Sabrina Jeffries

Final book in the series and an excellent wrap up to the trials of the siblings. In the previous books we saw that George, Viscount Rathmoor was a truly nasty piece of work. He managed to disinherit his half siblings, tried to get his half brother hanged, and forced his own brother to give up his inheritance. This made it impossible for Dom to give his fiancee Jane the future they had planned. Stubborn Jane refused to break their engagement, so he tricked her into doing it, breaking both show more their hearts.

Twelve years later Dom is the head of his own detective agency when Jane shows up at his door asking for his help. Her cousin, who is also his late brother's widow, is missing and she wants Dom to find her. Thanks to his exposure to the seedier side of life, Dom is convinced that Nancy has run off with a lover, but Jane is sure that she's in trouble. Jane is no longer a naive young woman willing to take Dom's word, and makes it clear she'll find out the truth, with or without his help. Having never lost his feelings for her, Dom can't allow her to go on her own, but he's certain that he's right.

Dom and Jane are two extremely stubborn people. All those years ago Dom had made the decision to break things off because he felt that was best. He didn't give her the benefit of believing she could stand by him no matter what. Now he finally has the means to support her, but she has given up on him and gotten engaged to another man. Jane refuses to believe the worst of her cousin and insists on going with Dom as he investigates. The two constantly butt heads over who is right.

Both of them have a lot to learn about each other as they try to work together. Dom is very much a control freak, thanks to the way he was raised. His older brother was the heir, and therefore had their father's attention. His half brother and sister were the children of the woman their father loved, and therefore loved by him. Dom himself was the child whose birth caused his mother's death, making his father feel guilty every time he saw him. Strangely enough, it was his father's second family that showed Dom the most love, and Dom would do anything to protect them. This is what caused the trouble with George. So now Dom has the habit of telling people what to do, rather than discussing options. He's also had things happen in the past that reinforce the idea that things go wrong when he doesn't maintain control. Unfortunately for him, Jane refuses to be dictated to.

Jane has had enough of men who force women to do what they want. Her father was an ill tempered bully who had emotionally abused his wife before killing her in a fit of temper and dying himself. He had also written his will in such a manner to exert control over Jane even after his death. She is still angry over Dom's actions all those years ago, and resists every time he tries to order her around. As they try to work together to find Nancy, Jane discovers that there is more to Dom's actions that she had known before, and begins to understand a little of why he behaves as he does. She still doesn't agree with him, and has no trouble telling him so.

The chemistry between them is still hot, and they have a hard time keeping their hands off each other, in spite of wanting to believe the worst. Their conversations are snappy, intelligent, and frequently fun to witness. I loved seeing Jane push back when Dom would get high handed, and Dom would be left wondering what the heck had just happened. I also loved the fact that he started to realize that maybe he had screwed up all those years ago, and wondering if there was any way that he could win her back. Jane quickly realized she still loved him, but she wasn't going to give in until he showed her the respect she felt she deserved.

The mystery of the missing woman was very well done. I loved seeing the way that both Dom and Jane could be right in their beliefs, and that they wouldn't know the truth until they managed to catch up with her. There was a lot at stake, including the possibility that Dom could once again end up with nothing. I was definitely rooting for Jane's option, though I was still uncertain all the way to the end. show less

Good romance with an undercurrent of mystery. Lady Lydia has been married multiple times. Three of her husbands were dukes; their titles passed down to the oldest sons born of those marriages, forming a dynasty of dukes. Recently several of the children began to suspect that their fathers' deaths may not have been accidents. The oldest son, the Duke of Greycourt, believes his father may have been poisoned, and asks Olivia Norley to use her chemist skills to discover the truth.

Grey's younger show more brother, "Thorn," the Duke of Thornstock, is not happy with Olivia's involvement. Nine years earlier, they had an encounter that damaged both their reputations. Thorn still believes Olivia was guilty of setting him up and is determined to keep an eye on her.

Olivia has no interest in the society to which she belongs. Her passion is reserved for all things scientific. Grey's request will advance her plans to make a name for herself in the field. Having Thorn always underfoot is a distraction she doesn't need.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Olivia and Thorn. I loved their first meeting. Olivia is young and only interested in cleaning up the mess she caused. Thorn is a little older but still young and a bit full of himself. Sparks fly between them, and a quick kiss rapidly intensifies. When caught by Olivia's stepmother, she attempts to force Thorn to "do the right thing." This doesn't go the way anyone expects. Thorn is left with conflicting feelings of relief and anger, as well as betrayal.

