5 stars - I loved it! I've read all of Sabrina Jeffries books and this is one of my new favorites. Once I started reading it I could not put it down.

1st Book in the Hellions of Hallstead Hall series - Their parents died when Stoneville was only 16 and he and his siblings have been running amuck for years. Their Grandmother is in trade and has kept the family plump in the pockets but no more, she has had enough of their scandalous behavior and it is time to straighten up and get married so she can have great-grand children. They have 1 year for all 5 of them to marry or be disinherited. Stoneville thinks it's time to really shock her by his choice in bride and make her give up this quest since he has no intent to ever marry but as we all knowâ¦love wins in the end.

I found this book to be fun and entertaining the whole way through. I could really feel these characters come to life on the page and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

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England Early 1800s
THIS WAS FABULOUS! My only regret is that I have to wait for her to write the remainder of the series. I am extremely glad that I didn't wait for this on-line but went and purchased it myself.
The first in a series of siblings led by a grandmother in the attempt to bring respectability to a scandalous family. The chemistry was great. the story-loine fantastic. The other characters (the other siblings) were great and I can't say enough good about this book. Just go read it already!:)

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I'm not your typical historical romance reader. I don't read many at all, and when I do, they tend not to be English historicals. I've also never read a book by this author before. I purchased this one based on an excellent review by someone I trust, and promptly fell in love with it.

Since others have summarized the story, I won't. What sold me on this first and foremost were the characters. I can't think of anyone in the story I didn't like. Maria is strong and no-nonsense, while Oliver is charming with just the right amount of personal turmoil. The humor both approach life with made me laugh out loud more than once (as did Freddy, who I absolutely adored). Minerva and Celia have stronger characterizations than Jarret and Gabe, but I think that was likely deliberate to keep the focus on Oliver. However, all siblings were entertaining, and I particularly loved how they ganged up to push Oliver and Maria together.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I'm not sure what the expectations were for Jeffries' fans or readers who saw Oliver in other books, but for this person coming in cold, this was a fantastic read.

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This was a wonderful story and I had a smile on my face for most of this book.
Oliver blames himself for his mother's death and what she did. (I don't consider this a spoiler as the reader finds this out in the prologue- Oliver's mother shot and killed their father and then herself). She had caught him doing something (we find out later- towards the end what that was). As a result, he seeks out pleasure to hide his pain.
The Sharpe's grandmother wants her 5 grandchildren married and settled. Oliver the eldest was 35 (I think?), Jarret- 32, Minerva- 28, Gabe- 26, and Celia- 24. She gives them 1 year to find a spouse. If they are all not married when the year is out, they lose their inheritance from her. Oliver believes she is bluffing and plans to call her out on it. When Maria stumbles into a brothel looking for her fiance, he sees his chance. In exchange for her being his fake fiance, he will help look for Nathan (the fiance). Maria's father sent Nathan to England to work on a deal and he has disappeared and is not answering her letters, nor does he know her father is deceased.
Fake relationships can be fun to read about and this one was. The whole family is wonderful, unique, and I didn't dislike a single one. They are all supportive of each other and love each other. I look forward to their stories. Jarret is next.
2 months down, 10 months to find a partner.

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This was my first read by this author. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I would rate this one as better than average. I found the hero to be just the sort that I like. Dark, tortured, but beautiful in his soul. He didn't think he deserved anything good in his life. And then of course, the right woman came along and showed him he was so much more. I liked the family and look forward to their stories as well. The love scenes were slightly steamy and strategically placed so that they added to the story.

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"They are the scandalous Sharpes, five hell-raising siblings tainted by a shocking family legacy. Now each faces a daunting ultimatum: marry by year's end or kiss their inheritance good-bye"

Sabrina Jeffries is a new author to me. I already read "How To Woo a Reluctant Lady" and found out that it was third in the Hellions of Halstead series. So I immediately hunted down the other two. A Very Good read! compelling characters, one and all. H/H was a good mix of passion and romance. Hero was portrayed as a rake but was a lovable rake. Female character was strong yet properly innocent. Excellent! Overall, 4 stars, can't wait to read the next ones!

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Love Sabrina Jeffries. Loved this story. Great tie in to the School for Heiresses Series. You can't help but love the entire family. Enjoy.

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