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megales's review
4.0
More of 3.5 stars, but still a cute collection. I liked how the first novella picks up with the character of Griffin, from "The Ugly Duchess." It was the shorter of the two stories in this book, but it was cute. I kind of loved that after marrying his wife and ending up at sea for fourteen years he names his ship The Poppy after her, has a poppy tattoo under his eye. But her name is actually Phoebe and he's had it wrong for years.
The second novella is about Griffin and Phoebe's son Colin, and the main characters of The Ugly Duchess- Theo and James' daughter Grace. Basically it shows pieces of their lives when they were children into adults. I liked that Grace was very proper outwardly but feels things so deeply internally; and that she's a great artist who sends basically little cartoons of their two families to keep Colin's morale up. I also liked that while Colin, introduced as a little boy, wanted nothing else than go to sea, but as an adult the reality was very different. He's got some PTSD going on, it was dealt with but I wonder how this story could have been expanded even more if it was a full novel length. It's nearly two hundred pages, but it would be interesting to see further areas explored, and yes, maybe a few more cameos from Theo and James especially. I also wondered what happened to Lily? Did she grow up and become less silly, did she end up Fred (who has been her childhood nemesis) because I thought that would be funny. But it's not their story in the end, it's about Colin and Grace, who are super adorable.
Put together and read with the original novel, it is a nice revisiting of those characters in these novellas.
The second novella is about Griffin and Phoebe's son Colin, and the main characters of The Ugly Duchess- Theo and James' daughter Grace. Basically it shows pieces of their lives when they were children into adults. I liked that Grace was very proper outwardly but feels things so deeply internally; and that she's a great artist who sends basically little cartoons of their two families to keep Colin's morale up. I also liked that while Colin, introduced as a little boy, wanted nothing else than go to sea, but as an adult the reality was very different. He's got some PTSD going on, it was dealt with but I wonder how this story could have been expanded even more if it was a full novel length. It's nearly two hundred pages, but it would be interesting to see further areas explored, and yes, maybe a few more cameos from Theo and James especially. I also wondered what happened to Lily? Did she grow up and become less silly, did she end up Fred (who has been her childhood nemesis) because I thought that would be funny. But it's not their story in the end, it's about Colin and Grace, who are super adorable.
Put together and read with the original novel, it is a nice revisiting of those characters in these novellas.
scoutmomskf's review
5.0
Seduced by a Pirate
After years at sea, Sir Griffin Barry comes home to claim his wife. But is Phoebe his wife if their marriage was never consummated?
As an infamous pirate, Griffin claimed and kept gold and jewels . . . but this is one treasure that will not be so easy to capture.
We met Griffin in The Ugly Duchess when he returned to England with his cousin and fellow pirate. It's past time for him to return to the wife he left fourteen years ago after a disastrous wedding night. Phoebe has been quite content with her life and has no desire to add Griffin back into the mix.
I really liked both Griffin and Phoebe. Griffin has come back and knows he must reconnect with Phoebe and make his marriage real. He doesn't expect to be confronted with a woman who has three young children and every intention of dissolving their marriage. But Griffin is fascinated by her and attracted to her. He has no plan to let her go and every intention of seducing her to his way of thinking. I really liked the way he didn't get mad when he thought Phoebe had been with another man even though he did admit to some jealousy. I loved seeing how much he actually liked Phoebe as well as being attracted to her. I also loved seeing how much he liked the children and enjoyed being around them.
I loved Phoebe's independence. She had been married to Griffin because her merchant father wanted her to marry a title. When Griffin ran off on their wedding night she took the opportunity to live her life the way she wanted to. She wasn't interested in society doings and was quite happy at home. When the children came along she was even happier. She is not happy when Griffin returns to England and intends to ask him to dissolve the marriage. She is stunned when she sees him because he is nothing like the seventeen year old boy she married. She is confused by the feelings he stirs in her. I loved her independence and how she was quite happy to live life on her terms. I really enjoyed her reaction to the changes in Griffin's appearance. Seeing her try to deal with her feelings was fun to watch. I loved seeing her decide to go with it and see what happens. She ended up taming the pirate - but not too much.
