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Sterling Trilogy #1
A Perfect Bride
Perfectly marvelous...
Devon St. James must surely be dreaming! She closes her eyes in London’s poorest slum, and awakens wrapped in fine linens…staring into the eyes of the most gorgeous man she has ever seen! Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston, is clearly shocked to have a girl from the streets in his bed, though the heat of the desire burning in his gaze is unmistakable. But if he believes Devon will easily submit, he is quite mistaken!
What the devil has he done?
It’s bad enough their family is already mired in scandal, now Sebastian has to deal with the exquisite young beauty in rags he had impetuously carried into his home! Worse still, the lady is driving the serious, responsible marquess to distraction with her fiery spirit and breathtaking sensuality. But perhaps, just perhaps, with some of Sebastian’s private schooling, this low-born enchantress can learn refinement and manners – and be miraculously transformed from merely his passionate obsession into… A Perfect Bride
Devon St. James must surely be dreaming! She closes her eyes in London’s poorest slum, and awakens wrapped in fine linens…staring into the eyes of the most gorgeous man she has ever seen! Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston, is clearly shocked to have a girl from the streets in his bed, though the heat of the desire burning in his gaze is unmistakable. But if he believes Devon will easily submit, he is quite mistaken!
What the devil has he done?
It’s bad enough their family is already mired in scandal, now Sebastian has to deal with the exquisite young beauty in rags he had impetuously carried into his home! Worse still, the lady is driving the serious, responsible marquess to distraction with her fiery spirit and breathtaking sensuality. But perhaps, just perhaps, with some of Sebastian’s private schooling, this low-born enchantress can learn refinement and manners – and be miraculously transformed from merely his passionate obsession into… A Perfect Bride
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 11, 2004
About the author
Samantha James
66 books499 followersGrowing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
June 5, 2011
5+ stars – Historical/Regency Romance
This was my first read by Samantha James and I loved it! It’s definitely my favorite of the Perfect/Sterling trilogy, all of which I enjoyed. I was in desperate need of a feel-good romance, and this definitely hit the spot! It’s reminiscent of “My Fair Lady” and “Cinderella” and also reminded me a little of Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, which is one of my favorites in the Bridgertons series; yet the story and characters seem wholly original as well.
With an ideal combination of emotion, angst, and touching, sweet romance and a remarkable H/H who will have you cheering for their HEA, A Perfect Bride is a satisfying read. It was the “perfect” antidote for my crummy mood, which is why I’m rating it 5+ stars!
This was my first read by Samantha James and I loved it! It’s definitely my favorite of the Perfect/Sterling trilogy, all of which I enjoyed. I was in desperate need of a feel-good romance, and this definitely hit the spot! It’s reminiscent of “My Fair Lady” and “Cinderella” and also reminded me a little of Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, which is one of my favorites in the Bridgertons series; yet the story and characters seem wholly original as well.
With an ideal combination of emotion, angst, and touching, sweet romance and a remarkable H/H who will have you cheering for their HEA, A Perfect Bride is a satisfying read. It was the “perfect” antidote for my crummy mood, which is why I’m rating it 5+ stars!
December 7, 2017
I loved this !
A lovely romance about a young lady, Devon, whose mother died and left her alone to fend for herself in the slums of London. She is attacked by thieves on night and stabbed but manages to kill one of the criminals. The H Sebastian saves her and takes her to his home. I enjoyed reading about his attempts to turn her into a lady and teach her to read. It was so perfect. He's a stuffy but very sexy Marquess and has a bit of emotional baggage himself: his mother had been a rather promiscuous woman who had always embarrassed the family before her death and so Sebastian has sworn to himself that he will only marry a woman who will be the "perfect" bride for a man in his position. He wants a noblewoman who is not going to scandalize his family name. The homeless, illegitimate heroine fills none of these requirements but he is still drawn to her from the minute he saves her.
Devon has had a hard life. Her mother had been a governess who had fallen in love with a duke's son. All that rake gave the mother was a family heirloom necklace and pendant and a pregnancy. Devon still has the necklace and pendant and it helps her paternal grandmother, a dowager duchess, identity her. She also has her dad's rare colored amber eyes so the old duchess knows she has found her granddaughter.
Before all this happens though, Sebastian thinks that the ideal plan to safeguard Devon's future is to marry her to a suitable and wealthy gentleman. It was so funny seeing him eaten up with jealousy when the prospective husband candidates turn up for dinner. Sebastian eventually seduces Devon and falls in love with her but still cannot see her as his wife because of her background. Just when he decides that he loves her enough to marry her, her grandmother turns up and takes her away. Of course I've simplified it a lot, but this was truly one very beautiful romance novel. I will definitely be reading the third novel in the series. That one is called A Perfect Hero and features Sebastian's sister. I won't be reading the second novel A Perfect Groom because I didn't like the description of the heroine and I really liked Sebastian's brother Justin.
A lovely romance about a young lady, Devon, whose mother died and left her alone to fend for herself in the slums of London. She is attacked by thieves on night and stabbed but manages to kill one of the criminals. The H Sebastian saves her and takes her to his home. I enjoyed reading about his attempts to turn her into a lady and teach her to read. It was so perfect. He's a stuffy but very sexy Marquess and has a bit of emotional baggage himself: his mother had been a rather promiscuous woman who had always embarrassed the family before her death and so Sebastian has sworn to himself that he will only marry a woman who will be the "perfect" bride for a man in his position. He wants a noblewoman who is not going to scandalize his family name. The homeless, illegitimate heroine fills none of these requirements but he is still drawn to her from the minute he saves her.
Devon has had a hard life. Her mother had been a governess who had fallen in love with a duke's son. All that rake gave the mother was a family heirloom necklace and pendant and a pregnancy. Devon still has the necklace and pendant and it helps her paternal grandmother, a dowager duchess, identity her. She also has her dad's rare colored amber eyes so the old duchess knows she has found her granddaughter.
Before all this happens though, Sebastian thinks that the ideal plan to safeguard Devon's future is to marry her to a suitable and wealthy gentleman. It was so funny seeing him eaten up with jealousy when the prospective husband candidates turn up for dinner. Sebastian eventually seduces Devon and falls in love with her but still cannot see her as his wife because of her background. Just when he decides that he loves her enough to marry her, her grandmother turns up and takes her away. Of course I've simplified it a lot, but this was truly one very beautiful romance novel. I will definitely be reading the third novel in the series. That one is called A Perfect Hero and features Sebastian's sister. I won't be reading the second novel A Perfect Groom because I didn't like the description of the heroine and I really liked Sebastian's brother Justin.
