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blodeuedd's review
3.0
Burrowes books are always so easy to read, they just flows, even when you get annoyed at the characters ;) But then again it would not be that easy to get me to marry you either if I just met you.
Maggie is the bastard daughter, still she is adopted and loved. Oh and she is 30, oh yes 30, I loved that. She is firmly in the shelf and she does not care cos she wants her independence. And with a mother who was a courtesan *coughs whore* I do get why she wants her freedom. I like an author that takes a chance with an older heroine.
Benjamin is someone we have seen around in previous books, he finds missing things, he digs up dirt on people. Not your usual kind of hero and of course I like him, because he is nice. So very nice and kind. He wants to protect Maggie and as in previous books he is the one who tries to make her see that they would be good together. I always love a hero who fights for that which he believes in.
Sure, one thing was silly but I got it, it was there to bring the drama forwards. Maggie is kind and loving and scared. That is why the big scandal is a secret. But with a talk she could have saved herself from much grief. Even I knew that something we found out could not be. And I did not really see what the scandal was about either. She is a walking scandal herself. Still was the whole deal does it brings the drama and the fear that everything will go downhill from now. That is exactly what kept me reading. I wanted to know if everything would work out and if they would live happily ever after (which they always do but a good authors makes me fear it none the less. )
Conclusion:
I can't say what made it so, but this was my favorite Grace Burrowes book to date. Light, exciting and with a happy ending that will make you smile.
Maggie is the bastard daughter, still she is adopted and loved. Oh and she is 30, oh yes 30, I loved that. She is firmly in the shelf and she does not care cos she wants her independence. And with a mother who was a courtesan *coughs whore* I do get why she wants her freedom. I like an author that takes a chance with an older heroine.
Benjamin is someone we have seen around in previous books, he finds missing things, he digs up dirt on people. Not your usual kind of hero and of course I like him, because he is nice. So very nice and kind. He wants to protect Maggie and as in previous books he is the one who tries to make her see that they would be good together. I always love a hero who fights for that which he believes in.
Sure, one thing was silly but I got it, it was there to bring the drama forwards. Maggie is kind and loving and scared. That is why the big scandal is a secret. But with a talk she could have saved herself from much grief. Even I knew that something we found out could not be. And I did not really see what the scandal was about either. She is a walking scandal herself. Still was the whole deal does it brings the drama and the fear that everything will go downhill from now. That is exactly what kept me reading. I wanted to know if everything would work out and if they would live happily ever after (which they always do but a good authors makes me fear it none the less. )
Conclusion:
I can't say what made it so, but this was my favorite Grace Burrowes book to date. Light, exciting and with a happy ending that will make you smile.
scoutmomskf's review
4.0
Good book. Lady Maggie is the Duke's oldest daughter. She is also illegitimate, though he did adopt her. She has been an important part of their family all along. Maggie is very independent and is determined that she won't marry. She has her own household and is a bit of a financial genius. When her reticule (purse) goes missing with some very personal items in it she hires Ben Hazlit to find it. Ben has worked for her family before and Maggie has always intrigued him. In order to find her missing property they will have to spend time together and he suggests a fake courtship to prevent rumors. But the more time they spend together the more Ben wants to make it real and Maggie is afraid to.
Maggie's independence is something she has worked hard for. Even though she loves her family and knows that she is loved by them, she still feels disconnected. She has distanced herself from them in order to protect them from her scandalous background. She is very conscious of being the daughter of a courtesan and lives a life that she keeps clear of any hint of impropriety. When her bag with some very personal letters goes missing she hires Ben to find it. But her stubbornness prevents her from telling him everything he needs to know to find it. She consents to his fake courtship, but is frustrated by the way that he acts as if it is real. She doesn't plan to ever marry as she doesn't want her background to reflect badly on a spouse. She is drawn to Ben in a way that she has never felt before. She would like nothing better than to make it real also but feels it is impossible. I loved her closeness to her family. She was determined to protect them and therefore didn't tell them what had been going on. I felt that she didn't give them the credit they deserved, as they would have solved her problem without her having to go through everything she went through. Her feelings for Ben were growing stronger every day but she still had problems trusting him enough to tell him everything. When she could separate herself from her problems, I loved seeing the wonderful relationship that was growing between them. Finally allowing herself to trust Ben completely not only solved her problem but knocked down the last of the barriers between herself and her family. She also allowed herself to fulfill her own dreams.
