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Someone to Watch Over Me is a classic tale from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas. In this Regency romance, Kleypas, the author of Seduce Me at Sunrise, tells the story of a scandalous beauty with no memory of who she is and the man determined to unravel the secrets of her past.Tags
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Lisa Kleypas is a reliable writer for me when I am looking for romantic escape, one of my enduring favorites usually sure to be a 4 or 5 star read. This is a 3.5 for me -- I liked the characters a lot and loved the thoughtful bits of background detail on Bow Street Runners (I love this trivia, the runners and the formation of modern policing has been a subject of fascination for me since my long ago days as a Criminology major.) My problem, and it was a big one, is the assumption that someone can not be nice, be thoughtful, and be a sex worker. I would expect a sex worker character in historical romance (and to be fair contemporary romance as well) to be shunned by society, and portrayed as persona non grata in polite society, but show more Kleypas implies in the authorial voice that sex workers are inherently bad people. Morgan is mystified when he rescues a member of the demimonde and she is polite and decent in her dealings with his servants. His housekeeper even says that the rescued woman is so kind that it is hard to believe that what Morgan has said about her being a kept woman. (view spoiler). It did not sit well with me at all. I am going with a 3 rather than a 4 for a pretty callous view of women making choices to sell the only thing they own because they don't have every option open to them, and who then get good at their job and don't hate themselves for quantifying the value of their sexual availability and skill (and - clutching my pearls - enjoying it.) show less
I first read Lisa Kleypas’ Bow Street Runners series about ten years ago when I’d just been coming off a book drought that had lasted at least that long. I still marvel at how I, a self-confessed bookaholic, could have gone so long without reading much at all, but I guess becoming a mom can completely rearrange your life and priorities that way. In 2007, I promised myself that I would get back to reading regularly and I haven’t looked back in the decade since. If memory serves, Someone to Watch Over Me was the very first book I randomly chose from my overstuffed bookshelves and it was also the first one I ever read by Lisa Kleypas. I didn’t even realize it was part of a series at the time, but lucky for me, it was the first in show more the series. I remember that it made me fall in love with the author’s work and immediately run out to the library to get the others in the series that I didn’t yet own. When I joined GoodReads in early 2008, I added all the books I read in 2007, rating them as best I could with my faulty memory. I recalled really enjoying Someone to Watch Over Me and the entire series, but I wasn’t sure if I had loved it (and them) enough to warrant 5 stars, so I gave all of them 4 stars (thinking they were really more like 4.5’s). Now that I’ve re-read this book, I can unequivocally say that it is indeed a 5-star read for me. Even though I remembered the big plot twist, I still loved reading it again for all the romance, sweetness, and all the little details that had since been purged from my memory. And since I read it before I started writing reviews in mid-2007, I never wrote one for it, so now I get the pleasure of doing that with double the impressions of the story.:-)
One of the things I got to rediscover is all the reasons why I loved Grant so much. First his backstory is very sympathetic, and while it doesn’t play a huge part in the story, he has experienced a lot of loss in his life. Lisa Kleypas is known for her self-made men and for her everyday historical heroes who aren’t part of the aristocracy. Grant is both. As a teen, he met a Bow Street Runner and idolized the work he did, vowing to become one some day. And that’s exactly what he’s done. He worked his way up through the ranks quickly to become the top Runner at Bow Street. His fame precedes him, and after having many ha’penny novels written about him, he’s become a sought-after guest at many aristocratic functions. It also brings him some of the most lucrative private cases, which has helped him to amass a fortune larger than some aristocrats. But he still moves quite easily in the streets of London where he grew up. He first met Vivian at a society party and was thinking about making an offer to become her protector, but he immediately changed his mind after figuring out how shallow and manipulative she was. This is one of the things I loved about him, because it showed that he's a man of depth and character who wants more than someone with a pretty face to warm his bed. His spurning of Vivien led to her spreading untrue rumors about him. However, in spite of wanting revenge on her for that slight, he can't seem to stop himself from feeling a sense of protectiveness toward her and caring for her tenderly when he finds her near-dead, the victim of an attempted murder. He also senses an innocence about her all along, even though he believes that's impossible given her position as a famous courtesan. While he does have a few moments of hardness when he's determined to make Vivien pay and does lie about their prior relationship, those lies do come back to bite him. He also can't seem to help but soften when he's with her. And his library? I'd marry him for that alone.;-) For a giant of a man, Grant is an incredibly gentle lover, and I loved him to pieces for declaring his love for Vivien before bedding her the first time.