July 26, 2019
Un romance histórico muy dulce, con un tono juguetón que me gustó mucho, pero bastante predecible respecto de los orígenes de Devon. Ella, como personaje, me ha encantado, pero Sebastian, a pesar de ser un hombre en esencia muy bueno, me ha quedado un poco al debe, demasiado reflexivo, demasiado apegado al qué dirán y con el doble estándar propio de la época (yo puedo porque soy aristócrata y tú no; yo puedo porque soy hombre y tú eres mujer). Afortunadamente, nuestra protagonista permanentemente le está dando buenas sacudidas de realidad, que hacen que su evolución sea muy creíble.
En todo caso, me ha dejado con las ganas de leer la trilogía completa, con las historias del hermano y hermana de Sebastian que, por sus personalidades, auguran novelas más interesantes.
En todo caso, me ha dejado con las ganas de leer la trilogía completa, con las historias del hermano y hermana de Sebastian que, por sus personalidades, auguran novelas más interesantes.
December 28, 2021
Updated after re-read 16/1/1
This book is such a hidden gem! Just as good the second time around!
It made me a very very happy girl. I loved everything about it!! Devon St. Clair is a bastard daughter who grew up with her mother in St. Giles. Despite this, she promised that she would never "steal, beg or whore" and she's managed to survive with her innocence intact. One night she is attacked by two ruffians and she stabs one of them to get away and he stabs her back. She's left bleeding in the street and thinks she will die...
...until Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston comes along. His sense of honor can't leave her bleeding to death in the streets so he whisks her off to his townhouse where he lives with his brother Justin. They think she is a thief when they find her clutching her mother's necklace and when Devon wakes up sparks fly!
This book was the most delightful books I've read in quite a while. It was funny and sweet and it was a Pygmalion story as good as they get. Both Devon and Sebastian was truly lovable and following their building romance was a pleasure. And the HEA - let's just say that it was as sweet as cotton candy. How can I have missed Samantha Jones? *Scurries off to check the rest of her books*
This book is such a hidden gem! Just as good the second time around!
It made me a very very happy girl. I loved everything about it!! Devon St. Clair is a bastard daughter who grew up with her mother in St. Giles. Despite this, she promised that she would never "steal, beg or whore" and she's managed to survive with her innocence intact. One night she is attacked by two ruffians and she stabs one of them to get away and he stabs her back. She's left bleeding in the street and thinks she will die...
...until Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston comes along. His sense of honor can't leave her bleeding to death in the streets so he whisks her off to his townhouse where he lives with his brother Justin. They think she is a thief when they find her clutching her mother's necklace and when Devon wakes up sparks fly!
This book was the most delightful books I've read in quite a while. It was funny and sweet and it was a Pygmalion story as good as they get. Both Devon and Sebastian was truly lovable and following their building romance was a pleasure. And the HEA - let's just say that it was as sweet as cotton candy. How can I have missed Samantha Jones? *Scurries off to check the rest of her books*
October 23, 2018
4.5*
Yaayyy!!!Finally, a good one!
What's not to love here?
A beautiful motormouth and completely unsuitable h from the slums/St.Giles and a strait-laced duty-bound Marquess and lots of sweetness, tartness and spice!
Only then did she discover one of life’s deepest truths— that dreams sometimes had a way of changing. Or perhaps it was simply that she had changed.
Completely formulaic and unpretentious with the usual schmaltziness of oh-so-opposites, big guy-petite girl, class divide, can't keep my hands off you, dayumm it's hot in here, oops-obligations, sorry but you not wife material, villains and tons of things working against them. Nothing new, of course but this comes up wrapped up in an interesting, captivating and sizzling package.
This was all she’d ever wanted—to be locked fast within the binding protection of his strong embrace. But not like this. Not when he was filled with regret, and she with pain. Not when she ached to the bottom of her soul.
I think SJ likes working with the barest of characters. But I love how we get more of h/H and that too happily with a reasonable progression of plot, instead of the repetitive push-pull and fillers. So we only have the H's brother and another (expected) late entry making up for the rest of the cast, apart from the expedient appearance of the villain.
There was a bond between them. A link. Some- thing far beyond friendship. Far beyond desire.
Far beyond his power to master.
He didn’t fight it. He couldn’t. For somehow he was beginning to recognize this was a battle he could not win.
Yaayyy!!!Finally, a good one!
What's not to love here?
A beautiful motormouth and completely unsuitable h from the slums/St.Giles and a strait-laced duty-bound Marquess and lots of sweetness, tartness and spice!
Only then did she discover one of life’s deepest truths— that dreams sometimes had a way of changing. Or perhaps it was simply that she had changed.
Completely formulaic and unpretentious with the usual schmaltziness of oh-so-opposites, big guy-petite girl, class divide, can't keep my hands off you, dayumm it's hot in here, oops-obligations, sorry but you not wife material, villains and tons of things working against them. Nothing new, of course but this comes up wrapped up in an interesting, captivating and sizzling package.
This was all she’d ever wanted—to be locked fast within the binding protection of his strong embrace. But not like this. Not when he was filled with regret, and she with pain. Not when she ached to the bottom of her soul.
I think SJ likes working with the barest of characters. But I love how we get more of h/H and that too happily with a reasonable progression of plot, instead of the repetitive push-pull and fillers. So we only have the H's brother and another (expected) late entry making up for the rest of the cast, apart from the expedient appearance of the villain.
There was a bond between them. A link. Some- thing far beyond friendship. Far beyond desire.
Far beyond his power to master.
He didn’t fight it. He couldn’t. For somehow he was beginning to recognize this was a battle he could not win.
November 21, 2018
Loved it! What a beautiful love story. Rich aristocrat hero falls hard and fast for the poor girl he saves one night but their different status does not allow them to marry. But naturally love conquers all. Adorable hero and heroine and sweet ending with twin babies! I will read the whole trilogy. This author is amazing.
August 3, 2020
"A Perfect Bride" is the story of Devon and Sebastian.