Ben has been working as an investigator to various members of society for a long time. He prides himself on his ability to do what needs to be done with discretion and honor. When Maggie comes to him for help he nearly turns her down because of her refusal to give him all the necessary information. But he is fascinated by her and also senses that the secrets she keeps are tearing her up. He uses the fake courtship as a way to meet with her without arousing suspicions but soon finds that he is more interested in Maggie herself than in finding her property. I really liked his ability to see beneath the prickles to the woman beneath. He saw in her the same kind of loneliness that he suffered from and found that he wanted to make their "courtship" real. His frustration at her secretiveness was real and he found himself doing things he didn't usually do while trying to help her. He was also very protective of her which started him realizing that she meant more to him that just a job. I loved his support of her and how he accepted how much her independence meant to her. The resolution of her problem was handled perfectly by Ben and her family.
I really enjoyed seeing more of the Duke's family. From being such a pain in the first books it becomes more obvious that the Duke loves his family very much. I really enjoyed seeing more of his relationship with his wife and how devoted they are to each other. I loved the way that they worked together for the benefit of their family. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship the brothers had with Maggie, their obvious love for her and how they wanted her to be happy.
Maggie's independence is something she has worked hard for. Even though she loves her family and knows that she is loved by them, she still feels disconnected. She has distanced herself from them in order to protect them from her scandalous background. She is very conscious of being the daughter of a courtesan and lives a life that she keeps clear of any hint of impropriety. When her bag with some very personal letters goes missing she hires Ben to find it. But her stubbornness prevents her from telling him everything he needs to know to find it. She consents to his fake courtship, but is frustrated by the way that he acts as if it is real. She doesn't plan to ever marry as she doesn't want her background to reflect badly on a spouse. She is drawn to Ben in a way that she has never felt before. She would like nothing better than to make it real also but feels it is impossible. I loved her closeness to her family. She was determined to protect them and therefore didn't tell them what had been going on. I felt that she didn't give them the credit they deserved, as they would have solved her problem without her having to go through everything she went through. Her feelings for Ben were growing stronger every day but she still had problems trusting him enough to tell him everything. When she could separate herself from her problems, I loved seeing the wonderful relationship that was growing between them. Finally allowing herself to trust Ben completely not only solved her problem but knocked down the last of the barriers between herself and her family. She also allowed herself to fulfill her own dreams.
Ben has been working as an investigator to various members of society for a long time. He prides himself on his ability to do what needs to be done with discretion and honor. When Maggie comes to him for help he nearly turns her down because of her refusal to give him all the necessary information. But he is fascinated by her and also senses that the secrets she keeps are tearing her up. He uses the fake courtship as a way to meet with her without arousing suspicions but soon finds that he is more interested in Maggie herself than in finding her property. I really liked his ability to see beneath the prickles to the woman beneath. He saw in her the same kind of loneliness that he suffered from and found that he wanted to make their "courtship" real. His frustration at her secretiveness was real and he found himself doing things he didn't usually do while trying to help her. He was also very protective of her which started him realizing that she meant more to him that just a job. I loved his support of her and how he accepted how much her independence meant to her. The resolution of her problem was handled perfectly by Ben and her family.
I really enjoyed seeing more of the Duke's family. From being such a pain in the first books it becomes more obvious that the Duke loves his family very much. I really enjoyed seeing more of his relationship with his wife and how devoted they are to each other. I loved the way that they worked together for the benefit of their family. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship the brothers had with Maggie, their obvious love for her and how they wanted her to be happy.
gasoline_allie's review against another edition
3.0
I've always enjoyed Grace Burrowes for her characters and all the emotion she pours into her stories. This book had that, but I think I liked the main characters more separately than together.
dgrachel's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I’ve enjoyed the earlier books in the series and this one as well. It’s got a good mystery as it’s background, a perfectly wretched villain, and a fake engagement trope done well. I love Lady Maggie. Burrowes writes characters with heart, ones that you can’t help but root for, and adds a fair amount of heat. I do wonder, though, if any of the Windhams don’t anticipate their vows before becoming pregnant. lol
bbckprpl's review
5.0
I usually hate coming in in the middle of a series, but this book just happened to be in my vicinity when nothing else was, and I read it anyways. I really enjoyed it: it fit a lot of standard regency romance conventions, but somehow managed to make them seem new. I think a lot of it had to do with the strength of the characters, especially Lady Maggie. Just really great, and I'm gonna load up on the rest of the series.
writer595's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.25
planetarypan's review
4.0
While I spent most of the novel wanting to smack some sense into Maggie's head for not letting people help her, I also adored watching Benjamin fall head over heels. From our previous dealings with him, I was pleasantly surprised to read such a charming portrayal.
crystalroses68's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0