I'm not sure if our h Anna is to stupid to live or just very young. She is eighteen and has no social life at all. No siblings or friends. Her mother has been dead for several years. How a fabulously wealthy eighteen year old has been allowed to live on her own for the past five years without a guardian is never explained. Anyway she has still developed the skill of an advanced card shark and is duped into forcing a dimwit Marquess or whatever he was into marrying her. Then she does one stupid thing after another. But she was nice to poor people and only eighteen so I was willing to cut her some slack.

The H Charles is 32 and described as having a double chin and a receding hairline. Be still my heart. He is a big wig at the foreign office and is in charge of the whole french spy thing. Incredibly the English still eventually won the war. He is the king of misunderstanding. He constantly is in a sulk or pout or refusing to speak to her because he has misread the situation. Most issues could have been cleared up with an honest question. For example "So what did you do this afternoon" ? Instead when he sees his wife returning from doing charity work he assumes she is off having an affair. Seriously only an extremely lonely 18 year old would put up with this guy.

Charles does always stand up for her to his mother though I'll give him that. His mother hates Anna because her father was married to her (the mothers') sister and broke her heart by having the big affair with Anna's mother. The epilogue goes on to tell how she is really starting to Anna after all. Not in this life time. If eye rolling gives you a headache you may want to skip this onedimwit-hero forced-marriage great-epilogue ...more12 s Els313 4

Nice little story8 s Opal31 7

This book started in a very interesting way. It was about Anna the bastard daughter of a French emigre and an English aristocrat. Her mother wants her to be brought up other English misses. But Anna's father's family refuses and the mother-daughter stay as outcasts till the mothers death.

Anna is then offered a chance to take revenge on her father's family. This - by cheating at cards and getting married into the family because she believes the hero to be traitor. What is the point of exposing someones activities - when he is her husband? A wife is not allowed to testify in court and after everything she would remain his wife! Thus tainting herself AND her future children. No logic...

Next Anna forces her husband - the Marquis of Haverstock - to consummate the marriage so that it cannot be annulled at a later date.

After all this deception and inherent suspicion, both the hero or heroine keep admiring and appreciating one another! The heroine abandons all attempts to seduce the truth of her husband's traitorous activities and coolly sets off with his sisters to buy them new clothes. Such behavior really challenges your credulity.

The prose is really poor with a lot of cliche'd phrases "petal soft skin".
I marked this book as Read but I couldn't get beyond 50 pages or so and am not ly to continue. 4 s Suzan LauderAuthor 12 books78

3.5 rounded up to four because this book was better than just okay, and its limitations weren't in story but in execution. This novel was an entertaining romp with high drama throughout, and tight in its plot. Too bad more attention wasn't paid to detail in terms of period "feel" using correct language and minimizing contractions, as well as technique related to viewpoint consistency and minimizing redundancy. Perhaps this author pumps out too many novels too quickly and gives them short shrift in regard to editing.

I write technical , so there won't be a synopsis nor much of a subjective analysis. Instead, I'll concentrate on those issues that, if ignored by the author, niggle the reader into dropping stars, yet aren't well commented on by most reviewers.

