Darlina H. (book-crazy-62) -
I couldn't wait to be offered this book so I bought it on my nook. I was very much looking forward to reading this story, but was sadly disappointed. The story seemed rushed, gave more story to Ash's parents than necessary & spent too much time detailing the servants romantic preferences & not enough details of the main characters Ash & Jess. I felt the author could have given more of a story to the main characters than she did. Wish I had waited to find a copy at a yard sale or from the library I feel I just wasted my money on this book. Which is sad because I loved the first 3 in the series!
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Fun book. Kit and Jess have been married for eight years - and separated the entire time. Kit caught Jess in a compromising position and rather than listen to her explanation, he took her to his country estate and left her there. Since that time, he has lived in London, alone and miserable, because he still loves her. During those eight years, rumors have abounded about her faithless activities. He knows that he needs to have an heir, and is ready to make a deal with her to do so.
Jess has spent the last eight years stuck in the country. She doesn't mind, in some ways, as it gives her all the time she wants for her painting and sketching. She also knows that the problem with her marriage is mostly her fault, for believing in Percy's words. But she is about at the end of her patience, especially with the stories of Ash's romantic exploits in London. It is time to reclaim her husband.
The opening was pretty funny, with Ash arriving at the estate as Jess is painting one of the servants - a naked servant. He walks in just as the man has lost his balance and fallen on top of Jess. Ash, of course, believes that history is repeating itself, and is ready to throw in the towel and ask for a divorce. But Jess isn't ready to give up, and they strike a deal. Jess and Ash will go to London and see if they can rescue their marriage. If not, they will part ways.
I liked Kit and Jess, but their problems would have been solved much quicker if they had just talked to each other. But Kit let his pride get in the way, and went off to sulk in London. Jess simply believed that Kit had realized that marrying the daughter of the Irish groom had been a mistake. On Kit's side, it doesn't help that he was deeply in love with Jess and had been saving himself for their marriage, so he is also suffering from extreme frustration. This has a tendency to cloud his thinking.
There are some pretty funny moments throughout the book. Jess's ease with her all male staff at her home, thanks to the fact that none of them are interested in her as a woman, was something that didn't set well with Kit because he was blind to the reasons. They went to his home in London to avoid dealing with his mother, the Duchess of Love, only to discover that she was there ahead of them. This meant that they had to suffer through unwanted and frankly embarrassing advice for her. I loved the scene where one of Jess's servants, who was actually a baronet avoiding his family, confronted Ash and pointed out some things he felt Ash should know.
I loved how Jess and Ash were slowly reconnecting, motivated by the attraction that is still just as strong. I enjoyed seeing Jess play the temptress, even though she was just as inexperienced as Ash. The biggest thing they had to get past was the event that had caused their separation to start with. The final confrontation with Percy was satisfying and funny, as he got what was coming to him. It was also the catalyst for Ash and Jess to finally talk about what had happened. I especially liked that Kit finally got through to Jess that he loved her just as she was and that her parentage made no difference to that.
*copy received in exchange for honest review.
Jess has spent the last eight years stuck in the country. She doesn't mind, in some ways, as it gives her all the time she wants for her painting and sketching. She also knows that the problem with her marriage is mostly her fault, for believing in Percy's words. But she is about at the end of her patience, especially with the stories of Ash's romantic exploits in London. It is time to reclaim her husband.
The opening was pretty funny, with Ash arriving at the estate as Jess is painting one of the servants - a naked servant. He walks in just as the man has lost his balance and fallen on top of Jess. Ash, of course, believes that history is repeating itself, and is ready to throw in the towel and ask for a divorce. But Jess isn't ready to give up, and they strike a deal. Jess and Ash will go to London and see if they can rescue their marriage. If not, they will part ways.
I liked Kit and Jess, but their problems would have been solved much quicker if they had just talked to each other. But Kit let his pride get in the way, and went off to sulk in London. Jess simply believed that Kit had realized that marrying the daughter of the Irish groom had been a mistake. On Kit's side, it doesn't help that he was deeply in love with Jess and had been saving himself for their marriage, so he is also suffering from extreme frustration. This has a tendency to cloud his thinking.
There are some pretty funny moments throughout the book. Jess's ease with her all male staff at her home, thanks to the fact that none of them are interested in her as a woman, was something that didn't set well with Kit because he was blind to the reasons. They went to his home in London to avoid dealing with his mother, the Duchess of Love, only to discover that she was there ahead of them. This meant that they had to suffer through unwanted and frankly embarrassing advice for her. I loved the scene where one of Jess's servants, who was actually a baronet avoiding his family, confronted Ash and pointed out some things he felt Ash should know.
I loved how Jess and Ash were slowly reconnecting, motivated by the attraction that is still just as strong. I enjoyed seeing Jess play the temptress, even though she was just as inexperienced as Ash. The biggest thing they had to get past was the event that had caused their separation to start with. The final confrontation with Percy was satisfying and funny, as he got what was coming to him. It was also the catalyst for Ash and Jess to finally talk about what had happened. I especially liked that Kit finally got through to Jess that he loved her just as she was and that her parentage made no difference to that.
*copy received in exchange for honest review.
This book was definitely a 'skimmer'. I could have read the first couple of chapters, skimmed through until I got to the middle for a couple of chapters, and then skimmed through until the last couple of chapters. Of course, I had been hearing of Jess and Ash through out the first three books so I had been exposed to the basis of their story. I was looking forward to reading it in this book. Then, I found that most of it was repeated over and over and over again with little new being added until the last 20 or so pages. It was tedious as were the characters. They were 20 and 22 going on 16 and 18 and they didn't mature much past that age when they were 26 and 28. I am wondering if Ms. MacKenzie was as tired of the Duchess of Love as I was. It was a disappointing end to this series.
When it was all said and done I enjoyed this one and stayed up to finish it. I adored Kit (Ash) and Jess. Yes, their reason for staying apart would have been so easily solved if they just TALKED. That part was frustrating. But, in their time apart, they both matured. I LOVED that Ash was a virgin and Jess was his one and only. That was refreshing and uncommon in this genre.
(Now I'm on my soapbox, just for a bit....Yes, I saw some reviews that bitched about it not being realistic- an heir to a major title marrying a servant, the gay servants- but I really don't care. It's fiction and one could argue most of the historical romance isn't realistic either. Who cares? I don't. Because of that, it was a little different. And I welcomed that.)
(Now I'm on my soapbox, just for a bit....Yes, I saw some reviews that bitched about it not being realistic- an heir to a major title marrying a servant, the gay servants- but I really don't care. It's fiction and one could argue most of the historical romance isn't realistic either. Who cares? I don't. Because of that, it was a little different. And I welcomed that.)
Good read