Our heroine is an orphan, fighting to keep food in her belly and herself safe. She works as a barmaid, and disguises herself to prevent from leering eyes. On one such escape, she is attacked by goons and stabbed, losing consciousness. The hero, Marquess of Thurston finds her and rescues her. Thus begins an unlikely fairy tale romance between a kind but stoic hero, and an innocent but very strong heroine. He has many misconceptions about her, but she confront and slays each and every one of them, making him fall for her pure honesty and charm. There is a very sweet romance that blooms between them, filled with rescued pregnant dogs, sibling love, marital plans, responsibilities, societal burdens and eventually realizations, a relentless pursuit and HEA.
I am looking forward to reading about the other two siblings, Justin and Julianna. Very nice with a great epilogue!
Safe
3.5/5
Our heroine is an orphan, fighting to keep food in her belly and herself safe. She works as a barmaid, and disguises herself to prevent from leering eyes. On one such escape, she is attacked by goons and stabbed, losing consciousness. The hero, Marquess of Thurston finds her and rescues her. Thus begins an unlikely fairy tale romance between a kind but stoic hero, and an innocent but very strong heroine. He has many misconceptions about her, but she confront and slays each and every one of them, making him fall for her pure honesty and charm. There is a very sweet romance that blooms between them, filled with rescued pregnant dogs, sibling love, marital plans, responsibilities, societal burdens and eventually realizations, a relentless pursuit and HEA.
I am looking forward to reading about the other two siblings, Justin and Julianna. Very nice with a great epilogue!
Safe
3.5/5
June 5, 2022
It was okay. I was hoping for more angst when I began reading this book. It's kind of light-hearted with a few dramatic moments.
The heroine's name is Devon, which I associate with it being a man's name, so sometimes I had to tell my brain that I'm reading a woman's name whenever I came across her name in the book. Devon is a bastard child of a nobleman and grew up on the bad side of town. Walking home from work one day, she is set upon by three ruffians. Later, the hero, Edmund, finds her and takes her back to his townhouse. The doctor is called and she recovers at Edmund's house. He decides to give Devon an education (read, write, math, history, etc.) so she can become a governess and no longer have to work on the bad side of town, so they spend a lot of time together.
The conflict between the H/h is that the hero is set on marrying a proper young lady of the ton and wants to avoid scandal at all cost because he's worked hard to restore his family's reputation after his mother abandoned them with her lover. So, yeah, he fights his attraction for Devon for about 70% of the book.
Edmund's younger brother, Justin, makes a few appearances and plays a role in Edmund and Devon's relationship. I might read his book. Just not sure when yet.
The heroine's name is Devon, which I associate with it being a man's name, so sometimes I had to tell my brain that I'm reading a woman's name whenever I came across her name in the book. Devon is a bastard child of a nobleman and grew up on the bad side of town. Walking home from work one day, she is set upon by three ruffians. Later, the hero, Edmund, finds her and takes her back to his townhouse. The doctor is called and she recovers at Edmund's house. He decides to give Devon an education (read, write, math, history, etc.) so she can become a governess and no longer have to work on the bad side of town, so they spend a lot of time together.
The conflict between the H/h is that the hero is set on marrying a proper young lady of the ton and wants to avoid scandal at all cost because he's worked hard to restore his family's reputation after his mother abandoned them with her lover. So, yeah, he fights his attraction for Devon for about 70% of the book.
Edmund's younger brother, Justin, makes a few appearances and plays a role in Edmund and Devon's relationship. I might read his book. Just not sure when yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2020
H was too sweet and plot was too incredible but I knew it beforehand; thus 3,5 stars.
August 2, 2018
1.5 seriously disappointing stars.
I think I spent 75% of this book repeating What the fuck am I reading right now? in my head over and over. Don't get me wrong, there were certain parts that were kind of sweet, but they were few and far between. From the glowing reviews, I was certainly expecting better. But I refuse to believe that was part of the problem. This book didn't suffer because of my high expectations, it suffered because of its underwhelming, melodramatic, frankly awful, writing. I know this is a classic, beloved by many, but I wasn't impressed. And I stand by my opinion.
This is a classic rags to riches/My Fair Lady-esque romance, a trope I'm actually quite fond of. They usually involve a heroine who is strong and feisty and a hero who slowly (or quickly) comes to admire the heroine for her survival skills and courage. Even better, usually the hero's eyes are opened to the plight of the less fortunate and sometimes even decides to do something about it. This book really didn't get the memo on either.
Sebastian Sterling, the Marquess of Thurston, finds a bleeding Devon on the streets of St. Giles. She's clutching a necklace that should be out of her means so he assumes she's a thief, but his conscience keeps him from leaving her bleeding out in the street. So naturally, he takes her home to see what the damage is and call a physician. Devon comes to in the Marquess' home and is dismayed to find that the Marquess and his brother immediate assume the worst of her. She's protective of her identity of course, but not for the reasons they think. She was stabbed by one of two evil street gang members who were trying to rape her and she killed one of them in self-defense. She knows that the surviving man will hunt her. Sebastian, very against his starched up, rigid personality, decides to let her stay until she's healed and figures out a plan. It turns out that Devon wants to be a governess (her mother was a governess) so Sebastian takes it upon himself to teach her everything she needs to know- you know, like reading, writing, geography etc. She already has some knowledge, her mother was a governess after all. During this time, when Sebastian isn't insinuating or outright saying that Devon is a thieving whore, they begin to fall for each other. But, stuffy-stick-up-his-ass Sebastian refuses to bring further scandal upon his family by even entertaining the idea of marrying Devon.
There was a lot I didn't like about this book. I'll start with Sebastian.
For one, when Devon was injured and Sebastian and his brother, Justin needed to take off her clothes to get a better look at her injuries, they both shamelessly ogled her body, mainly her breasts. Full on, telling each other Oh my god, they're gorgeous, aren't they? Who knew she'd have such beautiful breasts? ogled. Gross. Then we have some massive slut-shaming. And just as bad, (maybe worse?) slut-assuming. He assumes she's a whore and refuses to believe her when she tells him otherwise. Even when she tells him that not making a living on her back was a promise she made to herself because it was something that was important to her mother. She simply must be a whore because Sebastian decided to visit Devon's former place of work and witnessed her fellow barmaid tolerating men grabbing her body.
”Bridget,” she said levelly, “is not a harlot.”