- The plot was excellent in general. Some redundancy in content existed--trust that your readers know the material rather than repeating it! Some of the drama near the ending was low on detail, thus, difficult to follow. The ending was abrupt, and that disappointed, though. One does to feel the HEA rather than have it truncated in favour of book-stuffing.
- Flow was good, with a consistent pace that kept the reader on their toes, although the redundancy mentioned above did make for some slow spots. The drama near the ending was too fast-paced, so it became difficult to follow at times.
- Dramatic tension was fairly intense throughout the book. This is not for angst weenies. I loved this aspect of the writing, though.
- Point of view appeared to be third person, multiple, with head-hopping and filter words. This means the author probably misused a hybrid with omniscient narrator in the narration portions of the novel while trying to make her POV deeper. She should read up and practice deep POV, the gold standard in romance these days.
- Narration was "telling" and not "showing." This is another modern writing technique for this author to embrace.
- Language was clearly intended to be Regency, with about double the average number of non-Regency words for a Regency romance (eleven), and an average number of non-British usages (four)--I don't count spellings. Three cases of incorrect words or phrases were found. 92+ contractions were used, including some which had not yet been invented by the time of the story. Each one pulls the reader out of the era, something the author should be loath to see happen in her book. Most Regency romances have less than ten, and Pride and Prejudice had only eight contractions. Austen only used them for lower class and silly people. Authors who leave them in their books tend to be either amateur or lazy.
- One punctuation error, a missing possessive, was noted.
- Regency correctness errors included use of a presentation dress for a regular gown--I'm told that presentation dresses had panniers and impossible trains. In the Regency, "drab" was a colour, not a descriptor. Brothers and sisters never, ever danced together. Since dancing was akin to the courtship process, they could not dance together due to the rules of consanguinity. This is alluded to in Jane Austen's "Emma."
- Characterization was consistent for the most part. Secondary characters were more able than the protagonists, whose mistrust of each other was so overplayed (the redundancy I mentioned) that it put them in a bad light. The protagonists' waffling almost made them into inconsistent characters--good one day, horrid/stupid the next.
- The author had some good visuals, particularly with regard to clothing and people. Scene-setting using all the senses was evident, and more of this would have enhanced the book.
- The romance in purest terms was harder to swallow. There was clearly healthy passion in a sexual sense; however, it was quite clear that this was lust not love. The animosity, particularly from the hero, made any development of love hard to believe. Little in the way of flirtation or banter or understanding between the two took place to initiate such feelings, and the male protagonist was indifferent to the joys of the family and the heroine just enough that it was difficult to accept him capable of being lovable or loving. But the three little words popped out because of the drama near the end, so it must be true. I found it to seem too convenient.
- I commend the author for getting all her titles and inheritances correct. With such a large cast, it was certainly a lot of balls in the air.
- The cover is clever due to the artwork with the cards, and I especially that it's different than all those polyester-clad, shirtless, blow-dried covers we so often see in Regency romance. The balance of the title fonts seems just a bit off to me, as if they were forced to fit, but the scale is good for an Amazon thumbnail, which is important. The lady in the artwork isn't as pretty as I would have preferred given the heroine's descriptions in the book.

Overall, this is a high-angst story well told, with excellent twists and turns that only enhance that dramatic tension. The background familial tale is entertaining as well. I believe this book would be stunning with removal of redundancies, use of deep point of view, POV changes by section clearly marked, and no contractions. A bit of reading on these gold standard practices, plus a good editor could help. The author's brilliant voice would still be front and centre.get-an-editor high-angst mature-not-hard-erotica ...more3 s Romanticamente Fantasy6,921 206

" Il marchese congedò il suo maggiordomo e chiuse con attenzione le porte della biblioteca lui stesso, prima di fare cenno al suo amico di sedersi sulla comoda poltrona Club vicino al caminetto e di versare due bicchieri di porto. Si sedette su una larga sedia davanti al fuoco, dove l’odore del carbone che bruciava era più forte.
“Non potrei dover sottolineare di più il fatto che sia necessaria un’estrema segretezza” disse Haverstock con voce più bassa del suo normale tono di comando. “Devo essere particolarmente cauto, in questa casa piena di maledette femmine.”
Ralph “Morgie” Morgan prese un bel sorso di porto. “Non so come fate a tollerarlo, amico mio. Cinque sorelle.” Morgie rabbrividì come se il porto fosse stato avvelenato.
“Ce ne sono rimaste solo quattro, ora che ho fatto sposare Mary.”
“Oh, fantastico. Solo quattro” disse Morgie generoso.
Fu il turno del marchese di rabbrividire. Se avesse distribuito altre quattro doti, non sarebbe stato in grado di sposarsi lui. Non che volesse farlo, ma comunque malediceva suo padre per averlo lasciato con fondi così limitati.
Come se leggesse il pensiero dell’amico, Morgie disse: “Non siete davvero costretto a dare delle doti sostanziose alle ragazze. Dovete pur lasciare qualcosa per voi stesso.
“Allora non sarei migliore di mio padre.”
.
Anna de Mouchet è figlia di un duca e di una nobile francese sfuggita alla rivoluzione, ma non appartiene al ton. I suoi genitori si sono amati fino alla morte del padre, ma non erano sposati, il padre infatti era già sposato con la cognata del Marchese di Haverstock. Alla sua morte, dato che la moglie legittima non gli aveva dato nessun erede, è Anna ad ereditare tutto ciò che non è legato al titolo, e questo il Marchese non lo ha mai perdonato all’amante del cognato. Gli anni successivi li ha passati facendo in modo che Anna non potesse frequentare le scuole più in voga per le fanciulle del tempo e non venisse accettata in società, nonostante la sua grande fortuna.