With This Kiss
Lady Grace Ryburn is in love with a dashing young lieutenant, Colin Barry, but she turns away, thinking that Colin is in love with her sister.
Should Colin throw propriety to the wind, imitate his pirate father, and simply take what he most desires?
Good book. Colin, oldest of the Barry children from Seduced by a Pirate, finally got his wish and went to sea. While he is glad to be there parts of it aren't what he expected. He confides in his young friend Grace that hearing about the ordinary things from home helps him forget so she starts writing to him. Over the next several years she continues to write, even though he rarely answers. She sees him when he comes home on his rare visits, but they are still just friends. But as her feelings start to change she has to deal with the disapproval of her family and Colin's sudden interest in her younger sister.
I liked both Grace and Colin. As the oldest of her siblings, Grace is the responsible one who follows all the rules. When her family gets together with that of the Barry's on their yearly holiday she spends a little time with Colin who she notices is quieter than usual. She is pleased when he confides in her and offers to write to him while he is gone. Over the years she wishes he would write back more often but is happy he talks to her when he visits. Once she is older her parents decide it is no longer appropriate for her to write to him, so she must stop. About this time Colin sees Lily on one of his visits home and suddenly thinks he's in love with her. This breaks Grace's heart, but she isn't going to stand in the way of her sister's happiness. Eventually she succumbs to the courtship of another man, until Colin arrives back in England having been wounded. I really liked Grace's sensitivity to Colin's difficulties even as a child. She seemed to see more than anyone else did. Just as she was ready to confess her feelings to him, she saw his reaction to Lily. While I appreciated that her love for her sister made her withdraw, I wished she had been a bit more aggressive in making her feelings known. I really wanted to smack her for settling for someone else. I loved it when Colin came back and she threw all the rules out the window. She didn't care about his injuries she just wanted to be with the man she loved. I really loved seeing them get to know each other as adults.
I loved Colin from the time he was a kid. Once he was grown and had started his career in the navy he showed the effects of his upbringing. He was very good at what he did, but he doesn't enjoy the death and destruction. He can feel it eating away at his soul until he finds himself confiding in Grace. Something about her makes it easy to talk to her. Over the years her letters are a lifeline for him. He has sent an occasional brief responses but can never find the words to truly respond. He doesn't want to inflict the horrors he's seen on her. Back in England on leave he attends a ball hoping to see Grace, but is dazzled by Lily. He spends the next few days with her when possible and even asks her father for her hand. He is denied and heads back to sea. He comes to his senses and realizes it is Grace he really wants, but then is injured. He is discharged from the navy and sent home to recover. I loved seeing Colin's connection with Grace. It was obvious how much he cared for her, but because of the age difference he just didn't see it. I wanted to smack him when he got distracted by Lily. I was glad to see him come to his senses about her and realize that he loved Grace. After his injury he just wanted to go home and avoid everyone. I loved the way that Grace took charge of him. His dreams of her were very interesting and that last "dream" was especially vivid to him. I loved seeing him finally able to convince Grace that it was her that he really wanted.
After years at sea, Sir Griffin Barry comes home to claim his wife. But is Phoebe his wife if their marriage was never consummated?
As an infamous pirate, Griffin claimed and kept gold and jewels . . . but this is one treasure that will not be so easy to capture.
We met Griffin in The Ugly Duchess when he returned to England with his cousin and fellow pirate. It's past time for him to return to the wife he left fourteen years ago after a disastrous wedding night. Phoebe has been quite content with her life and has no desire to add Griffin back into the mix.
I really liked both Griffin and Phoebe. Griffin has come back and knows he must reconnect with Phoebe and make his marriage real. He doesn't expect to be confronted with a woman who has three young children and every intention of dissolving their marriage. But Griffin is fascinated by her and attracted to her. He has no plan to let her go and every intention of seducing her to his way of thinking. I really liked the way he didn't get mad when he thought Phoebe had been with another man even though he did admit to some jealousy. I loved seeing how much he actually liked Phoebe as well as being attracted to her. I also loved seeing how much he liked the children and enjoyed being around them.