His lip curled in distaste. “If that is what you think, then your morals are most assuredly displaced.”
Devon opened her mouth, prepared to deliver a cutting retort. Before she could say a word, he spoke. “There is no question she's a harlot. What then, I wonder, does that make you?”
I'd like to clarify that this isn't at the beginning of the book. This wasn't the first, second, or even third night she stayed with them. This is almost 40% into the book. He knows her. Likes her. Has had his hands all over her. For some reason, Sebastian's asshole qualities didn't diminish as he fell for Devon. In fact, the closer they became, the worse it was. Instead of Sebastian slowly growing on me, I hated him more and more. Sure, Sebastian would often realize later that he was being a ginormous asshat, but it never actually changed his actions.
I liked Devon. I think I would have liked her more if she had a bit more of a backbone. Slapping Sebastian for calling her a whore is great, but the fact that she immediately apologizes and is in his arms kissing him kind of ruined that. This became a pattern throughout the book and I hated it. She never stuck to her decisions. The only part of this I enjoyed was that every time Devon (temporarily) denied Sebastian, my schadenfreude would rear its ugly head and I would hear Nelson from the Simpsons doing his HA-HA in my head.
As for the writing...Ugh. Besides the book's flowery, overdramatic writing, every other sentence ended in an exclamation point. I'm not exaggerating either. Every. Other. Damn. Sentence. I fucking hate exclamation points in romance novels. They ruin the characters for me, especially when they're used during sex scenes. You know, stuff like Oh, your body is beautiful! I love the way your chest hairs feel in my fingers! or Please! Take me now! or even something as simple as She hoped that was him at door! Her heart was beating so fast! It makes the character sound like an excited child and depending on the sentence/situation, it's either really annoying or kind of gross. A part of me wonders if I'm being nitpicky but I don't care. They were overused and for me, it affected the characterization and the tone of the book.
And then we have the rods, staffs, pillars, and maleness'.
I read a lot of HR, but man. It. Was. So. Bad. This isn't a book from the 80s. Not even the 90s. This book was published in 2004. The hero was constantly thinking about how rigid his rod was and how he wanted to plunge his pillar in her and vent his passion while playing with her pleasure button. Not to mention that his pillar of maleness was always nestled against her softness when they kissed. I mean, I'm used to reading virginal heroines using cliched romance novel words to describe hero's body parts, you know, lack of experience and all. But the hero? It's just fucking weird. Put it this way, the word cock wasn't used in this book, not once. Every single time any man bits were referenced, the author used a ridiculously flowery euphemism. This was the first time I actually skipped pages of sex scenes. Skim? Yeah, sure, sometimes. But I never skip multiples pages. I could only take so many throbbing staffs and rods finding their ways to warm wetness and passions. I understand that some of these phrases are normal and/or expected in most historical romances, I really do, but it was ridiculously over the top. Eventually, all I could do was laugh at the absurdity of it all. And that was really the problem. It became really, really, funny and it wasn't supposed to be. Instead of the sex being steamy or tender it was just hilariously awful. On top of all that, they had zero chemistry. None.
Was there anything I actually liked about this book? Meh. There was something about it that made it evident that it was written by an experienced writer. There weren't any continuity issues. Sentences had proper structure. Maybe I'm just too damn picky. Some people like flowery, over the top romance. Maybe it's weird that I have such a violent dislike for excessive exclamation points. Perhaps it's romantic that despite all of the reasons Sebastian gave Devon to run the fuck away and find someone else, she stuck by him and gave him the love he'd never had. Who knows. All I'm saying is this book just wasn't for me.
I think I spent 75% of this book repeating What the fuck am I reading right now? in my head over and over. Don't get me wrong, there were certain parts that were kind of sweet, but they were few and far between. From the glowing reviews, I was certainly expecting better. But I refuse to believe that was part of the problem. This book didn't suffer because of my high expectations, it suffered because of its underwhelming, melodramatic, frankly awful, writing. I know this is a classic, beloved by many, but I wasn't impressed. And I stand by my opinion.
This is a classic rags to riches/My Fair Lady-esque romance, a trope I'm actually quite fond of. They usually involve a heroine who is strong and feisty and a hero who slowly (or quickly) comes to admire the heroine for her survival skills and courage. Even better, usually the hero's eyes are opened to the plight of the less fortunate and sometimes even decides to do something about it. This book really didn't get the memo on either.
Sebastian Sterling, the Marquess of Thurston, finds a bleeding Devon on the streets of St. Giles. She's clutching a necklace that should be out of her means so he assumes she's a thief, but his conscience keeps him from leaving her bleeding out in the street. So naturally, he takes her home to see what the damage is and call a physician. Devon comes to in the Marquess' home and is dismayed to find that the Marquess and his brother immediate assume the worst of her. She's protective of her identity of course, but not for the reasons they think. She was stabbed by one of two evil street gang members who were trying to rape her and she killed one of them in self-defense. She knows that the surviving man will hunt her. Sebastian, very against his starched up, rigid personality, decides to let her stay until she's healed and figures out a plan. It turns out that Devon wants to be a governess (her mother was a governess) so Sebastian takes it upon himself to teach her everything she needs to know- you know, like reading, writing, geography etc. She already has some knowledge, her mother was a governess after all. During this time, when Sebastian isn't insinuating or outright saying that Devon is a thieving whore, they begin to fall for each other. But, stuffy-stick-up-his-ass Sebastian refuses to bring further scandal upon his family by even entertaining the idea of marrying Devon.
There was a lot I didn't like about this book. I'll start with Sebastian.
For one, when Devon was injured and Sebastian and his brother, Justin needed to take off her clothes to get a better look at her injuries, they both shamelessly ogled her body, mainly her breasts. Full on, telling each other Oh my god, they're gorgeous, aren't they? Who knew she'd have such beautiful breasts? ogled. Gross. Then we have some massive slut-shaming. And just as bad, (maybe worse?) slut-assuming. He assumes she's a whore and refuses to believe her when she tells him otherwise. Even when she tells him that not making a living on her back was a promise she made to herself because it was something that was important to her mother. She simply must be a whore because Sebastian decided to visit Devon's former place of work and witnessed her fellow barmaid tolerating men grabbing her body.
”Bridget,” she said levelly, “is not a harlot.”
