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jody_diou's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
iskanderjonesiv's review
4.0
Imogen, Lady Maitland, has decided to dance on the wild side. After all, she's in the delicious position of being able to take a lover. A discreet male who knows just when to leave in the morning.
But Lady Maitland is still under the watchful eye of her former guardian, the wildly untamed Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook. He believes she is still in need of a "watchdog." She laughs at the idea that someone so insufferably lazy and devoted to drink can demand that she behave with propriety.
It's Rafe's long-lost brother, a man who looks precisely like the duke but with none of his degenerate edge, who interests Imogen. To Imogen, he's the shadow duke . . . the man who really should hold the title. But when Imogen agrees to accompany Gabe to a masquerade...whose masked eyes watch her with that intense look of desire? Who exactly is she dancing with? The duke or the shadow duke? Rafe . . . or Gabe?
**
_ellisnoble_'s review
2.0
Se avete letto altre recensioni della saga, saprete che Imogen è la sorella più odiata perché talvolta il suo dolore la porta ad essere egoista e ad agire in maniera sconsiderata e impulsiva, ma ero comunque curiosa di sapere come andava a finire la sua storia. Infatti, dopo un breve matrimonio e un anno di vedovanza, Imogen vuole farsi un amante, precisamente Gabe, il fratellastro illegittimo di Rafe, duca che il padre ha reso tutore suo e delle sorelle, peccato che Rafe sia innamorato di lei e decida di fingersi il fratello pur di stare con lei...
Rafe è un bel personaggio, ho apprezzato come qui superi il suo problema con l'alcool e anche se non vedevo benissimo con Imogen, il libro mi ha fatto cambiare idea: in effetti entrambi hanno subito un lutto importante e questo li porta a legare tra loro, ma... È un trope vecchio come il mondo quello dell'amante sotto mentite spoglie per amore, eppure in tutte le storie che l'ho visto usare ciò era svolto sempre in accordo col carattere del personaggio, cosa che qui mi è un po' mancata, così come un'eventuale reazione di Imogen: anche Zucchero non s'arrabbia con Joe quando scopre che in realtà era lui il milionario in 'A qualcuno piace caldo', ma perché ha visto che era disposta a lasciarla perché si era pentito del suo gesto e voleva che trovasse qualcuno migliore di lui, mentre la protagonista ammette di aver sempre saputo che era Rafe e lo perdona molto in fretta!
Non male, ma avrei preferito leggere le storie secondarie delle prove dello spettacolo (bella la citazione a 'Mansfield Park') e della storia d'amore tra Gabe e la fangirl di Shakespeare!
Rafe è un bel personaggio, ho apprezzato come qui superi il suo problema con l'alcool e anche se non vedevo benissimo con Imogen, il libro mi ha fatto cambiare idea: in effetti entrambi hanno subito un lutto importante e questo li porta a legare tra loro, ma... È un trope vecchio come il mondo quello dell'amante sotto mentite spoglie per amore, eppure in tutte le storie che l'ho visto usare ciò era svolto sempre in accordo col carattere del personaggio, cosa che qui mi è un po' mancata, così come un'eventuale reazione di Imogen: anche Zucchero non s'arrabbia con Joe quando scopre che in realtà era lui il milionario in 'A qualcuno piace caldo', ma perché ha visto che era disposta a lasciarla perché si era pentito del suo gesto e voleva che trovasse qualcuno migliore di lui, mentre la protagonista ammette di aver sempre saputo che era Rafe e lo perdona molto in fretta!
Non male, ma avrei preferito leggere le storie secondarie delle prove dello spettacolo (bella la citazione a 'Mansfield Park') e della storia d'amore tra Gabe e la fangirl di Shakespeare!
tessisreading2's review
3.0
Oddly enough, I think this one has been my favorite of the series so far; while the author is, as usual, distracted by other heroes and heroines (past and present) and a secondary romance that doesn't really wow me (the "decision point" just doesn't make any sense), she maintains a tighter focus on the actual relationship between the hero and heroine than some of the other books did.
blodeuedd's review
3.0
I didn't even know that there were two other books about the main characters sisters, and you really don't have to know that to read this book.
Lady Imogen Maitland is a widow and in the position of taking a lover. A man who knows how to keep quiet.
But she is still under the wathcful eye of her former guardian, rafe, the duke of Holbrook. he believes that she still needs someone who watches her. But she laughs at the idea that a lazy drunk of a man can do anything. Why should he have anything to say what she is doing.