I loved Phoebe's independence. She had been married to Griffin because her merchant father wanted her to marry a title. When Griffin ran off on their wedding night she took the opportunity to live her life the way she wanted to. She wasn't interested in society doings and was quite happy at home. When the children came along she was even happier. She is not happy when Griffin returns to England and intends to ask him to dissolve the marriage. She is stunned when she sees him because he is nothing like the seventeen year old boy she married. She is confused by the feelings he stirs in her. I loved her independence and how she was quite happy to live life on her terms. I really enjoyed her reaction to the changes in Griffin's appearance. Seeing her try to deal with her feelings was fun to watch. I loved seeing her decide to go with it and see what happens. She ended up taming the pirate - but not too much.
With This Kiss
Lady Grace Ryburn is in love with a dashing young lieutenant, Colin Barry, but she turns away, thinking that Colin is in love with her sister.
Should Colin throw propriety to the wind, imitate his pirate father, and simply take what he most desires?
Good book. Colin, oldest of the Barry children from Seduced by a Pirate, finally got his wish and went to sea. While he is glad to be there parts of it aren't what he expected. He confides in his young friend Grace that hearing about the ordinary things from home helps him forget so she starts writing to him. Over the next several years she continues to write, even though he rarely answers. She sees him when he comes home on his rare visits, but they are still just friends. But as her feelings start to change she has to deal with the disapproval of her family and Colin's sudden interest in her younger sister.
I liked both Grace and Colin. As the oldest of her siblings, Grace is the responsible one who follows all the rules. When her family gets together with that of the Barry's on their yearly holiday she spends a little time with Colin who she notices is quieter than usual. She is pleased when he confides in her and offers to write to him while he is gone. Over the years she wishes he would write back more often but is happy he talks to her when he visits. Once she is older her parents decide it is no longer appropriate for her to write to him, so she must stop. About this time Colin sees Lily on one of his visits home and suddenly thinks he's in love with her. This breaks Grace's heart, but she isn't going to stand in the way of her sister's happiness. Eventually she succumbs to the courtship of another man, until Colin arrives back in England having been wounded. I really liked Grace's sensitivity to Colin's difficulties even as a child. She seemed to see more than anyone else did. Just as she was ready to confess her feelings to him, she saw his reaction to Lily. While I appreciated that her love for her sister made her withdraw, I wished she had been a bit more aggressive in making her feelings known. I really wanted to smack her for settling for someone else. I loved it when Colin came back and she threw all the rules out the window. She didn't care about his injuries she just wanted to be with the man she loved. I really loved seeing them get to know each other as adults.
I loved Colin from the time he was a kid. Once he was grown and had started his career in the navy he showed the effects of his upbringing. He was very good at what he did, but he doesn't enjoy the death and destruction. He can feel it eating away at his soul until he finds himself confiding in Grace. Something about her makes it easy to talk to her. Over the years her letters are a lifeline for him. He has sent an occasional brief responses but can never find the words to truly respond. He doesn't want to inflict the horrors he's seen on her. Back in England on leave he attends a ball hoping to see Grace, but is dazzled by Lily. He spends the next few days with her when possible and even asks her father for her hand. He is denied and heads back to sea. He comes to his senses and realizes it is Grace he really wants, but then is injured. He is discharged from the navy and sent home to recover. I loved seeing Colin's connection with Grace. It was obvious how much he cared for her, but because of the age difference he just didn't see it. I wanted to smack him when he got distracted by Lily. I was glad to see him come to his senses about her and realize that he loved Grace. After his injury he just wanted to go home and avoid everyone. I loved the way that Grace took charge of him. His dreams of her were very interesting and that last "dream" was especially vivid to him. I loved seeing him finally able to convince Grace that it was her that he really wanted.
witandsin's review
5.0
“With This Kiss: Part One”
As a girl, Lady Grace Ryburn fell in love with Colin Barry. Since their families have always been extremely close, Grace was able to write Colin once he joined the Royal Navy. The connection forged by her letters only served to make her fall more deeply in love with him. Now that she’s out in society (however much a wallflower), Grace hopes that Colin will notice her when he comes to London on leave. But will her dreams of romance be dashed when it’s not Grace, but her beautiful sister who catches Colin’s eye?