Nine years later, neither has forgotten that encounter. Olivia concentrated on her desire to be a chemist and avoided society as much as possible. Thorn has lived up to his reputation as a rake, but still carries a grudge against Olivia and her mother. He deals with that grudge in an unusual way, but he is still extremely suspicious of Olivia and her motives. He even goes so far as to insist on helping set up her laboratory at Grey's estate, sure that he will discover that she is a fraud. I had to laugh at how hard she made him work until he had to admit that he was wrong. This also opened the door to them clearing the air over the events of nine years earlier, enabling them to work together in harmony.

But underneath their fledgling friendship, there bubbles an intense attraction. Thorn is well aware of his effect on Olivia and takes advantage of it whenever he can. He is determined to get her into his bed, though marriage is the last thing on his mind. The feelings Thorn stirs in her are new to Olivia, and her scientific curiosity demands that she investigate them thoroughly. She hasn't shown any interest in marriage either, to her stepmother's dismay, as she doesn't want to give up her career goals to a husband. The more time they spend together, the more their thinking begins to change. Thorn's feelings turn protective when an explosion in Olivia's lab makes it clear that someone doesn't want her to find the truth.

I loved seeing Thorn's protectiveness and the care he takes to protect her reputation, too. I had to laugh at the teasing he endured from his siblings because of it. As close as Olivia has started to feel to Thorn, she also senses that there is something that he is holding back. I ached for Thorn and the lengths he went to in order to protect his secret. As he and Olivia grow closer, he fears that revealing that secret would hurt her and drive her away from him. I hurt for both of them when she discovered the truth. Each of them had some serious self-examination to do before they realized that they belonged together. I loved their big moment at the end and seeing what happens when they talk about expectations.

The overarching mystery regarding the deaths of the various dukes makes some significant progress thanks to Olivia's talents. Though they are closer to the truth, their best lead ended up dead. I liked the epilogue as the siblings meet to discuss what they know, what they suspect, and where they should go next. I have my suspicions as to the culprit behind the deaths and can't wait to see if I am right. It will be hard to wait until next summer for the next book. show less

Terrific conclusion to the series. The Harper sisters' business, Elegant Occasions, is doing a booming business with its event planning and matchmaking services. Verity's sisters, Diana and Eliza, found their matches in the previous books. Verity isn't interested in a match for herself. Between an earlier betrayal and her parents' scandalous behavior, she has trust issues and feels she is better off on her own.

Rafe is an army officer who is also a spy. He has a reputation as a chameleon show more whose disguises can get him anywhere undetected. His mission is to find the person providing military information to the French. He believes it is someone connected to the Harper family and is determined to get closer to them. He decides his best option is to fake courting Verity. He doesn't expect the intense attraction that complicates his plans.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Rafe and Verity develop. Rafe's confidence in his abilities is well-earned, but he's never encountered anyone like her. His attitude at the beginning made me laugh out loud: "He would use Lady Verity's native curiosity to draw her in, and then would charm her into giving up her family secrets...or at least showing him where to look for them. What could be easier?" He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Verity is an intelligent and observant young woman who never forgets a face. Her first thought when she saw Rafe was that he reminded her of the Phantom, a man who has crashed multiple events over more than a year wearing various disguises. After his introduction, she second-guesses herself but can't let go of the suspicion. She finds him good-looking and charming, but that lingering suspicion makes her wary. But a grand scene at the auction that night wins him some points.

As Rafe increases his attention to Verity to get closer to the family, the sparks of attraction between them grow stronger. Rafe continues his investigation while fighting his growing feelings for her. It was fun to see how being near her scrambled his brain and made him feel protective of her. Verity also feels the same sparks while becoming more convinced that Rafe is the Phantom. I loved their conversations - their banter and teasing were fun and flirtatious.

I also ached for Rafe as he grew closer to Verity and her family. He had a lonely childhood, brought up by his bachelor/soldier uncle, and that loneliness has continued as an adult. Some vulnerability was exposed as he experienced the close and chaotic Harper family life, and he wondered what it would have been like to have a family like that. He also has unanswered questions about his family.