Ora che Haverstock è morto, il figlio Charles si trova non solo in ristrettezze economiche ma anche nella necessità di riportare onore alla casata, che il padre ha infangato con il suo comportamento indegno. Per questo con grande fervore, e in segreto, lavora per la Corona. Anna invece è diventata una giovane donna di grande bellezza, dedita alle opere di carità e piena di spirito patriottico verso l’Inghilterra, che lei considera la sua sola e unica patria. Ed è proprio su questo che conta l’uomo che le propone di spiare Charles, convincendola che sia una spia. Attuando un piano, arriverà a diventare la Marchesa di Haverstock per poterlo controllare e vendicarsi così dei torti che questa casata ha fatto alla madre, morta da qualche anno. Eppure nonostante abbia sposato Charles per vendetta, ben presto la giovane donna si scopre innamorata di suo marito. La passione fisica che è esplosa fra loro è intensa, ma i sospetti di entrambi non permettono a nessuno dei due di esternare i loro sentimenti. E passerà molto tempo prima che ogni dubbio venga fugato.

Da qualche tempo a questa parte sto scoprendo molte brave autrici grazie a Babelcube. Questo libro è il primo di una serie che racconta le vicende dei fratelli Haverstock. Charles si è preso il compito di riportare onore al nome della sua casata, per questo grazie alla sua intelligenza lavora in segreto per vincere la guerra contro i francesi. Ed è proprio mentre si accinge a partire per una missione di grande importanza, che si vede costretto a cedere al ricatto di una donna, che considera poco più di una prostituta. Durante tutta la sua giovinezza, infatti, ha sentito ogni giorno sua madre maledire l’amante del cognato, dandole la colpa per l’infelicità, e la sterilità della sorella, e doversi piegare ai suoi piani lo umilia profondamente. Eppure non appena se la trova fra le braccia, per consumare e rendere valido il matrimonio, si rende conto che Anna pur con tutto il suo fascino è ancora innocente, e non può resistere alla passione che scaturisce fra di loro quando si toccano. Non può fare a meno di desiderarla e scopre con piacere che è una compagna deliziosa e incredibilmente intelligente, ma non si fida e tutto precipita quando con sgomento si rende conto che potrebbe aver sposato una nemica dell’Inghilterra.

Anche Anna è divorata dai dubbi, sposa Charles per patriottismo, convinta che sia come il padre, un uomo senza onore. Eppure quando vede come ama la sua famiglia, e come intenda comportarsi in modo amabile, anche con lei, che lo ha ricattato per farsi sposare, si rende conto di essersi sbagliata. Ma essendo all’oscuro del suo vero lavoro, le persone che frequenta le fanno credere che davvero possa essere una spia. C’è passione fra loro ed anche una strana piacevole intimità, ma entrambi non posso fidarsi e questo giocherà a favore di chi li sta manovrando.

Sono tutti personaggi molto ben caratterizzati i fratelli Haverstock, e mentre osserviamo maturare il legame fra i protagonisti, vediamo anche nascere l’amore fra Lydia e Morgie, l’amico di Charles, ed assistiamo hai maneggi di Kate per mettere le mani sul nipote di un vecchio Duca senza eredi legittimi. È un libro che si legge in modo piacevole, con una buona traduzione ed una trama ben articolata, sto già leggendo il secondo capitolo “Duchessa per sbaglio” che vede come protagonista Elizabeth, una delle sorelle, e il Duca di Aldridge. L’unica pecca ed anche il motivo per cui non raggiunge un punteggio migliore è la troppa semplicità con cui Anna riesce a farsi sposare, un piano un po’ troppo semplice e un Morgie un po’ troppo credulone, difficile da digerire, ma questo non toglie che mi sia comunque goduta questa lettura leggera e piacevole.
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Lucia63 - per RFS3 s Lauren1,202 154