The reader knows nothing about Vivien prior to her being dragged out of the Thames, half-dead and with no memory of who she is. I like how the author keeps the reader just a little off-balance with regards to what's going on with her. I seem to recall when reading it the first time that much like Grant, I was never quite sure whether she is the infamous courtesan Grant believes her to be or not. He knows that she looks exactly like the Vivien he knew, and his eyes can't lie. But she acts so differently, it’s almost like she’s another person. Could the blow to the head have somehow altered her personality as well as caused the memory loss? Half the fun of the story is in finding out the answer to that question. Having previously read it and already knowing the answer, I could look at it from a different perspective, and I think that it was a very well-written and well-plotted story. The Vivien we see recovering at Grant's house has an air of sweetness and innocence about her. She's absolutely mortified to learn that she was a courtesan. Somehow deep inside, she doesn't feel like that's her at all, but Grant says it’s true and she trusts him. I love the way she melts when Grant is around and how she sees the man within and seems to truly understand and appreciate him in a way other women perhaps haven’t. Vivien may be sweet but she certainly has a back bone, too. She bravely puts herself at risk to help Grant find her would-be murderer, and when she discovers Grant's lies, she doesn't let him off easily. I also found her to be very calm and collected, never a woman given to histrionics like many women in her situation might be. When shocking revelations occur, she generally takes them in stride, so I admired her for that. Overall, Vivien (or is she?:-)) was a very well-rounded heroine who I related to quite well.
Someone to Watch Over Me also had a couple of very notable secondary characters who go on to become amazing heroes in their own stories, and I got to start falling for them all over again by re-reading this book. Sir Ross Cannon is the head magistrate and leader of the Bow Street Runners. I love how protective he is toward women and children and how seriously he takes his job. He even has a cat that doesn’t seem to like anyone else but him, which is cute. Ross is definitely an honorable man and it shows even in his supporting scenes. I remember loving him just as much as I loved Grant, maybe even a little more, so I can’t wait to re-read his book, Lady Sophia's Lover, which is the next in the series. Then there’s Dr. Jacob Linley, who’s also a total dreamboat. I seem to recall him playing a supporting role in all the Bow Street Runners books. He’s a young doctor, who is more progressive-thinking than some of his older colleagues. He’s also absolutely wonderful with his female patients, which means that women often seek him out for treatment. Jacob becomes the hero of the novella Against the Odds, which is considered the final story in the Gambler’s of Cravens series. I was so sad when I realized that I hadn’t read his story yet, which is probably the result of it being connected to another series that I also haven’t read, but I’m definitely going to have to rectify that soon.
Overall, Someone to Watch Over Me was a thoroughly enjoyable re-read. It’s a deeply emotional and romantic story. I love how Grant and Vivien bond over a shared love of books, something that surprises Grant, as he didn't think Vivien cared one whit about reading, much less had an intelligent and philosophical mind. The sexual tension between them is exquisite as our hero and heroine navigate the treacherous mystery of who tried to kill Vivien and why, while falling in love. The love scenes are beautiful, tender, and steamy, too, exactly what I expect from Lisa Kleypas. The mystery was well-done, keeping me guessing (the first time I read it :-)) as to whether Vivien is really Vivien and who had it in for her (something I didn’t recall until the story began to progress). It was just an all-around great read that I’d be happy to revisit in about another decade, once I’ve forgotten much of the story again.:-) show less
One of the things I got to rediscover is all the reasons why I loved Grant so much. First his backstory is very sympathetic, and while it doesn’t play a huge part in the story, he has experienced a lot of loss in his life. Lisa Kleypas is known for her self-made men and for her everyday historical heroes who aren’t part of the aristocracy. Grant is both. As a teen, he met a Bow Street Runner and idolized the work he did, vowing to become one some day. And that’s exactly what he’s done. He worked his way up through the ranks quickly to become the top Runner at Bow Street. His fame precedes him, and after having many ha’penny novels written about him, he’s become a sought-after guest at many aristocratic functions. It also brings him some of the most lucrative private cases, which has helped him to amass a fortune larger than some aristocrats. But he still moves quite easily in the streets of London where he grew up. He first met Vivian at a society party and was thinking about making an offer to become her protector, but he immediately changed his mind after figuring out how shallow and manipulative she was. This is one of the things I loved about him, because it showed that he's a man of depth and character who wants more than someone with a pretty face to warm his bed. His spurning of Vivien led to her spreading untrue rumors about him. However, in spite of wanting revenge on her for that slight, he can't seem to stop himself from feeling a sense of protectiveness toward her and caring for her tenderly when he finds her near-dead, the victim of an attempted murder. He also senses an innocence about her all along, even though he believes that's impossible given her position as a famous courtesan. While he does have a few moments of hardness when he's determined to make Vivien pay and does lie about their prior relationship, those lies do come back to bite him. He also can't seem to help but soften when he's with her. And his library? I'd marry him for that alone.;-) For a giant of a man, Grant is an incredibly gentle lover, and I loved him to pieces for declaring his love for Vivien before bedding her the first time.
