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cclardo's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
verityw's review against another edition
1.0
Not for me as it turns out. I liked the blurb, but the reality in the book just didn't work for me. I didn't really like any of the characters and I didn't think the romance was developed enough - the backstory just felt a bit flat to me. Never mind.
****COpy from NetGalley (a long time ago!) in return for an honest review****
****COpy from NetGalley (a long time ago!) in return for an honest review****
lizabethstucker's review against another edition
4.0
When one of the most powerful men of the realm meets a woman who does whatever she can to survive, more than sparks will fly.
Alexander Lewis, Duke of Greyland, is the perfect man of power and privilege, trained from birth as to his responsibilities to his title as well as being a role model to the rest of the Ton. A chance encounter two years earlier with a desperate widow he calls the Lost Queen has haunted his dreams, but he's well aware that he must marry and carry on the Greyland line. Unfortunately, his fiancee elopes with a cavalry man, leaving him to display a stiff upper lip to the World he inhabits. Until the night his two closest friends take him to a new gambling hell and he sees The Woman once again.
Cassandra Blake had started as a pickpocket, moving on to confidence games. While she had been very attracted to Greyland, she knew that she could never be more than a one night stand. To see him again was tearing her apart. Her lies kept piling on, but how could she ever tell him the truth, that she was nothing more than a guttersnipe to the people in his world?
An impossible pairing, yet Leigh makes it work. There is a style of characterization that this author does better than many in her field. From the start I didn't want to like Greyland, he was so rigid, but you also soon realize that he isn't cold, he is beset by the voice of his dead father, a man so consumed with his position that he didn't show his son any true affection, much less love. It is very obvious that he needs someone who truly loves him by his side and that Cassandra could be the right woman, except for an accident of birth and the necessities of living.
Beyond delightful, I recommend this to anyone who wants heroes and/or heroines out of the common norm. 4 out of 5.
Alexander Lewis, Duke of Greyland, is the perfect man of power and privilege, trained from birth as to his responsibilities to his title as well as being a role model to the rest of the Ton. A chance encounter two years earlier with a desperate widow he calls the Lost Queen has haunted his dreams, but he's well aware that he must marry and carry on the Greyland line. Unfortunately, his fiancee elopes with a cavalry man, leaving him to display a stiff upper lip to the World he inhabits. Until the night his two closest friends take him to a new gambling hell and he sees The Woman once again.
Cassandra Blake had started as a pickpocket, moving on to confidence games. While she had been very attracted to Greyland, she knew that she could never be more than a one night stand. To see him again was tearing her apart. Her lies kept piling on, but how could she ever tell him the truth, that she was nothing more than a guttersnipe to the people in his world?
An impossible pairing, yet Leigh makes it work. There is a style of characterization that this author does better than many in her field. From the start I didn't want to like Greyland, he was so rigid, but you also soon realize that he isn't cold, he is beset by the voice of his dead father, a man so consumed with his position that he didn't show his son any true affection, much less love. It is very obvious that he needs someone who truly loves him by his side and that Cassandra could be the right woman, except for an accident of birth and the necessities of living.
Beyond delightful, I recommend this to anyone who wants heroes and/or heroines out of the common norm. 4 out of 5.
esquiredtoread's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe a 3.5. I liked it and it was fun I just didn't like how much our heroine was following the hero. The hero also didn't really seem to get the class disparity for himself and seemed to only be helping as a fun adventure. I may be overly harsh though.
kathryn_jordan_'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-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
3.0
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I can't quite put my finger on why, but this did not do it for me. I wasn't invested in the couple, either alone or together. I was bored and skimmed the last 50 pages or so. I think I wanted the heroine to be more genuinely bad (she's a swindler as it was the only way to support herself) and to corrupt the uptight duke hero a bit?? But instead she kept insisting she was really a good righteous girl who wanted to get off the path of sin. Boring!
fcoo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25