Pretty good read! I d all the characters. Anna is sweet, loveable, and a little naive. I can't stand when female characters are so stupidly misled, but even so it did not distract from the book. Got for free. Goid book pd for or not.4-star around-the-world forced-marriages ...more3 s BJ3,065 57

This was rather a comedy of errors that become silly very quickly. She's illegitimate, beautiful and in the midst of the Franco war, perhaps a spy. No wait, the H is the spy, if so he would have to be the most stupid spy of all time. He's a brute too, hitting a long term member of his staff. He was a an awful H, she was an awful h and the whole thing was OTT. Too many sisters, too much silliness. disd just-ok2 s Hannah ?ReaderintheRough?211 87 Shelved as 'limbo'

*5/10/2020* This book is currently free on Amazon.2 s Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez 1,379 332

Not sure what to say about this one. It just fell flat. Way too many back and forth misunderstandings. It was a yo-yo. As soon as one misunderstanding would be “fixed” another would pop up in its place.

Towards the end of the book, I just got bored and skimmed. as-exciting-as-old-bath-water her-one-and-only just-ok ...more2 s Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb"1,401 17

Anna Was a Traitor to the British Crown!!!

I felt Anna was a traitor to the Crown and should have been take to the Tower of London. How could any one be that dumb? She makes this loving caring Marquess Lord Haverstock marry her to get revenge on his deceased father. Because of her hatred for Charles Lord Haverstocks father. She believes Sir Henry that Charles is a spy for the French. So she made him marry her by cheating at cards and causing Charles best friend Morgie who is a wonderful character in the story to lose the moneythey need to pay a real French Spy to help them win the war against Napoleon. Anna gives vital information to Sir Henry the real French Spy traitor to England that cause a very important French Operative and friend of England and the Crown get killed. Sir Henry murders the poor man after Anna tells where he lives and what he looks . Anna Spies on her husband to get information to help Sir Henry/ Anna never displays any real remorse of Pierre Chassney's murder. It does cause the dumb girl to wonder if maybe she is wrong about her husband being a Spy for the French. She later tries to redeem herself by trying to stop her relationship with Sir Henry. and tells him to leave England I still think she should have been taken to The Tower and Hanged.

So why 2 stars instead of 1? I really d all the other wonderful characters in the story. Even Anna was very kind an generous to everyone, BUT!!! A Traitor is a Traitor!! Had not Charles loved her so much, he would have had her hanged. 2 s Lady Wesley963 347

Very nice run-of-the-mill marriage of convenience story with touches of espionage thrown in. 2 s dakotapie252 14

Anna was an idiot.

Also, the scene where they consummated their sham marriage? So confusing. 2014 historical-romance2 s Sharonb361 2

Hated the main charecters. Why don't these people talk to each other?? It really gets on my nerves when there are so many misunderstandings!1 Anna1,079 7

DNF at 10... maybe it was me... maybe ill try it next time
1 JulieAuthor 48 books588 Read

It started out as such an interesting plot, but it was so hard to the hero after a while. He leaps to conclusions and is so sulky and rude to the heroine time and again that it just was a head-shaker why she was so desperate for his company. The secondary romance of Lydia was nice to see, however, and the book did end happily despite the not-so-able Marquess. 1 Nickie Kuhn50 2

This book was fun! A little frustrating at times what with the lack of communication between the hero and heroine, but I really enjoyed the story. Anna and Charles were great characters, as were Lydia and Morgie. The side stories were entertaining and well-resolved in the end. I truly enjoy Ms. Bolen's work and look forward to reading more!1 Lynn872

Do you romance novels? Kidnapping? Deceptive marriages? Secrets? Jealousy? Hidden love? London? Country manors? All those formula plot devices? Well I guess I do. This book satisfied. If that's not your cup of tea, don't even pick this up!1 Space Cowgirl3,957 128


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