The reader knows nothing about Vivien prior to her being dragged out of the Thames, half-dead and with no memory of who she is. I like how the author keeps the reader just a little off-balance with regards to what's going on with her. I seem to recall when reading it the first time that much like Grant, I was never quite sure whether she is the infamous courtesan Grant believes her to be or not. He knows that she looks exactly like the Vivien he knew, and his eyes can't lie. But she acts so differently, it’s almost like she’s another person. Could the blow to the head have somehow altered her personality as well as caused the memory loss? Half the fun of the story is in finding out the answer to that question. Having previously read it and already knowing the answer, I could look at it from a different perspective, and I think that it was a very well-written and well-plotted story. The Vivien we see recovering at Grant's house has an air of sweetness and innocence about her. She's absolutely mortified to learn that she was a courtesan. Somehow deep inside, she doesn't feel like that's her at all, but Grant says it’s true and she trusts him. I love the way she melts when Grant is around and how she sees the man within and seems to truly understand and appreciate him in a way other women perhaps haven’t. Vivien may be sweet but she certainly has a back bone, too. She bravely puts herself at risk to help Grant find her would-be murderer, and when she discovers Grant's lies, she doesn't let him off easily. I also found her to be very calm and collected, never a woman given to histrionics like many women in her situation might be. When shocking revelations occur, she generally takes them in stride, so I admired her for that. Overall, Vivien (or is she?:-)) was a very well-rounded heroine who I related to quite well.
Someone to Watch Over Me also had a couple of very notable secondary characters who go on to become amazing heroes in their own stories, and I got to start falling for them all over again by re-reading this book. Sir Ross Cannon is the head magistrate and leader of the Bow Street Runners. I love how protective he is toward women and children and how seriously he takes his job. He even has a cat that doesn’t seem to like anyone else but him, which is cute. Ross is definitely an honorable man and it shows even in his supporting scenes. I remember loving him just as much as I loved Grant, maybe even a little more, so I can’t wait to re-read his book, Lady Sophia's Lover, which is the next in the series. Then there’s Dr. Jacob Linley, who’s also a total dreamboat. I seem to recall him playing a supporting role in all the Bow Street Runners books. He’s a young doctor, who is more progressive-thinking than some of his older colleagues. He’s also absolutely wonderful with his female patients, which means that women often seek him out for treatment. Jacob becomes the hero of the novella Against the Odds, which is considered the final story in the Gambler’s of Cravens series. I was so sad when I realized that I hadn’t read his story yet, which is probably the result of it being connected to another series that I also haven’t read, but I’m definitely going to have to rectify that soon.
Overall, Someone to Watch Over Me was a thoroughly enjoyable re-read. It’s a deeply emotional and romantic story. I love how Grant and Vivien bond over a shared love of books, something that surprises Grant, as he didn't think Vivien cared one whit about reading, much less had an intelligent and philosophical mind. The sexual tension between them is exquisite as our hero and heroine navigate the treacherous mystery of who tried to kill Vivien and why, while falling in love. The love scenes are beautiful, tender, and steamy, too, exactly what I expect from Lisa Kleypas. The mystery was well-done, keeping me guessing (the first time I read it :-)) as to whether Vivien is really Vivien and who had it in for her (something I didn’t recall until the story began to progress). It was just an all-around great read that I’d be happy to revisit in about another decade, once I’ve forgotten much of the story again.:-) show less
When you read a romance, you know the couple's going to end up together. There's no mystery there. Similarly with this novel, the plot "twists" and ending are pretty obvious from the beginning, but that's not the point of this book. The point is the how and the why, and that's where it gets interesting.
Obviously, the heroine is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the interesting thing is how her story unfolds. She's spirited, even with amnesia, and her transformation was enjoyable to read about. At the end of the novel, she confronts her past, which she had cast in this rosy glow. As it turns out, her old life before the accident wasn't great, and it takes the action-packed events in this novel to prove that to her. This makes show more her grow, and turns her into a compelling character.