His lip curled in distaste. “If that is what you think, then your morals are most assuredly displaced.”
Devon opened her mouth, prepared to deliver a cutting retort. Before she could say a word, he spoke. “There is no question she's a harlot. What then, I wonder, does that make you?”
I'd like to clarify that this isn't at the beginning of the book. This wasn't the first, second, or even third night she stayed with them. This is almost 40% into the book. He knows her. Likes her. Has had his hands all over her. For some reason, Sebastian's asshole qualities didn't diminish as he fell for Devon. In fact, the closer they became, the worse it was. Instead of Sebastian slowly growing on me, I hated him more and more. Sure, Sebastian would often realize later that he was being a ginormous asshat, but it never actually changed his actions.
I liked Devon. I think I would have liked her more if she had a bit more of a backbone. Slapping Sebastian for calling her a whore is great, but the fact that she immediately apologizes and is in his arms kissing him kind of ruined that. This became a pattern throughout the book and I hated it. She never stuck to her decisions. The only part of this I enjoyed was that every time Devon (temporarily) denied Sebastian, my schadenfreude would rear its ugly head and I would hear Nelson from the Simpsons doing his HA-HA in my head.
As for the writing...Ugh. Besides the book's flowery, overdramatic writing, every other sentence ended in an exclamation point. I'm not exaggerating either. Every. Other. Damn. Sentence. I fucking hate exclamation points in romance novels. They ruin the characters for me, especially when they're used during sex scenes. You know, stuff like Oh, your body is beautiful! I love the way your chest hairs feel in my fingers! or Please! Take me now! or even something as simple as She hoped that was him at door! Her heart was beating so fast! It makes the character sound like an excited child and depending on the sentence/situation, it's either really annoying or kind of gross. A part of me wonders if I'm being nitpicky but I don't care. They were overused and for me, it affected the characterization and the tone of the book.
And then we have the rods, staffs, pillars, and maleness'.
I read a lot of HR, but man. It. Was. So. Bad. This isn't a book from the 80s. Not even the 90s. This book was published in 2004. The hero was constantly thinking about how rigid his rod was and how he wanted to plunge his pillar in her and vent his passion while playing with her pleasure button. Not to mention that his pillar of maleness was always nestled against her softness when they kissed. I mean, I'm used to reading virginal heroines using cliched romance novel words to describe hero's body parts, you know, lack of experience and all. But the hero? It's just fucking weird. Put it this way, the word cock wasn't used in this book, not once. Every single time any man bits were referenced, the author used a ridiculously flowery euphemism. This was the first time I actually skipped pages of sex scenes. Skim? Yeah, sure, sometimes. But I never skip multiples pages. I could only take so many throbbing staffs and rods finding their ways to warm wetness and passions. I understand that some of these phrases are normal and/or expected in most historical romances, I really do, but it was ridiculously over the top. Eventually, all I could do was laugh at the absurdity of it all. And that was really the problem. It became really, really, funny and it wasn't supposed to be. Instead of the sex being steamy or tender it was just hilariously awful. On top of all that, they had zero chemistry. None.
Was there anything I actually liked about this book? Meh. There was something about it that made it evident that it was written by an experienced writer. There weren't any continuity issues. Sentences had proper structure. Maybe I'm just too damn picky. Some people like flowery, over the top romance. Maybe it's weird that I have such a violent dislike for excessive exclamation points. Perhaps it's romantic that despite all of the reasons Sebastian gave Devon to run the fuck away and find someone else, she stuck by him and gave him the love he'd never had. Who knows. All I'm saying is this book just wasn't for me.
March 4, 2020
This was just too purple, cloying and cheesy for my tastes. Characters behave so unrealistically. Everything is over exaggerated from the dialogue to character's physical actions.
Is she a cartoon?
“I’m fine!” she cried softly. “Truly!”
Devon lowered her bottom, only to bounce upright. “Look,” she cried delightedly, “a hare!” Sebastian pointed toward a copse of trees. “There’s another one.”
Through the grass, several more heads popped up. Sebastian laughed as she darted first left, then right, spinning and twisting. “Stop!” he protested. “You’re making me dizzy.”
“Oh, but they’re so darling,” she panted. “I wish I could catch just one.”
In consternation she regarded his pose of indolent grace. In turn, she jammed first one fist against her hips, then the other. Her fingers wiggled. “Sebastian?” she queried.
Is she a cartoon?
“Sunrise,” he whispered, “is what this rose is called. And my God, but he was right…your nipples…are the exact same color as this rose.”
Devon, almost mesmerized by the reverence she sensed in him, was on the verge of reaching for him. She stopped in mid-movement. “He?” she echoed. “He?” She swallowed hard. “Sebastian, who do you mean? Who was right?”
He blinked, finally dragging his eyes from her breasts. “Why, Justin. He said that your nip —”
“Yes, that I heard! But do you mean to say that Justin…that your brother saw my” — faith, but she could hardly bring herself to say it — “my breasts?”
“I’m afraid so,” he said cheerfully.
Devon was mortified. “No,” she moaned. “It’s not true.”
“Well,” he said lightly, “if you don’t believe me, then you’ll simply have to ask him yourself.”
His blood began to pound once more. She lay with her hip nestled against the pillar of his maleness, which began to swell and throb, straining high against his trousers.
“Take me now,” she whispered. “Make me yours.”
“Devon,” he ground out.
Her smile wavered. “You’ll hurt me if you don’t.” Her voice caught on a half sob. “You’ll hurt me if you won’t.” Her voice finally broke, and so did he. He plunged forward, a powerful lunge that took him to the gate of her womb. Her tender chasm more than gave way. Hot, clinging flesh melted around his heat and hardness; it was impossible to tell where his body ended and hers began.
“I belong to you now,” she cried against his throat. “I do.”
Her breasts were even more glorious than he remembered — round, gleaming mounds of flesh that stood out from her chest, lush and delectably full, tipped by perfect, voluptuous peaks of pale coral. Her lungs expanded in a deep, tremulous breath — quite inadvertently, he guessed — setting those lush, jutting mounds all aquiver.
He knelt before her, his head poised between the scented harbor of her breasts.
And though he wanted his possession to be slow and un-hurried and careful, the feel of her silken channel clasped tight around his surging helm tempted him past bearing.