When Rafe rescues Verity from a sticky situation, offering marriage is the only thing he can do to protect her. But he worries about what will happen when she learns the truth about why he was there. I loved the conversation when he revealed those secrets and Rafe's surprise at her reaction. Rafe's reaction to her revelation of him as the Phantom had me laughing the loudest. His shock at how much he had underestimated her was hilarious, but it did bring them closer.

Meanwhile, Rafe is beginning to close in on the traitor but lacks some vital information. I loved seeing his partnership with Verity as they collaborated on what he knew. The resolution came together quickly at this point with an unexpected twist and Verity in danger. The final confrontation was satisfying and believable.

The book had an emotional ending, with all questions resolved. The epilogue was terrific, and I loved catching up with all three sisters and their families.

#netgalley show less

The Forbidden Lord is the second book in Sabrina Jeffries’ Lord Trilogy. Jordan, the stepbrother of the heroine from the first book, is a jaded aristocrat who doesn’t believe in love and has little interest in marrying. Emily is the daughter of a mere rector and something of a romantic. A case of mistaken identity at a masquerade ball leads to these two ending up in a carriage alone together and a steamy kiss. Two months later, neither has forgotten the other, but circumstances have show more become complicated for Emily. Her best friend, Sophie, who is the daughter of the controlling Lord Nesfield, the man who provides Emily’s father’s living, was caught trying to elope with a mysterious man. The man got away and Sophie was sent to Scotland for safekeeping. Meanwhile, Lord Nesfield and his sister, Lady Dundee, have contrived a plan to ferret out Sophie’s suitor so that Lord Nesfield can make him pay for his “sins.” They want Emily to pretend to be Lady Dundee’s daughter who has just arrived in London for her come-out, and then Emily can try to gain trust with the young men who are suspects to discern which one it is. Not usually one to lie, Emily is reluctant to go along with the masquerade, but Lord Nesfield holds a family secret and the promise of a false murder charge over her head to get her to comply. In her guise as Lady Emma, Emily chances to meet Jordan again. He immediately knows who she is, but she tries to dissuade him from that notion by playing her part to a tee. The more she sees of Jordan, though, the more she begins falling for him, but can she ever be with someone who’s determined never to fall in love? And when Emily’s true identity comes out, can she trust Jordan to help her out of her predicament?

Emily is talented in the art of physic and uses her medical knowledge to create remedies and treat the ailments of the people in her community. When her mother became ill with a wasting disease, Emily put her skills to work, making her own laudanum, which her mother then used to commit suicide. Emily blames herself for not keeping a closer watch on her mother. She and Lord Nesfield were the ones who discovered her mother’s body, and as such, she believes they’re the only ones who know how she died. Emily hasn’t wanted to burden her father with the knowledge and she also doesn’t want her father’s ministerial position to be jeopardized if anyone found out the truth. That’s why when Lord Nesfield threatens to not only reveal all but to falsely charge Emily with murder if she doesn’t help him find his daughter’s erstwhile suitor, she has no choice but to comply. She’s never been able to forget that one memorable kiss with Jordan, so when they meet up again while she’s in the guise of Lady Emma, she wishes circumstances were different. Regardless, though, she finds herself falling more and more in love with him. But when her masquerade starts to unravel and Jordan wants to know what’s really going on, she can’t bring herself to tell him. Instead she offers herself up on a silver platter in exchange for his silence. But eventually they both come up with independent plans to expose Lord Nesfield’s scheme while hoping to prevent Emily from going to jail or worse.

I initially thought I would like Emily because she seemed sweet in the beginning, but I have to admit that for someone who allegedly despised lying, she did an awful lot of it. I realize her arm was being twisted by Lord Nesfield, and because of his threats, there was a lot at stake, but I kind of expected her to maybe feel a bit more guilty for the deception than she seems to. Still, I maybe could have lived with all that, but when she lied to Jordan about not being a virgin to get him to sleep with her as payment for keeping quiet about her true identity, I kind of lost patience with her. She’s also among the most stubborn heroines I’ve ever read. Again, I know that she was worried about the truth coming out, but she had both Lady Dundee (who wasn’t in on the blackmail part of the scheme and eventually realized her brother was probably holding something over Emily’s head) and Jordan, both offering to help her out of whatever was going on, but she obstinately insisted on handling matters herself instead of trusting either one. If not for a coincidental, eleventh-hour revelation and Jordan’s meddling, Emily likely would have ended up at Lord Nesfield’s mercy. So while I didn’t thoroughly dislike her, she’s definitely not going to end up among my favorite heroines.