I had a problem with the hero, Grant Morgan, because of how roughly he treats the heroine. He thinks she's a courtesan (but we all obviously know she isn't). As much as I enjoy reading about heroes who can't help but be attracted to the heroine, I draw the line at not being able to keep it in their pants when they're near the heroine. That's a control problem, and I like my heroes with some self-control. I like sexy tension that nearly explodes when their hands touch. However, that was missing from this book in favor of the hero's impulsivity. To be honest, he came off manipulative and douche-y. Not romantic.
Overall, I like my romances action-packed and with a dash of adventure. I got exactly that in this book, so I'm satisfied. If you prefer slower, angsty reads, this isn't for you. For anyone else who also likes exciting romances (like me), I recommend this to you. It's a lot of fun and classic Kleypas! show less
Obviously, the heroine is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the interesting thing is how her story unfolds. She's spirited, even with amnesia, and her transformation was enjoyable to read about. At the end of the novel, she confronts her past, which she had cast in this rosy glow. As it turns out, her old life before the accident wasn't great, and it takes the action-packed events in this novel to prove that to her. This makes show more her grow, and turns her into a compelling character.
I had a problem with the hero, Grant Morgan, because of how roughly he treats the heroine. He thinks she's a courtesan (but we all obviously know she isn't). As much as I enjoy reading about heroes who can't help but be attracted to the heroine, I draw the line at not being able to keep it in their pants when they're near the heroine. That's a control problem, and I like my heroes with some self-control. I like sexy tension that nearly explodes when their hands touch. However, that was missing from this book in favor of the hero's impulsivity. To be honest, he came off manipulative and douche-y. Not romantic.
Overall, I like my romances action-packed and with a dash of adventure. I got exactly that in this book, so I'm satisfied. If you prefer slower, angsty reads, this isn't for you. For anyone else who also likes exciting romances (like me), I recommend this to you. It's a lot of fun and classic Kleypas! show less
Someone to Watch Over Me -Kleypas
2 stars
My introduction to Lisa Kleypas began with her most recent series, The Ravenels. I enjoyed every book, especially the audio performances by Mary Jane Wells. Connections to other characters lead me to The Wallflowers and The Hathaways, both earlier series. I enjoyed them, but I began to have some problems with the earliest books. Too many cardboard characters, too much gratuitous, manipulative sex. Just a bit too much. Her most recent books have more interesting, self-aware female characters. There are fewer worn out plot devices. That wasn’t true of this earlier book.
Someone to Watch Over Me was first published in 1998. I liked the idea of a non-aristocratic male protagonist. Grant Morgan is a show more Bow Street Runner, part of the early police force of London. I was hoping for a good mystery. I was not surprised that the mystery was secondary to the love story, but the culprit was so obvious, there was really no mystery. As to the other predictable story elements… how many can one author put into a single book? It’s a long, unbelievable list: amnesia, a virginal twin, an evil promiscuous twin, an unwanted pregnancy, the reform of a notorious rake . This story just didn’t work for me.
It’s actually a relief that I don’t feel a need to gobble up the next book in the series. show less
2 stars
My introduction to Lisa Kleypas began with her most recent series, The Ravenels. I enjoyed every book, especially the audio performances by Mary Jane Wells. Connections to other characters lead me to The Wallflowers and The Hathaways, both earlier series. I enjoyed them, but I began to have some problems with the earliest books. Too many cardboard characters, too much gratuitous, manipulative sex. Just a bit too much. Her most recent books have more interesting, self-aware female characters. There are fewer worn out plot devices. That wasn’t true of this earlier book.
Someone to Watch Over Me was first published in 1998. I liked the idea of a non-aristocratic male protagonist. Grant Morgan is a show more Bow Street Runner, part of the early police force of London. I was hoping for a good mystery. I was not surprised that the mystery was secondary to the love story, but the culprit was so obvious, there was really no mystery. As to the other predictable story elements… how many can one author put into a single book? It’s a long, unbelievable list:
It’s actually a relief that I don’t feel a need to gobble up the next book in the series. show less
Grabbed this when I was in a pinch for an audiobook for a road trip. I’d never read Kleypas before, but I liked the idea of some of the characters being Bow Street runners. Anna Parker-Naples was an excellent reader, and I’m going to seek out the other Bow Street Runners series on audio in hopes that she continues to be the reader.
