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jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
Hard to imagine anyone who hasn't read the earlier books in the series understanding what goes one here. But for those who have, Carlyle gives yet another strongly-written romance with compelling, interesting characters.
maryamshahid's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Another book in the Fraternitas series. This happens mostly concurrently with the previous book in this series," "The Bride Wore Scarlet"." There are definitely some gaps about character development that you'll miss if you don't read the other two books in this series.
Lady Anisha Stafford is half-Scottish, half-Indian. She has moved to England with her two sons (by an English husband) to be closer to her brother, theman who reformed the Fraternitas in that country.
Rance Welham, the Earl of Weham, is very attracted to Lady Anisha. Unfortunately, he's got a murky background. Like, he-was-accused-of-murdering-a-man-and-only-escaped-because-his-hanging-didn't-work kind of murky. He wasn't exactly a good person when that happened. Though young, when accused of murdering Percevil, he was already known as a rake and there were many who thought he cheated at cards. So when he escaped the noose, many in society thought that his Daddy's money had saved his life.
In many romance stories, getting out of a murder charge would open up the hero's eyes making him a better person. Not Rance. He's still getting drunk and sleeping with loose women. Basically, trying to escape his past.
There's a powerful attraction between Rance and Anisha that she is willing to explore, but he is not. Anisha is already on the outskirts of the ton because of her blood and Rance doesn't want to pull her further from the place he thinks that she belongs.
An interesting story, I felt like there were parts of the story missing. Carlyle packs a lot into this book. There is more about his past than hers. I would have liked a little more about what she was going through. Rance was so worried about her position in society, I would have liked to see more than just the women who were so open and accepting of her.
I would have given this two and a half stars if Goodreads allowed, but I'm gonna round up. None of the individual books in this series have particularly caught my interest but I am enjoying the overall development of the Fraternitas and its members.
Lady Anisha Stafford is half-Scottish, half-Indian. She has moved to England with her two sons (by an English husband) to be closer to her brother, theman who reformed the Fraternitas in that country.
Rance Welham, the Earl of Weham, is very attracted to Lady Anisha. Unfortunately, he's got a murky background. Like, he-was-accused-of-murdering-a-man-and-only-escaped-because-his-hanging-didn't-work kind of murky. He wasn't exactly a good person when that happened. Though young, when accused of murdering Percevil, he was already known as a rake and there were many who thought he cheated at cards. So when he escaped the noose, many in society thought that his Daddy's money had saved his life.
In many romance stories, getting out of a murder charge would open up the hero's eyes making him a better person. Not Rance. He's still getting drunk and sleeping with loose women. Basically, trying to escape his past.
There's a powerful attraction between Rance and Anisha that she is willing to explore, but he is not. Anisha is already on the outskirts of the ton because of her blood and Rance doesn't want to pull her further from the place he thinks that she belongs.
An interesting story, I felt like there were parts of the story missing. Carlyle packs a lot into this book. There is more about his past than hers. I would have liked a little more about what she was going through. Rance was so worried about her position in society, I would have liked to see more than just the women who were so open and accepting of her.
I would have given this two and a half stars if Goodreads allowed, but I'm gonna round up. None of the individual books in this series have particularly caught my interest but I am enjoying the overall development of the Fraternitas and its members.
tostita's review against another edition
I like the characters in this book, but halfway through it still seems like nothing has actually happened. I think I'm not in the right headspace for this book right now. I'll try again some other time.
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
4.0
Characters: Widow between worlds. Falsely accused hero.
World Building: Ayurvedic medicine. Kama Sutra.
Plot: Mystery around false accusation.
Sex: Medium to hot. Tantric.
Read another: Yes.
World Building: Ayurvedic medicine. Kama Sutra.
Plot: Mystery around false accusation.
Sex: Medium to hot. Tantric.
Read another: Yes.
amshofner's review against another edition
2.0
Something like a 2.5.
Coming into this series on the third book did me no favors. Often, with historical romance series, it doesn't matter much when you start the series, but it felt like a lot had been established already in earlier books.
With this book, things just seem to happen, without me being able to figure out why. Most of the time this happens, it's because I lack the back story. Again, likely because I started in the middle of a series.
(And, also, how much value would you give blurbs by other authors? This one had a blurb by an author whose book I marked DNF, which makes me wonder...)
Considering the heroine was Indian, I was hoping for more attention paid to cultures, but with Anisha raised as an Englishwoman, and little page time given to her Indian heritage (even her children were obviously white), it wasn't quite as satisfying for me.
Coming into this series on the third book did me no favors. Often, with historical romance series, it doesn't matter much when you start the series, but it felt like a lot had been established already in earlier books.
With this book, things just seem to happen, without me being able to figure out why. Most of the time this happens, it's because I lack the back story. Again, likely because I started in the middle of a series.
(And, also, how much value would you give blurbs by other authors? This one had a blurb by an author whose book I marked DNF, which makes me wonder...)