“With This Kiss: Part One” is heartbreakingly beautiful. In this first installment of Colin and Grace’s love story, author Eloisa James brought tears to my eyes even as she captivated me with this gorgeously woven tale.
Grace is the biggest reason I fell in love with “With This Kiss: Part One.” She's smart, kind, relatable, and she endeared herself to me immediately. What broke my heart is that Grace — an ordinary-looking wallflower — is almost always overshadowed by her vibrant, stunning younger sister, Lily. Everyone falls in love with Lily…including Colin. To her credit, Ms. James doesn’t make Lily a vain or unlikeable character. It’s actually easy to see why Colin, haunted by the battles he has to face at sea, is drawn to someone as convivial as Lily. In “With This Kiss: Part One,” it’s Colin himself who is the biggest obstacle when it comes to his and Grace’s romance. While Colin is everything that’s appealing in a hero, he’s too blind to see that he’s in love with Grace until it’s almost too late. Yet even though I shook my head at him for his overlooking Grace, Ms. James made me understand Colin and why he makes the mistakes he does.
Ms. James packs a lot of action into “With This Kiss: Part One.” I can guarantee that you’ll want to make enough time to read the story in one sitting, because it’s impossible to put it down. While “With This Kiss: Part One” can easily be read as a standalone, fans of Ms. James’s work are in for a treat. Grace is the eldest daughter of James and Theodora of The Ugly Duchess, and Colin is the eldest adopted son of Griffin and Phoebe of “Seduced by a Pirate.” The Ryburn and Barry families are as close as ever in “With This Kiss: Part One,” so if you enjoyed The Ugly Duchess and “Seduced by a Pirate” you’ll surely be delighted to revisit some of your favorite characters.
With This Kiss: Part One is a fantastic story that I loved from beginning to end. I Joyfully Recommend it! Just be warned, the cliffhanger ending will have you on the edge of your seat for parts two and three of “With This Kiss.”
“With This Kiss: Part Two”
Lady Grace Ryburn knows that the man she loves, Captain Colin Barry, will never love her back. After all, he did ask for her sister’s hand in marriage. Grace is happy to accept a marriage proposal from a kind Scottish lord and she’s determined to focus on her future with her fiancé, rather than dwell on the heartbreak Colin caused. But when Colin is wounded in battle and returns to London, Grace finds it impossible to put him out of her mind. Will Grace turn her back on the rules of propriety she was raised to follow and risk everything to win the heart of a man who’s never seen her as more than a friend?
Grace and Colin’s relationship changes forever in “With This Kiss: Part Two.” As one might expect, given the title, “With This Kiss” is a story that should be read in order. This second installment of Colin and Grace’s love story picks up where “With This Kiss: Part One” left off. Colin’s realization that Grace is the one for him doesn’t mean that things flow smoothly for the pair. Colin’s wounds — both physical and emotional — combined with multiple misunderstandings threaten to destroy both Grace’s plan to win Colin’s heart and his hopes of marrying her. Though it is very much a bridge story, “With This Kiss: Part Two” doesn’t lack for excitement. Ms. James keeps things moving at a fast pace and neither Colin nor Grace are predictable in the slightest. Ms. James had me on the edge of my seat for the whole of “With This Kiss: Part Two,” and I finished it wanting to dive right into the final chapter of Colin and Grace’s romance, “With This Kiss: Part Three.”
“With This Kiss: Part Three”
Captain Colin Barry has returned home from a life at sea wounded both inside and out. He knows he doesn’t deserve Lady Grace Ryburn, a woman he never saw as more than a friend until it was too late and she was engaged to someone else. But now that Colin has her alone, he realizes he can’t let Grace go. Throwing the rules of propriety to the wind, Colin embraces the attitude of his pirate father and sets out to capture the heart of the woman he loves.
