I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Vicky has created a wonderful story with a great mix of love and humor. I love the passion between both Julianne and Hawk. It was very enjoyable to see them get their HEA. I loved that we saw both characters at such vulnerable states but overcome everything and find their way to eachother. The love between them both was very believable and very passionate.
Julianne is such a caring and passionate person. She isn't just some flighty debutante whose only concern is fashion plates and snaring a husband. She thinks of others and truly cares about their feelings.
I think I may have fallen slightly in love with Hawk. He has great sense of humor but at times is very brooding and protective. I loved reading about him and loved the journey he took to come to terms with his past. I sincerely felt for him and I loved how Vicky was able to tie up his loose ends and make it believable.
I definitely hope that we get to see more of these two in future books. This was a highly enjoyable read and I reccomend it to everyone. I honestly didn't want it to end.
Julianne is such a caring and passionate person. She isn't just some flighty debutante whose only concern is fashion plates and snaring a husband. She thinks of others and truly cares about their feelings.
I think I may have fallen slightly in love with Hawk. He has great sense of humor but at times is very brooding and protective. I loved reading about him and loved the journey he took to come to terms with his past. I sincerely felt for him and I loved how Vicky was able to tie up his loose ends and make it believable.
I definitely hope that we get to see more of these two in future books. This was a highly enjoyable read and I reccomend it to everyone. I honestly didn't want it to end.
In the opening of the tale our heroine, Julianne is about to embark on another season in London. Since her sister in-law is currently expecting her first child, it had been planned that Julianne would stay with friends of the family for the duration of the season. Situations arise forcing a change of plans, and Julianne is ultimately left with our hero Marc's, Aunt Hester.
It couldn't have worked out better because you see, Julianne has a secret. She has been in love with her brother's best friend Marc, the Earl of Hawkfield, since she was a little girl. With the help of her friends and Marc's aunt Hester, Julie is determined to win his heart before the season is over.
Marc is asked by Julianne's brother (aka his best friend), to basically act as his young sister's guardian while she is in Hester's care. This comes as a bit of a shock because Marc is not exactly the sort of man who should be charged with rescuing a young maiden from all the rakes a rougues prowling London ballrooms. Well, considering he himself is quite the reputed rake.
But Julianne's brother is completely confident and so, Marc decides to take on the challenge--and to take the duty quite seriously. For the time being, Marc completely pushes aside his playboy ways and concentrates all his energies on thwarting would be suitors.
The season begins and it's really very comical to see how overbearing Marc becomes and just how blind he is to the fact that he is the only man Julianne wants.
As far as Marc is concerned, these losers don't stand a chance of taking advantage of Julie. He knows every trick, every body movement, every thought that wanders through the minds of men and he'd be damned if he's going to allow these men to think these thoughts about his innocent Julie-girl!
Before he knows what he's about, Marc realizes it's not only the would-be suitors who are envisioning what Julie would look like in the throws of passion...but him, as well!
Marc knows he needs to get a grip on his wayward thoughts because there was no way he was going to pursue and romantic thoughts of Julie.
But what Marc doesn't realize is that it isn't so easy to keep your desire in check. Especially when your own aunt, a group of overly romantic girls and the object of your affections are conspiring behind your back about all the ways to seduce a scoundrel....
Oh I really came to love Marc. Outwardly, he's this fun, loving and seemingly carefree guy, but inside he was tormented by something in his past that no one--not even his closest friend--knew about. It is also this secret from his past which proves to be one of the main reasons he is reluctant to pursue his feelings for Julianne. Well, that and the fact that her brother is Marc's best friend and would likely choke the very life out of him if he ever found out.
Julianne was a wonderful heroine. She's so in love with Marc even as the story opens, but it's almost a girly infatuated "he's my knight in shining armor" type love. As time passes and she matures so do her feelings and when Marc's past comes to light I was very impressed with just how much she matured throughout the course of the tale.
This story did sort of remind me of Julia Quinn's Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. You've got the heroine who is secretly longing for the hero but doesn't think it's ever going to happen. The hero who is completely oblivious to how the heroine feels about him, when suddenly he himself is completely smitten. There's also scandalous society sheet type deal...but, amazingly, Vicky Dreiling made this story all her own.