Considering the heroine was Indian, I was hoping for more attention paid to cultures, but with Anisha raised as an Englishwoman, and little page time given to her Indian heritage (even her children were obviously white), it wasn't quite as satisfying for me.
rissahoo's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lissielove's review
4.0
Reviewed for http://www.paper-cup.org
I love Liz Carlyle. She has a wonderful lyrical way of writing prose that makes even the most dense and heavy subjects seem light. From the moment I picked up The Devil to Pay, she’s never disappointed me. That being said, I felt niggling details in this work that kept it from being five stars. The best thing about Carlyle’s work is that it’s a self-contained universe. No book exists in a vacuum. Her first characters, introduced in My False Heart, were featured in one of her most recent works, Wicked All Day. The hero and heroine in The Bride Wore Scarlet were children of former heroes and heroines. Few authors continue this kind of universe the way that Carlyle does with such flawlessness, and manage to weave in new characters. Yet, for the first time here, she stumbles, and it costs this book the last star.
The leads in this book are wonderful, just as I thought they would be in the first two books in the series. Rance and Anisha are complex, damaged and emerge at the end better for the trials. Anisha is a strong heroine, willing to pursue her own future without Rance if he’s not willing to step up, and Rance is willing to give her up because he thinks he’s not good enough. Until it’s time to actually do that. Rance’s tortured past is completely on display here, his obsession with restoring his name and honor ring true as well as his desire to keep his promise to Ruthveyn about protecting Anisha.
I liked seeing characters from past books show up–Benedict and Frederica, particularly as they hold a special place in my heart. I also was glad to see that Anaïs played such a strong supporting role, that her part in Anisha’s past almost betrothal was not forgotten. The actual mystery behind Rance’s framing for murder was interesting and well done, as well.
So, what bothers me about this book? What keeps me from rating it highly? Why did I put it down after devouring it on my vacation with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction? I was bothered the moment Anaïs set foot in George Kemble’s old shop and visited her father’s old friend. Every moment George Kemble is in the story is a wink to Carlyle’s old readers and is completely out of place for the story. The scene between Anaïs and Kemble in the shop is unnecessary fill, just to remind you of his flamboyancy. His role in the story is fluff, and leads you to believe, that along with the notes in Rance’s police file, held the key to the mystery all along. If Anaïs held connections to the Guardians before, why did no one use them on behalf of Rance? Why did no one ask de Vendeheim to look into it? He would have commandeered the file, and Kemble, to be sure. It leaves a niggling feeling in my head that it all could have been solved so much more neatly and sooner when Kemble is the one that holds the cards. You take out George Kemble, and put in someone else who doesn’t have the history with Anaïs’s father, it wouldn’t be an issue.
That won’t bother people who’ve haven’t read every Liz Carlyle cover to cover nine or ten times like I have. Unfortunately, I have. I feel like George Kemble was in this story because Liz Carlyle had queries from fans asking about him, and she gave into temptation. Better to leave it to mystery. Kemble would have approved.
I love Liz Carlyle. She has a wonderful lyrical way of writing prose that makes even the most dense and heavy subjects seem light. From the moment I picked up The Devil to Pay, she’s never disappointed me. That being said, I felt niggling details in this work that kept it from being five stars. The best thing about Carlyle’s work is that it’s a self-contained universe. No book exists in a vacuum. Her first characters, introduced in My False Heart, were featured in one of her most recent works, Wicked All Day. The hero and heroine in The Bride Wore Scarlet were children of former heroes and heroines. Few authors continue this kind of universe the way that Carlyle does with such flawlessness, and manage to weave in new characters. Yet, for the first time here, she stumbles, and it costs this book the last star.
The leads in this book are wonderful, just as I thought they would be in the first two books in the series. Rance and Anisha are complex, damaged and emerge at the end better for the trials. Anisha is a strong heroine, willing to pursue her own future without Rance if he’s not willing to step up, and Rance is willing to give her up because he thinks he’s not good enough. Until it’s time to actually do that. Rance’s tortured past is completely on display here, his obsession with restoring his name and honor ring true as well as his desire to keep his promise to Ruthveyn about protecting Anisha.
I liked seeing characters from past books show up–Benedict and Frederica, particularly as they hold a special place in my heart. I also was glad to see that Anaïs played such a strong supporting role, that her part in Anisha’s past almost betrothal was not forgotten. The actual mystery behind Rance’s framing for murder was interesting and well done, as well.
So, what bothers me about this book? What keeps me from rating it highly? Why did I put it down after devouring it on my vacation with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction? I was bothered the moment Anaïs set foot in George Kemble’s old shop and visited her father’s old friend. Every moment George Kemble is in the story is a wink to Carlyle’s old readers and is completely out of place for the story. The scene between Anaïs and Kemble in the shop is unnecessary fill, just to remind you of his flamboyancy. His role in the story is fluff, and leads you to believe, that along with the notes in Rance’s police file, held the key to the mystery all along. If Anaïs held connections to the Guardians before, why did no one use them on behalf of Rance? Why did no one ask de Vendeheim to look into it? He would have commandeered the file, and Kemble, to be sure. It leaves a niggling feeling in my head that it all could have been solved so much more neatly and sooner when Kemble is the one that holds the cards. You take out George Kemble, and put in someone else who doesn’t have the history with Anaïs’s father, it wouldn’t be an issue.
That won’t bother people who’ve haven’t read every Liz Carlyle cover to cover nine or ten times like I have. Unfortunately, I have. I feel like George Kemble was in this story because Liz Carlyle had queries from fans asking about him, and she gave into temptation. Better to leave it to mystery. Kemble would have approved.
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