Eloisa James brings Colin and Grace’s spellbinding romance to a close in “With This Kiss: Part Three.” After all the hurt, misunderstandings, and pure, unadulterated emotion in the first two “With This Kiss” installments, I was eager to see Colin and Grace find the happily ever after they so deserved. And boy did Ms. James make the culmination of their love story worth it. After everything Grace has been through, it’s not easy for her to believe that Colin could really love her. I loved watching Colin convince her that she absolutely is the woman for him. They’re such a great match that I almost hated to see their story end. Indeed, the epilogue of “With This Kiss: Part Three” has me desperately hoping Ms. James will pen more stories about the Ryburn and Barry families.
“With This Kiss: Part Three” is sexy, yet sweet at the same time. Don’t miss out on Colin and Grace’s story — read all three parts of “With This Kiss” in order and be prepared to be swept away!
“Seduced by a Pirate”
After fourteen years at sea as a pirate and privateer, Sir Griffin Barry is finally returning home. At least, that’s his plan. As Griffin hasn’t seen his wife since he was seventeen and leapt out of their bedroom window on their disastrous wedding night, he isn’t exactly sure his wife will let him through the front door, never mind welcome him into her bed. But Griffin isn’t a nervous seventeen-year-old anymore — he’s a pirate. And he’s determined to win the heart of the bride he left behind.
What he doesn’t expect is that his wife has a few surprises in store for him herself…
Forget the high seas — the real adventure is on land in “Seduced by a Pirate.” Griffin and Phoebe are truly delightful protagonists. Griffin may not have been the perfect husband at the beginning of the story — he ran away to get drunk after a wedding night embarrassment, got press-ganged onto a pirate ship, then sailed the seas for fourteen years before returning home — but he’s considerably more grown up than he was before. I love the mature Griffin, who’s caring, honest with himself and others… And yes, devilishly sexy. Phoebe, in turn, is a warm, intelligent heroine who’s made her own life in Griffin’s absence but doesn’t turn her reformed-pirate husband away when he graces her doorstep. Griffin and Phoebe are two people who may not have been right for one another when they wed, but having matured they’re a perfect fit. I loved watching them fall for each other; Ms. James made their romance so entertaining I devoured “Seduced by a Pirate” in one sitting.
“Seduced by a Pirate” can be read as a standalone, but it is a companion story to The Ugly Duchess, which featured Griffin’s cousin and fellow privateer James as the hero. Having enjoyed The Ugly Duchess, I went into reading “Seduced by a Pirate” with high expectations. Ms. James not only met those expectations, she surpassed them. There’s genuine warmth and humor in “Seduced by a Pirate” that utterly charms me every time I think about the story. My only wish is that the story had been a bit longer, and only because I adored Griffin and Phoebe so much that I couldn’t bear for “Seduced by a Pirate” to end. I’ve been seduced by Griffin and Phoebe’s romance and I cannot wait to read it again!
As You Wish is a book that is as warm and inviting as its characters. Eloisa James never fails to deliver a spectacular story and she does so with both “Seduced by a Pirate” and “With This Kiss.” Dashing former pirates and naval captains make excellent heroes, particularly when they’re trying to win over the strong, intelligent women who’ve captured their hearts. As You Wish is a delicious treat for fans of historical romance!
Note: “Seduced by a Pirate” and all three parts of “With This Kiss” are also available as individual e-books.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
As a girl, Lady Grace Ryburn fell in love with Colin Barry. Since their families have always been extremely close, Grace was able to write Colin once he joined the Royal Navy. The connection forged by her letters only served to make her fall more deeply in love with him. Now that she’s out in society (however much a wallflower), Grace hopes that Colin will notice her when he comes to London on leave. But will her dreams of romance be dashed when it’s not Grace, but her beautiful sister who catches Colin’s eye?
“With This Kiss: Part One” is heartbreakingly beautiful. In this first installment of Colin and Grace’s love story, author Eloisa James brought tears to my eyes even as she captivated me with this gorgeously woven tale.