November 24, 2020
Lovely Perfect read ,I shed a few tears ❤ but it's a Trilogy how the hell I read the 2nd and the 3rd books before this !? 🤦♀️
December 30, 2018
Devon St. James is attacked while walking home from work in the slums of St. Giles. Sebastian Sterling, Marquess of Thurston, rescues her only to discover that she awakens in him many boners. But because of Tragic Backstory, their LURVE can never be more than boning illicitly—OR CAN IT? Tune in after the break for turgid erections, the fetishization of innocents, and poorly timed parental revelations!!!
1. I don't know why I finished this. I'm 99% positive it's because I'm stubborn and a fool.
2. Sebastian is not a romantic hero: he's an asshole. He ogles Devon while she's unconscious (after telling off his brother for doing the exact same thing); he then accuses her of being a thief and refuses to believe her even though he's the one who picked her up off the streets; he only cares about how his words/actions impacts Devon if she cries.
He's also SUPER hung up on whether or not she's a virgin because that obviously impacts the """territory""" or some shit IDK. It's gross.
3. Devon is your standard manic pixie heroine: she's spunky and fun and naive but also a sexual goddess just waiting to be revealed!! Her dedication and loyalty to Sebastian seems to be 90% to do with the size of his shoulders / hands; otherwise, she's constantly running from him in tears. TALK ABOUT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.
4. Here's the thing about some of these older romances: they create these characters that have to fulfill certain "molds" in order to tell the story that's expected. In this case, Devon needs to be the delicate innocent who breaks through Sebastian's crusty sense of duty. It seems to be a pretty standard translation of the beauty-and-the-beast trope except that it slides right into gross jealous/alpha dynamics that don't really work for me.
I honestly thought Devon and Justin's interactions were much more interesting and would have loved to see what their relationship could have looked like: one where Devon wasn't constantly reminded of how much "less than" she was—in size, in intelligence, in societal placement, in life experience, in trauma, etc.
1. I don't know why I finished this. I'm 99% positive it's because I'm stubborn and a fool.
2. Sebastian is not a romantic hero: he's an asshole. He ogles Devon while she's unconscious (after telling off his brother for doing the exact same thing); he then accuses her of being a thief and refuses to believe her even though he's the one who picked her up off the streets; he only cares about how his words/actions impacts Devon if she cries.
He's also SUPER hung up on whether or not she's a virgin because that obviously impacts the """territory""" or some shit IDK. It's gross.
3. Devon is your standard manic pixie heroine: she's spunky and fun and naive but also a sexual goddess just waiting to be revealed!! Her dedication and loyalty to Sebastian seems to be 90% to do with the size of his shoulders / hands; otherwise, she's constantly running from him in tears. TALK ABOUT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.
4. Here's the thing about some of these older romances: they create these characters that have to fulfill certain "molds" in order to tell the story that's expected. In this case, Devon needs to be the delicate innocent who breaks through Sebastian's crusty sense of duty. It seems to be a pretty standard translation of the beauty-and-the-beast trope except that it slides right into gross jealous/alpha dynamics that don't really work for me.
I honestly thought Devon and Justin's interactions were much more interesting and would have loved to see what their relationship could have looked like: one where Devon wasn't constantly reminded of how much "less than" she was—in size, in intelligence, in societal placement, in life experience, in trauma, etc.
October 3, 2020
An enjoyable read but nothing out of the ordinary! OK, I know we have to suspend the disbelief sometimes (a lot of the time) with our books but this was just a little too far-fetched at the end of the day ...
I might continue with the series at some stage ... I did enjoy the writing but it would not go onto my favourite shelf.
Plus, it took me nearly a week to finish it ... never a good sign!
I would recommend it but it is not one of the better Historicals I have read.
I might continue with the series at some stage ... I did enjoy the writing but it would not go onto my favourite shelf.
Plus, it took me nearly a week to finish it ... never a good sign!
I would recommend it but it is not one of the better Historicals I have read.
March 8, 2016
I was craving a good historical romance, and this definitely worked for me. I was intrigued by the premise, poor girl taken from St. Giles, the worst slum in London, by a rich, handsome lord, how will they make it work, because, y'know, lords aren't supposed to marry poor slum girls. But since this is a romance, I knew it would end well, and the journey was great.
Devon St. James is the heroine, in the beginning, she's working in a tavern, dealing with all these grubby guys groping on her, trying to make her living. Her mother recently died, and now her landlord just raised the rent on her crummy little basement room to an impossible amount. It's closing time, and she's going home, all alone in the wee hours, through this awful part of town. All she has left of her mother is a cross necklace, which she keeps in her pocket, with her at all times. Soon she's set upon by two notorious thugs, and they steal her money and her necklace, but she tries to fight them off, killing one in the process, but not without getting hurt herself. She proceeds to pass out in the street. Along comes the hero, Sebastian Sterling, marquess of Thurston, in St. Giles in search of his wayward younger brother Justin, who's out gambling and drinking, and most likely whoring. The carriage stops due to the obstruction in the road, and he decides to help her, seeing that she's very pregnant, and bleeding from a wound in her side. He scoops her up and takes her home, installing her in a guest bedroom, cleaning her up, and finding out quickly that the pregnancy is just a disguise. He bandages her wound (but not without ogling her glorious boobies of course), and dresses her in one of his sister's fine nightgowns. Justin is already home, having beaten his brother back from whatever he was doing in St. Giles, so he helps fix her up, and even ogles her boobies too. She wakes up, and understandably freaks out a little, mostly concerned for her missing necklace, which Sebastian has hidden away, thinking the worst of her, assuming she stole it. He tells her the rightful owner can have it back once things are straightened out, and that kind of ticks her off, but she's too weak yet to make a rebellion. She knows he won't believe her, due to their class differences. Oh, yea, and there's the threat of the gangster out there looking for her, because she killed his brother. So Sebastian decides to keep her with him and Justin for awhile. A couple of days pass, and Devon heals, and begins exploring the house, finding the library, Sebastian's favorite room. That leads to a discussion, wherein Seb decides he's going to teach her to read, and help her gain the skills to become a governess like her mother before her (it was only through Dev's own stubbornness that she wouldn't let her mother teach her, much to her shame). He's also gone to St. Giles to check her story, and is horrified by her working and living conditions. He swears to never let her return to that life. Days pass, and a friendship (and lust for each other) blooms between them. Seb is pleased to learn she's smart, and finds her beauty irresistible, and she's the focus of many fantasies for him. Sebastian's always the perfect gentleman though, always following the rules and being polite, not letting any hint of scandal touch his family since their scandalous mother ran away from their mean and overbearing father years ago. When Justin spills their family history to Devon, Seb leaves the house in an angry rush, but Devon begs him to take her too, and they leave for Thurston Hall, the Sterling country estate, and the place where Seb is most comfortable. They spend the next day wandering the estate together, through the gardens, and meadows, flirting and teasing each other, sharing a kiss, falling in love if you will. Then Justin shows up and the men decide they can't let Devon be a governess, at the whim of the men of the houses she'd be employed at, knowing she'd probably end up back on the streets. So they decide to marry her off. Well she finds out about their plan, and is pretty upset, feeling like Seb just broke her heart. He rushes after, and consoles her in the only way he knows how, by making sweet, sweet love. Well, of course that only makes her fall even more in love with him, and the next few days they spend together are positively magical for them. Then, Justin shows up again, and tells her that his brother will never marry her, because of his proper-ness and duty to the title and all that, breaking her heart all over again when Sebastian doesn't exactly argue against his brother's claims. He "consoles" her again, telling her he can't let her go, but not telling her he'll marry her. Thankfully, Devon's surprise long-lost grandma from her unknown father's side shows up and whisks her away back to London. Seb can't stand the thought of living without her, and realizes what an ass he's been, and has to fight to make amends, with her grandma's help in the end, leading to a very touching reunion and HEA. I had watery eyes, I'll admit. This was my first try at Samantha James' writing, and I was pretty impressed, so she's definitely another author on my list of one's to look for. I'd love to read the next two in the series, Justin's story, and their sister Julianna's as well. A very good book in my opinion.
