rolling around blindly in tangled covers, Grace's long flowing nightgown got ripped at a seam. But even all his servants knew nothing had happened and her own knew this as well. Grace's reaction was... confounding, because while she did want to look unappealing and no way close to "wife material" to these strange men her father sent her to seek out proposals from... as I stated, the minute she is handed this moment she freaks out, becomes apoplectic almost and doesn't know what to do.
Except she knows exactly what to do which is to have her servants talk to HIS servants and spread false rumors that something actually DID happen. Which was all the more confusing with Grace's odd virginal freak-out. Privately she was outraged, and she knows she didn't do ANYTHING sexual or intimate, but then to discourage any man from marrying her ever again--thereby possibly ruining her family name as well and any chances of her two younger siblings marrying...she forces fake rumors to fly about them through the grapevine.
She leaves Nicholas's home with her two loyal servants - who know the falsehoods yet spread gossip; Grace asked them to - because she HAS TO show at this Mr. Preston's home next in order to arrive safely or the "party" being held in her honor. This is quite possibly when the book became something completely different from what it had been, and probably why Grace improved and finally chose whom she wanted to portray herself as. Grace has never met Preston, though HE has met her, from afar, and knows of her, which is why he asked to be introduced and is holding this party for her.
And, yes, Preston is looking to get married again, and there are several reasons why. One of which we finally discover why he and Nicholas are at such severe odds. Nicholas's dear precious sister, Elizabeth, was Mrs. Preston, once upon a time. Nicholas holds Preston [whose real name is Samuel] responsible for Elizabeth's death. But he is keeping a very huge secret from them, one that could most likely squash all this large divide between them [Nicholas & his mother] and Preston.
When Grace meets Preston, she sees not only a very handsome man but a kind, helpful and gentle one, too. He is very unlike all these creepy older men she has been sent to in order to seek out betrothals. She LIKES Samuel, so much so she strikes up an easy friendship with him and she can even see a "prospect" in maybe this once, giving in, except she still has conviction about NEVER giving into her father and marrying rich, because he will always use her...her sister and brother to get more and more cash to gamble away and pay off debts he owes.
Nicholas will show at Preston's house - because he did get an invite from his former BIL - but also because someone has made it impossible NOT to move on from the tiny mistake he did by climbing into his own bed and finding Grace there. If he is the "gentleman" he says he is he cannot walk away from all these fabricated rumors and gossip, and he's going to search for Grace and bring her back to his home in order to "protect" her name and good fortune. Maybe even become a stop-gap from any other men her father wishes to send in order to propose and seek out better income thru marriage. Nicholas not only is a better man but an even better human being. He does have ONE pittance against which is his trident anger toward Preston.
When Grace figures she will be safer in Nicholas's protection, [they BOTH determine they will merely give off the sense of being a couple and moving on close to an engagement] the only reason Grace will live with Nicholas is to eat up time. Time for them to allow their family to search out a proper lawyer so they can finally read with their own eyes how legal the situation is and where each sibling stands...especially in being prepared for their father going into a rager about Grace not securing a husband so they can move onto Helen's prospective husband.
Like I said the back half of the book is a much better story than the first half, and not only did Grace achieve a better sense of herself, but she also treated the people in her life, mainly Nicholas, much better than she had started out the gate. Not ALL men were bad guys; it's just she has a POS father. Nicholas does bring in viable chaperones so that it's not as if Grace and he are living in sin.
But, because Nicholas & Preston are neighbors...Grace carries on a secretive relationship with Preston where she will learn some pretty heartbreaking things...plus the biggest secret of all. Elizabeth - his wife...had a child, who is now 4yrs old. Nicholas nor his mother know of this young girl's existence and Preston has kept it this way because he fears what will happen if they do find out. This was quite possibly the only situation I really had misgivings with Grace for. The fact she kept seeing Preston and then when she did find out there is a "part" of Elizabeth living and breathing next door to Nicholas & his mother...O_O...she promises to never reveal it to Nicholas.
I get it. I understood not wishing to get involved in secrets and thinking someone's truth is MY TRUTH and I need to pass it on because...whoa, what a difference it could make to patching things up between everyone. I hated that the more Grace and Nicholas got closer, became friends and a little bit closer to intimacy and having feelings...she has THIS SECRET in her grasp and feels it's never going to be all right for her to reveal it to Nicholas. I just...yeah, I'm flabbergasted. She didn't have to wait, because...well, Elizabeth's daughter did find her way over to her Uncle's property and she introduced herself. So, yeah...the secret at this point just kind of exploded in everyone's face.
There is also a moment where Preston does something truly kind for Grace and it showed me that he could quite possibly be gaining feelings for Grace to a certain degree. Grace could sense it, too, but she was still doing her personal struggle with Nicholas, as they ebbed and flowed back to one another. Preston actually went and found Grace's siblings and brought them back to his house, so they are living with him, in his protection. Grace will know this but never tell Nicholas that the sister she writes to is actually RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
Let me say this...Nicholas had the patience of a god damn saint which is why I like him a step or two above Grace. I enjoyed them together because they did develop slowly and intricately, but the shit he had to put up with from Grace's family drama and her father's lechery and gambling was just unheard of. Thing is - and I kind of saw this happening, as well - other romances are going on in the background that we are not privy to.
Mainly that Preston and Grace's sister, Helen, actually got to know one another and formed their own close intimate bond that flourished into love and marriage. Preston did make a random proposal to Grace, during one of their final secret meetings, but she outright rejected him to his face. While he was a little hurt he wasn't utterly devastated. And since Helen's book is next up, I think we will find out exactly what occurred when that happened. Readers might assume the same situation Grace was in will plague Preston/Helen in the next story. Lets really hope that Helen has a better head screwed on her shoulders than her sister.
readawaytherain's review
4.0
This book started off really well. The writing style was very pleasant and because of the instant action I easily found myself submerged in the book. Eventhough the setting of this book is historical the book doesn't include very much historical details because it focuses mainly on the characters.
Grace Thatcher was an entertaining main character. Eventhough she somtimes appeared a bit naive about the consequences of her actions I liked how she was very active in her own life and would not let anyone else decide her fate. I didn't like Nicholas Sutherland in the beginning of the book at all and I also didn't really expect that to change, but somehow I ended up liking him and really rooting for him and Grace. The other characters don't appear too often, besides from Preston, and I would have liked to get to know them better.
The middle of the book is a little less interesting than the beginning, but it gets better again towards the end. Although the ending is quite predictable (there were also definitely some surprises in this book) I was really eager to see it all resolved the way I wanted it to.
Grace Thatcher was an entertaining main character. Eventhough she somtimes appeared a bit naive about the consequences of her actions I liked how she was very active in her own life and would not let anyone else decide her fate. I didn't like Nicholas Sutherland in the beginning of the book at all and I also didn't really expect that to change, but somehow I ended up liking him and really rooting for him and Grace. The other characters don't appear too often, besides from Preston, and I would have liked to get to know them better.
The middle of the book is a little less interesting than the beginning, but it gets better again towards the end. Although the ending is quite predictable (there were also definitely some surprises in this book) I was really eager to see it all resolved the way I wanted it to.
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