Grace is the biggest reason I fell in love with “With This Kiss: Part One.” She's smart, kind, relatable, and she endeared herself to me immediately. What broke my heart is that Grace — an ordinary-looking wallflower — is almost always overshadowed by her vibrant, stunning younger sister, Lily. Everyone falls in love with Lily…including Colin. To her credit, Ms. James doesn’t make Lily a vain or unlikeable character. It’s actually easy to see why Colin, haunted by the battles he has to face at sea, is drawn to someone as convivial as Lily. In “With This Kiss: Part One,” it’s Colin himself who is the biggest obstacle when it comes to his and Grace’s romance. While Colin is everything that’s appealing in a hero, he’s too blind to see that he’s in love with Grace until it’s almost too late. Yet even though I shook my head at him for his overlooking Grace, Ms. James made me understand Colin and why he makes the mistakes he does.
Ms. James packs a lot of action into “With This Kiss: Part One.” I can guarantee that you’ll want to make enough time to read the story in one sitting, because it’s impossible to put it down. While “With This Kiss: Part One” can easily be read as a standalone, fans of Ms. James’s work are in for a treat. Grace is the eldest daughter of James and Theodora of The Ugly Duchess, and Colin is the eldest adopted son of Griffin and Phoebe of “Seduced by a Pirate.” The Ryburn and Barry families are as close as ever in “With This Kiss: Part One,” so if you enjoyed The Ugly Duchess and “Seduced by a Pirate” you’ll surely be delighted to revisit some of your favorite characters.
With This Kiss: Part One is a fantastic story that I loved from beginning to end. I Joyfully Recommend it! Just be warned, the cliffhanger ending will have you on the edge of your seat for parts two and three of “With This Kiss.”
“With This Kiss: Part Two”
Lady Grace Ryburn knows that the man she loves, Captain Colin Barry, will never love her back. After all, he did ask for her sister’s hand in marriage. Grace is happy to accept a marriage proposal from a kind Scottish lord and she’s determined to focus on her future with her fiancé, rather than dwell on the heartbreak Colin caused. But when Colin is wounded in battle and returns to London, Grace finds it impossible to put him out of her mind. Will Grace turn her back on the rules of propriety she was raised to follow and risk everything to win the heart of a man who’s never seen her as more than a friend?
Grace and Colin’s relationship changes forever in “With This Kiss: Part Two.” As one might expect, given the title, “With This Kiss” is a story that should be read in order. This second installment of Colin and Grace’s love story picks up where “With This Kiss: Part One” left off. Colin’s realization that Grace is the one for him doesn’t mean that things flow smoothly for the pair. Colin’s wounds — both physical and emotional — combined with multiple misunderstandings threaten to destroy both Grace’s plan to win Colin’s heart and his hopes of marrying her. Though it is very much a bridge story, “With This Kiss: Part Two” doesn’t lack for excitement. Ms. James keeps things moving at a fast pace and neither Colin nor Grace are predictable in the slightest. Ms. James had me on the edge of my seat for the whole of “With This Kiss: Part Two,” and I finished it wanting to dive right into the final chapter of Colin and Grace’s romance, “With This Kiss: Part Three.”
“With This Kiss: Part Three”
Captain Colin Barry has returned home from a life at sea wounded both inside and out. He knows he doesn’t deserve Lady Grace Ryburn, a woman he never saw as more than a friend until it was too late and she was engaged to someone else. But now that Colin has her alone, he realizes he can’t let Grace go. Throwing the rules of propriety to the wind, Colin embraces the attitude of his pirate father and sets out to capture the heart of the woman he loves.
Eloisa James brings Colin and Grace’s spellbinding romance to a close in “With This Kiss: Part Three.” After all the hurt, misunderstandings, and pure, unadulterated emotion in the first two “With This Kiss” installments, I was eager to see Colin and Grace find the happily ever after they so deserved. And boy did Ms. James make the culmination of their love story worth it. After everything Grace has been through, it’s not easy for her to believe that Colin could really love her. I loved watching Colin convince her that she absolutely is the woman for him. They’re such a great match that I almost hated to see their story end. Indeed, the epilogue of “With This Kiss: Part Three” has me desperately hoping Ms. James will pen more stories about the Ryburn and Barry families.