This author is fast becoming a favorite of mine. I also really enjoyed her first story, How to Marry a Duke. Her writing style is, in a word--fun! You find yourself smiling and laughing at each of her characters antics throughout the story. The romance is so very passionate and you very easily connect with her characters.
It couldn't have worked out better because you see, Julianne has a secret. She has been in love with her brother's best friend Marc, the Earl of Hawkfield, since she was a little girl. With the help of her friends and Marc's aunt Hester, Julie is determined to win his heart before the season is over.
Marc is asked by Julianne's brother (aka his best friend), to basically act as his young sister's guardian while she is in Hester's care. This comes as a bit of a shock because Marc is not exactly the sort of man who should be charged with rescuing a young maiden from all the rakes a rougues prowling London ballrooms. Well, considering he himself is quite the reputed rake.
But Julianne's brother is completely confident and so, Marc decides to take on the challenge--and to take the duty quite seriously. For the time being, Marc completely pushes aside his playboy ways and concentrates all his energies on thwarting would be suitors.
The season begins and it's really very comical to see how overbearing Marc becomes and just how blind he is to the fact that he is the only man Julianne wants.
As far as Marc is concerned, these losers don't stand a chance of taking advantage of Julie. He knows every trick, every body movement, every thought that wanders through the minds of men and he'd be damned if he's going to allow these men to think these thoughts about his innocent Julie-girl!
Before he knows what he's about, Marc realizes it's not only the would-be suitors who are envisioning what Julie would look like in the throws of passion...but him, as well!
Marc knows he needs to get a grip on his wayward thoughts because there was no way he was going to pursue and romantic thoughts of Julie.
But what Marc doesn't realize is that it isn't so easy to keep your desire in check. Especially when your own aunt, a group of overly romantic girls and the object of your affections are conspiring behind your back about all the ways to seduce a scoundrel....
Oh I really came to love Marc. Outwardly, he's this fun, loving and seemingly carefree guy, but inside he was tormented by something in his past that no one--not even his closest friend--knew about. It is also this secret from his past which proves to be one of the main reasons he is reluctant to pursue his feelings for Julianne. Well, that and the fact that her brother is Marc's best friend and would likely choke the very life out of him if he ever found out.
Julianne was a wonderful heroine. She's so in love with Marc even as the story opens, but it's almost a girly infatuated "he's my knight in shining armor" type love. As time passes and she matures so do her feelings and when Marc's past comes to light I was very impressed with just how much she matured throughout the course of the tale.
This story did sort of remind me of Julia Quinn's Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. You've got the heroine who is secretly longing for the hero but doesn't think it's ever going to happen. The hero who is completely oblivious to how the heroine feels about him, when suddenly he himself is completely smitten. There's also scandalous society sheet type deal...but, amazingly, Vicky Dreiling made this story all her own.
This author is fast becoming a favorite of mine. I also really enjoyed her first story, How to Marry a Duke. Her writing style is, in a word--fun! You find yourself smiling and laughing at each of her characters antics throughout the story. The romance is so very passionate and you very easily connect with her characters.
Set in 1800s England, this is a wonderful story of the love that almost got away. Juliana has always adored Hawk since she was a little girl. Now that she is grown, love is full blown. His cousin, Hester, helps her plan her strategy. But what will her brother say about the matter and what secret is Hawk keeping.
Shelley C. (sdgirl) -
Loved this book even more than the first one. You could tell in the first book we were going to see more of these two & I am so glad we did. I also love how if you hadn't read the first book yet it fills you in a little on how the girls became friends, etc. I also like seeing some of the girl's you are coming to hate Elizabeth & Henrietta come back into play in this book. I can't wait for her next book.
I thought this was a wonderful historical romance
After such a wonderful beginning to this new series (How to Marry a Duke), I was disappointed with this rather bland installment. I didn't like this one nearly as much as the first. To me the plot seemed to drag and didn't really become interesting until Hawk's big secret is revealed (the last quarter of the book). Also, Hawk took his duties as Julianne's guardian too seriously which made him unreasonably overbearing and hard for me to like him. Julianne's part as the secret author of a scandalous publication wasn't exciting and didn't click with me. On the other hand, they did share a nice sexual chemistry, which saved their appeal as a couple. Although I'll give this a full star less than the one I gave for the first book, I'm far from giving up on this new author, and I'm still looking forward to her next book. 3.5 stars.
