Robin M. (robinmy) -
After his fiancee left him at the altar to marry his brother, Maxmillian Burke wanted to be left alone. Moving from busy London to Cadgwyck Manor in Cornwall seemed like a good idea. But when he arrives, he finds the estate is run down, the servants are lazy, and the nearby villagers claim there is a ghost. Housekeeper Anne Spencer wastes no time telling Max about the death of the beautiful Angelica who is said to haunt the manor. While Max sees Angelica's portrait and is intrigued by the story, it is his housekeeper that makes him want to give love another chance.
Anne and her staff are determined to drive Max out of the house, just like they did with the previous Lords of the Manor. They purposely grind dirt into the carpets, leave a layer of dust on every surface, and try to make life very uncomfortable. But Max doesn't complain about the dingy manor house or the food that is unappetizing. And he finds the ghost the haunts the manor gives him something more to think about in his dreary life.
I thought the story had some enjoyable moments, mostly from the antics of the servants. But the pace of this book is so slow it almost put me to sleep. My rating: 3 Stars.
Anne and her staff are determined to drive Max out of the house, just like they did with the previous Lords of the Manor. They purposely grind dirt into the carpets, leave a layer of dust on every surface, and try to make life very uncomfortable. But Max doesn't complain about the dingy manor house or the food that is unappetizing. And he finds the ghost the haunts the manor gives him something more to think about in his dreary life.
I thought the story had some enjoyable moments, mostly from the antics of the servants. But the pace of this book is so slow it almost put me to sleep. My rating: 3 Stars.
Mary R. (greatdanelover) reviewed The Temptation of Your Touch (Burke Brothers, Bk 2) on + 131 more book reviews
A totally fun read. I gave it three stars for entertainment. No treachery; no betrayals; just a fun story.
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Fun book. Max has been running wild ever since his fiancee jilted him to marry his brother. He'd always been the good brother, but now he just doesn't care. When he finally goes a bit too far, he heads off to the furthest piece of property the family owns. All he wants is to be left alone to wallow in his misery. He arrives to find a manor in disrepair, rumors of a ghost that drives almost everyone away, the oddest group of staff he's ever seen, and a housekeeper he can't keep off his mind.
Anne and her coworkers have had the manor almost entirely to themselves for years, which suits them just fine. There's something at the manor that they have been searching for, and others just get in their way. Anne will do whatever she needs to in order to keep it that way. But the new owner doesn't scare easily, and it isn't long before she doesn't want him to leave.
Max wasn't very likable at the beginning. It had been a couple years since his fiancee had jilted him, but he was still feeling sorry for himself. He was drinking too much and doing stupid things, including the duel that was the final straw. I liked the fact that he knew getting away was the best thing for him, but his attitude was still bad. His arrival at Cadgwyck wasn't anything like he expected and it has soured his mood even more. But there's something about Anne that breaks through the wall of misery around his heart, and a mystery about the manor that gives him something else to think about.
It was fun to see the things that Anne and the others did to make Max's stay as miserable as possible, and how he refused to let it affect him. The confrontations between them had sparks flying that both were determined to resist; Max because she's a servant, and Anne because mistakes from her past keep her from believing she deserves any happiness. I loved Max's refusal to be driven away, and how the mystery intrigued him enough to want to solve it. I liked his determination not to be driven away, and how he started to like the craziness around him. Anne was a bit frustrated by his fascination with the "White Lady", especially when he also seemed taken with her. Their verbal battles were fun to see, but also showed that they were getting to know each other very well. I liked the protectiveness that Max developed and how he showed it. Anne also came to understand Max well, which led her to say the things she did when his brother came to visit.
Things got a bit intense when a fire was set that could have killed them all. The results of that fire had some interesting consequences, involving a search on the rainswept moor, an illness and a night time visit with the "White Lady". What happened next was pretty intense. I had suspected the truth about the mystery of the "White Lady" and was happy to see that I was right. There was one twist that I didn't expect. I really liked the epilogue and seeing the changes that had happened. The surprise that Max brought home for Anne was the perfect ending.
Anne and her coworkers have had the manor almost entirely to themselves for years, which suits them just fine. There's something at the manor that they have been searching for, and others just get in their way. Anne will do whatever she needs to in order to keep it that way. But the new owner doesn't scare easily, and it isn't long before she doesn't want him to leave.
Max wasn't very likable at the beginning. It had been a couple years since his fiancee had jilted him, but he was still feeling sorry for himself. He was drinking too much and doing stupid things, including the duel that was the final straw. I liked the fact that he knew getting away was the best thing for him, but his attitude was still bad. His arrival at Cadgwyck wasn't anything like he expected and it has soured his mood even more. But there's something about Anne that breaks through the wall of misery around his heart, and a mystery about the manor that gives him something else to think about.
It was fun to see the things that Anne and the others did to make Max's stay as miserable as possible, and how he refused to let it affect him. The confrontations between them had sparks flying that both were determined to resist; Max because she's a servant, and Anne because mistakes from her past keep her from believing she deserves any happiness. I loved Max's refusal to be driven away, and how the mystery intrigued him enough to want to solve it. I liked his determination not to be driven away, and how he started to like the craziness around him. Anne was a bit frustrated by his fascination with the "White Lady", especially when he also seemed taken with her. Their verbal battles were fun to see, but also showed that they were getting to know each other very well. I liked the protectiveness that Max developed and how he showed it. Anne also came to understand Max well, which led her to say the things she did when his brother came to visit.
Things got a bit intense when a fire was set that could have killed them all. The results of that fire had some interesting consequences, involving a search on the rainswept moor, an illness and a night time visit with the "White Lady". What happened next was pretty intense. I had suspected the truth about the mystery of the "White Lady" and was happy to see that I was right. There was one twist that I didn't expect. I really liked the epilogue and seeing the changes that had happened. The surprise that Max brought home for Anne was the perfect ending.
Funny, lighthearted, nothing new but skilfully told tale. Appears to be post regency/early Victorian though no year given. Paperback cover is somewhat different than this illustration.