“With This Kiss: Part Three” is sexy, yet sweet at the same time. Don’t miss out on Colin and Grace’s story — read all three parts of “With This Kiss” in order and be prepared to be swept away!
“Seduced by a Pirate”
After fourteen years at sea as a pirate and privateer, Sir Griffin Barry is finally returning home. At least, that’s his plan. As Griffin hasn’t seen his wife since he was seventeen and leapt out of their bedroom window on their disastrous wedding night, he isn’t exactly sure his wife will let him through the front door, never mind welcome him into her bed. But Griffin isn’t a nervous seventeen-year-old anymore — he’s a pirate. And he’s determined to win the heart of the bride he left behind.
What he doesn’t expect is that his wife has a few surprises in store for him herself…
Forget the high seas — the real adventure is on land in “Seduced by a Pirate.” Griffin and Phoebe are truly delightful protagonists. Griffin may not have been the perfect husband at the beginning of the story — he ran away to get drunk after a wedding night embarrassment, got press-ganged onto a pirate ship, then sailed the seas for fourteen years before returning home — but he’s considerably more grown up than he was before. I love the mature Griffin, who’s caring, honest with himself and others… And yes, devilishly sexy. Phoebe, in turn, is a warm, intelligent heroine who’s made her own life in Griffin’s absence but doesn’t turn her reformed-pirate husband away when he graces her doorstep. Griffin and Phoebe are two people who may not have been right for one another when they wed, but having matured they’re a perfect fit. I loved watching them fall for each other; Ms. James made their romance so entertaining I devoured “Seduced by a Pirate” in one sitting.
“Seduced by a Pirate” can be read as a standalone, but it is a companion story to The Ugly Duchess, which featured Griffin’s cousin and fellow privateer James as the hero. Having enjoyed The Ugly Duchess, I went into reading “Seduced by a Pirate” with high expectations. Ms. James not only met those expectations, she surpassed them. There’s genuine warmth and humor in “Seduced by a Pirate” that utterly charms me every time I think about the story. My only wish is that the story had been a bit longer, and only because I adored Griffin and Phoebe so much that I couldn’t bear for “Seduced by a Pirate” to end. I’ve been seduced by Griffin and Phoebe’s romance and I cannot wait to read it again!
As You Wish is a book that is as warm and inviting as its characters. Eloisa James never fails to deliver a spectacular story and she does so with both “Seduced by a Pirate” and “With This Kiss.” Dashing former pirates and naval captains make excellent heroes, particularly when they’re trying to win over the strong, intelligent women who’ve captured their hearts. As You Wish is a delicious treat for fans of historical romance!
Note: “Seduced by a Pirate” and all three parts of “With This Kiss” are also available as individual e-books.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
rachelreadwhat's review
3.0
I didn't realize these were two short stories - they were both alright, but had an oddly large number of loose ends.
heyt's review
3.0
The two novellas contained in the book are the sequels to [b:The Ugly Duchess|11879737|The Ugly Duchess (Fairy Tales, #4)|Eloisa James|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331726290s/11879737.jpg|16837919]. I loved being back in the world with those characters and seeing them react to the new chapter in their lives. Griffin and Phoebe were great and I almost preferred them to James and Daisy. Colin and Grace were at times frustrating but you really felt for them as the story progressed.
ssejig's review
4.0
As You Wish
Seduced by a Pirate
When he was seventeen, Sir Griffin Barry was summarily married to a twenty-year-old merchant’s daughter who intimidated him so much, he raced from their bed chamber without ever consummating the marriage. Years later, he finally returns from sea to live with his wife, Phoebe (which he misheard as Poppy, fun little quirk!) only to find that she doesn’t particularly want to live with him and she’s somehow obtained three children.
I loved that Griffin wasn’t bothered (overly) by her having children. He slept with plenty of women so why wouldn’t she have an affair with another man.
As with most novellas, I wish there had been a little bit more room for development but what James was able to put in, was fantastic.