Devon St. James is the heroine, in the beginning, she's working in a tavern, dealing with all these grubby guys groping on her, trying to make her living. Her mother recently died, and now her landlord just raised the rent on her crummy little basement room to an impossible amount. It's closing time, and she's going home, all alone in the wee hours, through this awful part of town. All she has left of her mother is a cross necklace, which she keeps in her pocket, with her at all times. Soon she's set upon by two notorious thugs, and they steal her money and her necklace, but she tries to fight them off, killing one in the process, but not without getting hurt herself. She proceeds to pass out in the street. Along comes the hero, Sebastian Sterling, marquess of Thurston, in St. Giles in search of his wayward younger brother Justin, who's out gambling and drinking, and most likely whoring. The carriage stops due to the obstruction in the road, and he decides to help her, seeing that she's very pregnant, and bleeding from a wound in her side. He scoops her up and takes her home, installing her in a guest bedroom, cleaning her up, and finding out quickly that the pregnancy is just a disguise. He bandages her wound (but not without ogling her glorious boobies of course), and dresses her in one of his sister's fine nightgowns. Justin is already home, having beaten his brother back from whatever he was doing in St. Giles, so he helps fix her up, and even ogles her boobies too. She wakes up, and understandably freaks out a little, mostly concerned for her missing necklace, which Sebastian has hidden away, thinking the worst of her, assuming she stole it. He tells her the rightful owner can have it back once things are straightened out, and that kind of ticks her off, but she's too weak yet to make a rebellion. She knows he won't believe her, due to their class differences. Oh, yea, and there's the threat of the gangster out there looking for her, because she killed his brother. So Sebastian decides to keep her with him and Justin for awhile. A couple of days pass, and Devon heals, and begins exploring the house, finding the library, Sebastian's favorite room. That leads to a discussion, wherein Seb decides he's going to teach her to read, and help her gain the skills to become a governess like her mother before her (it was only through Dev's own stubbornness that she wouldn't let her mother teach her, much to her shame). He's also gone to St. Giles to check her story, and is horrified by her working and living conditions. He swears to never let her return to that life. Days pass, and a friendship (and lust for each other) blooms between them. Seb is pleased to learn she's smart, and finds her beauty irresistible, and she's the focus of many fantasies for him. Sebastian's always the perfect gentleman though, always following the rules and being polite, not letting any hint of scandal touch his family since their scandalous mother ran away from their mean and overbearing father years ago. When Justin spills their family history to Devon, Seb leaves the house in an angry rush, but Devon begs him to take her too, and they leave for Thurston Hall, the Sterling country estate, and the place where Seb is most comfortable. They spend the next day wandering the estate together, through the gardens, and meadows, flirting and teasing each other, sharing a kiss, falling in love if you will. Then Justin shows up and the men decide they can't let Devon be a governess, at the whim of the men of the houses she'd be employed at, knowing she'd probably end up back on the streets. So they decide to marry her off. Well she finds out about their plan, and is pretty upset, feeling like Seb just broke her heart. He rushes after, and consoles her in the only way he knows how, by making sweet, sweet love. Well, of course that only makes her fall even more in love with him, and the next few days they spend together are positively magical for them. Then, Justin shows up again, and tells her that his brother will never marry her, because of his proper-ness and duty to the title and all that, breaking her heart all over again when Sebastian doesn't exactly argue against his brother's claims. He "consoles" her again, telling her he can't let her go, but not telling her he'll marry her. Thankfully, Devon's surprise long-lost grandma from her unknown father's side shows up and whisks her away back to London. Seb can't stand the thought of living without her, and realizes what an ass he's been, and has to fight to make amends, with her grandma's help in the end, leading to a very touching reunion and HEA. I had watery eyes, I'll admit. This was my first try at Samantha James' writing, and I was pretty impressed, so she's definitely another author on my list of one's to look for. I'd love to read the next two in the series, Justin's story, and their sister Julianna's as well. A very good book in my opinion.
November 9, 2021
Reread 2021
August 15, 2014
Very sweet My Fair Lady story. I loved it..
July 16, 2017
Leído en Noviembre de 2009
Me gustó bastante.... trama atrapante!!
Me gustó bastante.... trama atrapante!!
February 28, 2023
Un libro sencillo y quizá un pelín predecible en la última parte, pero como la pareja me ha hecho reír (cosa que valoro mucho) y lo he pasado muy bien, le doy las 4 ⭐️
June 18, 2008
I don't know what took me so long to read this book... I used to read her medievals but I really loved this book. There was something very endearing about the h/h. I can't wait to get to the second book in the series
April 19, 2023
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
3’5 estrellitas.
