March 14th, 2010 — 2.5 Stars, Blind, Book Review, Business, Category, Children, Contemporary, Divorced, G-I, Housekeeper/Maid, Marriage of Convenience, Older Woman/Younger Man, Secretary, Tycoon, United States of America, Virgin Heroine
Philomena Peabody made a promise to her mother. She took care of her three younger sisters and when the last one got married, her youth had slipped away. Now at 27, Phil has a lot of thinking to do.
Penn Wilderman is in a custody battle with his ex-wife for Robbie, their adopted son, his nephew. In the midst of all this he’s recovering from snow blindness. (Hurray for an original blindness idea!) When he hears Phil for the first time he thinks she sounds like someone’s mother.
This makes him think she’s much older than him. She’s actually about 10 to 12 years younger (something that gets confused later when he asks his family servant what people would think of him marrying her.) Phil tries to correct him a few times, especially when he calls her “sweet little old lady.” Every time though, he always cuts in and ignores her protests.
Penn convinces Phil first to move into his mansion to help him watch over Robbie, then later to a marriage of convenience in order to help him win at the custody hearing. The plan however nearly backfires on him… because it wasn’t for Robbie’s sake Penn wanted Phil. It was for his own.
It was pretty insulting at the end when he sees her (for the second time, because he couldn’t place her the first time) and tells her he thought he was going crazy imagining himself in love with an old woman. Talk about double standards.
The writing is pretty confusing in parts and some things aren’t as well explained as they could be. Which is too bad because another category romance of hers I really really like and doesn’t have this problem.
The ending resolution could have been dragged out a little. Phil was clever when she ran – she went to work first and deleted her employment history so he couldn’t track her down. He was clever and got to her quickly. Phil begs his forgiveness when he shows up and it’s all HEA in two seconds.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Buy: If Love Be Blind
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.50 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $.59 |
Sale |
Online Stores
October 21st, 2009 — 4 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Children, Farming, Gentry, Historic America, Lisa Kleypas, Revenge, Runaway, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Widow or Widower
The more I read of Lisa Kleypas the more I want to read. When Strangers Marry was a sinful delight to sit down and read. I enjoyed every moment thoroughly. If you're looking for some scintillating sex scenes, I would book right over your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy. Some of the bedroom interactions are enough to singe your eyebrows off. I'd tell you my favorite but then you'd be deprived of the surprise.
Lysette is running away. She refuses to marry the man her stepfather wants her to marry. Gaspard can beat her to death before she gives herself over to Etienne Sagesse. Her escape is thwarted at the river by two twin boys, the sons of Maximilien Vallerand. They bring her disheveled form before their father for punishment of attempted theft. Lysette is determined not to be sent back home and Max is drawn to her spunk. Even if he wasn't, Max would never return Lysette to Etienne, his most hated rival.
Max uses Lysette to thwart Etienne and get the duel he's been craving for nearly a decade. Etienne had slept with his late wife and murdered her. Of the first, Max knows for certain, of the second, Max is very sure, but lacking evidence. In fact all evidence of his late wife's murder points to Max, the cuckolded and angry husband. Nobody believed Max's protests of innocence, but the police let him off because of the circumstances. (Apparently killing a wandering and wild wife is completely understandable.)
When the excuse that Lysette is ill and can't possibly go home turns into a real sickness Max nurses her through it. His mother protests his presence but gives in because she and the housekeeper alone can't keep up their energies. During that time (3 weeks) he decides to make her his and as satisfying as it is to steal Etienne's young bride, Max is going to find out how satisfied he can be... but can such satisfaction last?
Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted 2009-02-22 11:49:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