With this Kiss
For years, Lady Grace Ryburn (daughter from Ugly Duchess) has been in love with Colin Barry (one of the children from the previous novella), a lieutenant with the Navy. Usually overlooked in favor of her more vibrant and outgoing sister, Grace is impressed that Colin actually talks to her when he comes home from sea. One of those times, he mentions that hearing news of normalcy helps to keep him sane and she starts writing him letters. This goes on for years, until one shore leave, Colin falls into instant love (lust?) with Grace’s younger sister. While this has never bothered Grace before, she realizes now that Colin will never be hers and she accepts an offer of marriage.
Colin, now returned to his ship, realizes fairly quickly what a fool he was. He was momentarily blinded by beauty but Grace is the one that has been writing to him for all these years, she is the one who will not only help stave off the nightmares he’s going to have for years to come but she is truly the woman he loves. But how is he going to ever be able to tell her that?
When he’s discharged from the army, blinded by cannon fire, Grace and Colin have the chance to start moving toward the life that they both dream of.
First published as three serial novellas, the final work is a great story of two people whose characters we get to see more than in your usual short works. There is some WTFery involved but it’s mostly a good story.
Seduced by a Pirate
When he was seventeen, Sir Griffin Barry was summarily married to a twenty-year-old merchant’s daughter who intimidated him so much, he raced from their bed chamber without ever consummating the marriage. Years later, he finally returns from sea to live with his wife, Phoebe (which he misheard as Poppy, fun little quirk!) only to find that she doesn’t particularly want to live with him and she’s somehow obtained three children.
I loved that Griffin wasn’t bothered (overly) by her having children. He slept with plenty of women so why wouldn’t she have an affair with another man.
As with most novellas, I wish there had been a little bit more room for development but what James was able to put in, was fantastic.
With this Kiss
For years, Lady Grace Ryburn (daughter from Ugly Duchess) has been in love with Colin Barry (one of the children from the previous novella), a lieutenant with the Navy. Usually overlooked in favor of her more vibrant and outgoing sister, Grace is impressed that Colin actually talks to her when he comes home from sea. One of those times, he mentions that hearing news of normalcy helps to keep him sane and she starts writing him letters. This goes on for years, until one shore leave, Colin falls into instant love (lust?) with Grace’s younger sister. While this has never bothered Grace before, she realizes now that Colin will never be hers and she accepts an offer of marriage.
Colin, now returned to his ship, realizes fairly quickly what a fool he was. He was momentarily blinded by beauty but Grace is the one that has been writing to him for all these years, she is the one who will not only help stave off the nightmares he’s going to have for years to come but she is truly the woman he loves. But how is he going to ever be able to tell her that?
When he’s discharged from the army, blinded by cannon fire, Grace and Colin have the chance to start moving toward the life that they both dream of.
First published as three serial novellas, the final work is a great story of two people whose characters we get to see more than in your usual short works. There is some WTFery involved
Spoiler
Grace’s mother encourages her to seduce Colin and sends her off without a chaperonemrsbooknerd's review
3.0
I had already read 'Seduced by a Pirate' so I was disappointed to find that he majority of this book was comprised of that story.
The subsequent story of Colin and Grace was standard for the genre. I liked that we saw Grace and Colin throughout the years and had first hand knowledge of Grace's developing and unrequited love for Colin. I felt her frustrations and her anger, her disappointment and her jealousy. But I felt that everything was a bit too sudden on Colin's side. He flipped from not caring about Grace overly much and eventually loving her sparkling sister Lily, to loving Grace in one night. I would have liked to have had the interest there from the start, but perhaps the realisation as the sudden lightbulb - or candleabra - moment.
I liked how fate bought them together in the end, it was a great twist.
The subsequent story of Colin and Grace was standard for the genre. I liked that we saw Grace and Colin throughout the years and had first hand knowledge of Grace's developing and unrequited love for Colin. I felt her frustrations and her anger, her disappointment and her jealousy. But I felt that everything was a bit too sudden on Colin's side. He flipped from not caring about Grace overly much and eventually loving her sparkling sister Lily, to loving Grace in one night. I would have liked to have had the interest there from the start, but perhaps the realisation as the sudden lightbulb - or candleabra - moment.
I liked how fate bought them together in the end, it was a great twist.