Ha sido una lectura muy agradable, con unos protagonistas encantadores y con carisma (más ella que él) y un secundario robasecuencias.
Es muy ágil de leer y muy entretenida pero el tramo final tiene varias cosas que no me han parecido bien resueltas y que me hacen bajarle la nota un pelín.
En cualquier caso, ha sido un nadismo con enaguas muy decente.
3’5 estrellitas.
Ha sido una lectura muy agradable, con unos protagonistas encantadores y con carisma (más ella que él) y un secundario robasecuencias.
Es muy ágil de leer y muy entretenida pero el tramo final tiene varias cosas que no me han parecido bien resueltas y que me hacen bajarle la nota un pelín.
En cualquier caso, ha sido un nadismo con enaguas muy decente.
April 30, 2023
Regency England. IMO, the first half was better than
the second. This had sex scenes. Gave this 3 stars.
Sebastain, responsible bro & marquess, went to St. Giles
looking for his gambling, younger bro Justin. Instead he
found a young woman bleeding in the street. He assumed
she was a thief or a soiled dove and he told her so, when
she felt better.
Seb took Devan to his Mayfair home. He learned 2 men
robbed her, 1 stabbed her, she stabbed the man back and
accidently killed him in self-defense. The MCs slowly got
to know each other. Yrs ago a titled man got her governess
mom 'with child' and then abandoned her.
Things I liked:
* the fast pace
**some good dialogue
*** the H taught the h how to read & write
**** Devon met someone special
Things I disliked:
* H insulted her, said sorry and then repeated
** H was preoccupied with her 'glorious breasts'
*** Devon cried too often.
the second. This had sex scenes. Gave this 3 stars.
Sebastain, responsible bro & marquess, went to St. Giles
looking for his gambling, younger bro Justin. Instead he
found a young woman bleeding in the street. He assumed
she was a thief or a soiled dove and he told her so, when
she felt better.
Seb took Devan to his Mayfair home. He learned 2 men
robbed her, 1 stabbed her, she stabbed the man back and
accidently killed him in self-defense. The MCs slowly got
to know each other. Yrs ago a titled man got her governess
mom 'with child' and then abandoned her.
Things I liked:
* the fast pace
**some good dialogue
*** the H taught the h how to read & write
**** Devon met someone special
Things I disliked:
* H insulted her, said sorry and then repeated
** H was preoccupied with her 'glorious breasts'
*** Devon cried too often.
November 29, 2009
Unexpectedly endearing. I love both the hero and heroine. Sebastian is wonderful, with his protective manly self along with his sensitive side. I love it all. Devon (I loved her name) is a poor girl, who happens to be a bastard daughter to a peer. Either way, she is on the wrong side of the track until Sebastian rescues her and tends her.
They have a great interaction which is important because they were mostly in only each others company, except the sparse intervals with Justin or Dumpling and the puppies. The story isn't unique, but the characters are very likable and believable. The little bit of angst was enough to get me emotional.
Basically, worth a read. A simple story with excellent delivery.
They have a great interaction which is important because they were mostly in only each others company, except the sparse intervals with Justin or Dumpling and the puppies. The story isn't unique, but the characters are very likable and believable. The little bit of angst was enough to get me emotional.
Basically, worth a read. A simple story with excellent delivery.
July 25, 2022
Cute story,felt that it was a bit unrealistic or too smooth-sailing but it was an enjoyable read with a sweet ending🥰
July 30, 2018
No me gusto nada esta novela, los protagonistas mas sosos, con falta de caracter, realmente de lo peor leido este año.
June 17, 2011
A very sweet, charming book that could be a Disney movie, probably PG-13 because of a few scenes at the end of the book. It was a mixture of My Fair Lady; the heroine, Devon, is poor, alone in the world, and dirty and beaten after she was just robbed. She has figured out how to stay alive in her situation and keep the good morals her mother had taught her, but she has dreams to get out of this horrible life and move to the other other side of the tracks where she belongs. I was raised on musicals and I could just see Audrey Hepburn singing "Wouldn't it be Loverly", my father would be so proud to know I actually watched and listened when I was younger.
Enter Sebastian, a marquess from the right side of the tracks. Sebastian is all about the family, loyalty, and tradition- a definite blue blood through and through- and he just announced he is in the market for a wife so he can produce and heir. He happens upon Devon stabbed and unconscious in the street. He takes her back to his home, he nurses her back to life and sparks fly. Even though this might be Devon's fairy tale, to awaken in a beautiful bed with a gorgeous prince, Sebastian thinks she is a harlot with a sorid past and hidden secrets. She does have some secrets, not the immoral things Sebastian believes. I loved when she called him Lord Shyte and Lord Arse- she definitely had some spunk- and didn't take his high and mighty attitude. Sebastian turns Devon into a beautiful swan and although they fall in love, Sebastian knows she can never be for him.
The story is very cute, pretty predictable, and very heart warming. Just add a little Princess Diaries to the end and it the perfect fairy tale romance. Thanks Shawna for the recommendation!
January 19, 2010
Recommended by friend. First book I've read by this author and Bookd #1 in the Sterling Trilogy of two brothers and their sister. Loved this book; fantastic characters and a delightful story. Can't wait to ready Justin's and Juliana's books.
April 3, 2016
Leí a esta autora sin conocerla y no me arrepiento, me ha dado un buen romance histórico que destaca sobre los ya muchos que he leído y ocupa un puesto especial en mi estantería. Quiero los siguientes libros ya!
December 27, 2016
I really liked this historical. I love the stories where the perfect hero fall for someone they aren't supposed to; and how deeply they fall.
December 24, 2013
This was truly a delightful story. The hero and heroine were hardly at odds through this book and it was so heartwarming. Sebastian rescued Devon on the streets and at first thought she was a thief but eventually warmed up to her. They were cute and loving together.
There was a revelation about the heroine that wasn't quite a surprise but it was nice.
Near the end they were separated but the hero's heartfelt avowals to Devon were heartbreaking.
Lovely story and I hope the other two books in the series are just as good.
There was a revelation about the heroine that wasn't quite a surprise but it was nice.
Near the end they were separated but the hero's heartfelt avowals to Devon were heartbreaking.
Lovely story and I hope the other two books in the series are just as good.
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