Jordan’s parents had a disastrous marriage in which his social-climbing mother seduced his father into compromising her, forcing the union. While his father loved his mother, she didn’t feel the same and often took out her unhappiness on Jordan. Even though he had a much better role model in his stepmother, Jordan is determined never to fall in love or give his heart to another, convinced it will lead to nothing but ruin. As such, he’s known as a rake who only consorts with women who won’t try to trap him into a loveless union and never goes near innocent, marriage-minded, young ladies. That all changes the night he mistakes Emily for a merry widow who’s propositioning him, an encounter that ends in a sultry, unforgettable kiss. Two months go by, during which he’s thought of her often. Then he meets her again, but this time, she’s insistent that she is actually Lady Emma. Jordan isn’t convinced and sets out to expose her charade and find out exactly why she’s putting on such an elaborate ruse. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more insistent Emily becomes that he cannot unmask her to the point of even offering her body in exchange for his silence. Her desperation convinces Jordan that something serious must be going on, spurring him to figure out what Nesfield is holding over her head and save her from utter ruination. Along the way, he comes to realize that perhaps love with the right person actually isn’t a weakness at all.

Unfortunately I had similar feelings about Jordan as I did about Emily. I started the book, thinking he’d be one of those dime-a-dozen rakes with a closed-off heart who changes his mind when the right woman comes along, which on some level is true. However, I didn’t feel like his character development went deep enough for someone with the kind of emotional baggage he seemed to have. Also, once he finally gets Emily to confess her true identity, he badgers her almost constantly to trust him with her secrets. However, trust must be earned and I felt he did precious little to do that. Instead, he practically browbeats her, and at one point, even threatens blackmail of his own (although he didn’t intend to go through with it, but she didn’t know that) if she doesn’t tell him everything. Under those circumstances, I doubt I would have trusted him either. I felt like it would have been a better story if he’d shown her compassion and slowly gotten her to open up. Then there was the whole scene where she offers herself to him in exchange for his silence. Even though she was lying to him about not being a virgin, he suspected as much, and yet he still slept with her anyway, seeming rather surprised when he discovered she was indeed a virgin. I felt like him giving in to the temptation and pushing his misgivings to the back of his mind rather than trying harder to get her to open up made him seem unchivalrous. He kind of made up for it somewhat at the very end, though. So again, I didn’t completely dislike him, but he didn’t entirely exhibit all the qualities I like to see in a romance hero.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the Lord Trilogy, so I was very excited to read The Forbidden Lord. It actually has a slightly higher rating on GoodReads, so I was hoping that it would be equally as good. Unfortunately that wasn’t really the case for me. In addition to my issues with Emily and Jordan, I felt like the plot was a little too contrived to be believable. It seemed like there would have been an easier way for Lord Nesfield to ferret out the man who was trying to elope with his daughter instead of blackmailing an innocent young woman to get her to engage in an elaborate masquerade that was overly convoluted. Also the man’s identity was pretty obvious to me from the start. The fact that Emily is trying to maintain her cover for a large part of the story left a lot of distance between her and Jordan as a couple. Although he’s pretty sure she really is Emily, he occasionally has doubts, so he’s not entirely certain who he’s falling for. Then there was their respective stubbornness, her with her secrets and him withholding his love, that doesn’t fully get resolved until the final pages. The entire plot just didn’t lend itself well to creating the heart-stopping romantic moments I prefer or to building that all-important emotional connection between Jordan and Emily as a couple. Unfortunately the few steamy love scenes simply couldn’t make up for that. Therefore, The Forbidden Lord was something of a let-down after enjoying the first book so much. Overall, it was an okay read that had some good moments, but one that also left me rolling my eyes several times. I was also a little disappointed that Gideon and Sara (The Pirate Lord) only show up in the epilogue, but I did get to know Jordan’s friend, Ian, who becomes the hero of the next book, The Dangerous Lord, well enough to be interested in finishing the series sometime. show less