Then the illegitimate brother shows up, and Gabriel is everything Rafe should be. and they even look the same. He interests her and he would suit perfectly for her need. He agrees to escort her to a play in disguise, but who is it really she is with, Gabe or Rafe?
I needed some fun and this was just the right book for that.
I wans't sure that a could like drunk who wasn't described in a nice way, but I did started to like him. Imogen was an allright heroine, but dunno if I liked her or not. I guess I did because I wanted her to get a happy ending, and get her ideas of affairs out of her mind. And then I learned about her previous marriage. An to get back to Rafe, I have sure not read about a drunken hero before, and it's not like they had AA meetings back then.
The brother Gabe, well he was kind of boring, and not onyl because he was a professor of divinity. Reading about her sisters Annabell and Tess, well that made be wanna read her two other books. And i guess I want to know what will happen to the fourth one, Josie. Oh and Griselda needs some loving too.
This book fitted my needs, regency and romance. I smiled, and giggled. I actually liked it a lot. She has an easy way of writing, and that makes it easy to read too. A good book when you don't wanna think at all, just get lost.
Lady Imogen Maitland is a widow and in the position of taking a lover. A man who knows how to keep quiet.
But she is still under the wathcful eye of her former guardian, rafe, the duke of Holbrook. he believes that she still needs someone who watches her. But she laughs at the idea that a lazy drunk of a man can do anything. Why should he have anything to say what she is doing.
Then the illegitimate brother shows up, and Gabriel is everything Rafe should be. and they even look the same. He interests her and he would suit perfectly for her need. He agrees to escort her to a play in disguise, but who is it really she is with, Gabe or Rafe?
I needed some fun and this was just the right book for that.
I wans't sure that a could like drunk who wasn't described in a nice way, but I did started to like him. Imogen was an allright heroine, but dunno if I liked her or not. I guess I did because I wanted her to get a happy ending, and get her ideas of affairs out of her mind. And then I learned about her previous marriage. An to get back to Rafe, I have sure not read about a drunken hero before, and it's not like they had AA meetings back then.
The brother Gabe, well he was kind of boring, and not onyl because he was a professor of divinity. Reading about her sisters Annabell and Tess, well that made be wanna read her two other books. And i guess I want to know what will happen to the fourth one, Josie. Oh and Griselda needs some loving too.
This book fitted my needs, regency and romance. I smiled, and giggled. I actually liked it a lot. She has an easy way of writing, and that makes it easy to read too. A good book when you don't wanna think at all, just get lost.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I quite like Rafe so it was nice to make him the hero, particularly after he cleans up his brandy habit. a bit draggy in the middle but James did a great jib incorporating A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Etheridge's THE MAN OF MODE into the story.
winterreader40's review
4.0
I was dreading reading this book because Imogen has really gotten on my nerves in the last 2 books, but I think this might be my favorite of the series so far(still need to read book 4).
Rafe has discovered that he has an illegitimate brother and is nothing but pleased(if surprised) by the fact and that he also has a niece as well thrills him, and it's one night while discussing what would happen to either of them if he died that he finally decides to quit drinking. The process of which is painful and gives Imogen the chance to care for him in the initial throws of detoxification because she cares for him, just not in that way(or so she thinks).
When Imogen discovers Rafe's brother Gabe and decides he's perfect for an affaire she starts acting the same way she did with her husband Draven, like a besotted fool, but Gabe likes Gillian(Draven's fiancée before he eloped with Imogen), Rafe finds himself in love with Imogen and Gillian thinks she should marry Rafe, not complicated at all right?
This was fun to watch unfold like a disaster waiting to happen as Rafe pretends to be Gabe.
Rafe has discovered that he has an illegitimate brother and is nothing but pleased(if surprised) by the fact and that he also has a niece as well thrills him, and it's one night while discussing what would happen to either of them if he died that he finally decides to quit drinking. The process of which is painful and gives Imogen the chance to care for him in the initial throws of detoxification because she cares for him, just not in that way(or so she thinks).
When Imogen discovers Rafe's brother Gabe and decides he's perfect for an affaire she starts acting the same way she did with her husband Draven, like a besotted fool, but Gabe likes Gillian(Draven's fiancée before he eloped with Imogen), Rafe finds himself in love with Imogen and Gillian thinks she should marry Rafe, not complicated at all right?
This was fun to watch unfold like a disaster waiting to happen as Rafe pretends to be Gabe.