I enjoyed the writing, especially the romance. The mystery was predictable, but I’m guessing writing a truly twisty mystery was not the author’s main objective. Romantic writing is her strength, and she’s good at the build-up, the swoony declarations, and the truly steamy scenes. Grant and his goals for revenge on Vivian were problematic, but I think Kleypas turned that around effectively enough by show more the end. The hero doesn’t need to be perfect, and Grant certainly isn’t.
I read that the other books in this series are better, and I suspect that this isn’t the author’s best work. Since I enjoyed it enough to shell out the money to finish it on my kindle last night (sure, it was only $2, but I deliberated over that $2 for days), I’ll for sure be checking out her other books. show less
I enjoyed the writing, especially the romance. The mystery was predictable, but I’m guessing writing a truly twisty mystery was not the author’s main objective. Romantic writing is her strength, and she’s good at the build-up, the swoony declarations, and the truly steamy scenes. Grant and his goals for revenge on Vivian were problematic, but I think Kleypas turned that around effectively enough by show more the end. The hero doesn’t need to be perfect, and Grant certainly isn’t.
I read that the other books in this series are better, and I suspect that this isn’t the author’s best work. Since I enjoyed it enough to shell out the money to finish it on my kindle last night (sure, it was only $2, but I deliberated over that $2 for days), I’ll for sure be checking out her other books. show less
I read Lorraine Heath's Once More Darling Rogue some time ago, and it also stars a heroine with amnesia at the mercy of a hero holding a grudge (I'm going to call this the Overboard trope). And it just made me kind of uncomfortable really, so although I like Kleypas, I've been reluctant to read this one. In my opinion this was handled much better. The revenge theme didn't get too carried away, and I wasn't left wondering in the end if he had genuinely grown to love her or if he'd just molded her into wife material or something. About the hero, his ending line is a bit lame, but otherwise I enjoy what a high priority he makes her, and that he almost goes a little bit mad when her life is in danger. =D It's fairly predictable, but the show more execution is good and I was entertained. 4.5 stars rounded up. show less
I adore Lisa Kleypas. She is one of my favorite Romance writers – I like her style, I like that most of her heroes are members of the working class and not only Lords of the Ton, I like the fact that she is able to take a much used plot and turn it something unique due exclusively to her amazing storytelling abilities.
I also adore her because she has given me my top two favorite Romance Heroes: St Vincent (Devil in Winter) and Derek Craven (Dreaming of You) . She has delighted me with interesting and spunky heroines such as Lawless Lily and Lilian Westcliff. And this is why it breaks my heart to say that Someone to Watch Over Me didn’t do much for me.
I mean, it’s not by any means, a bad book. Once again, she shows how good of a show more writer she is – this time she deals with the old amnesia + revenge scenario which, in the hands of a less qualified writer, would leave me wondering “why I am reading this”; but in her hands she manages to add something that gets me going. And that something is definitely the characters she invents.
Grant Morgan is a good man and a good hero. He works as a Bow Street Runner, a sort of police officer and as the story begins he is called to investigate a drowning. Once he gets to scene he recognizes the victim as Vivien Duvall, London’s most famous courtesan. She is barely alive and it is clear that the incident has been a failed attempt of murder – she has strangling marks around her neck. Grant takes her to his home so he can keep her safe and find out who is trying to kill her but when she regains conscience , they realize she does not remember anything, not even who she is. Which brings us to the revenge scenario – Grant has vowed to make her pay for some rumors that she had spread around the Ton that she refused his advances when they first met but it was actually the other way around. He sees the current situation as a perfect way of getting back at her by telling Vivien that he is her current protector – he plans to use her and dump her.
But of course, nothing goes according to plan as there is something about Vivien that is not quite right. She doesn’t behave as a courtesan; she has an air of innocence that is very puzzling and attractive to Grant. She is, in fact very adamant that she would not be capable of doing the things she is said to have done. She feels this connection to Grant because he saved her and as they go about investigating the mystery of who tried to kill her, Grant can not help but to feel utterly attracted to her and right from the very beginning he thinks that if he didn’t know that she was a conniving, ruthless woman he would be quite mad about her. And as they succumb to their attraction to each other they finally realize what is clear to us – that she is not who they think she is. And now, they must run against time to find out the truth, get the would-be killer who is still at large and to come to terms with their insecurities so they can get their happy ending.
There are amazing sequences in the book, specially the ones relating to Grant realizing his feelings and how important Vivien is to him but I also felt like there was something missing front his read and I am not sure what. Perhaps, the fact that towards the end of the story Grant became a bit too overbearing for my taste not giving Vivien the time she needed to get to grips with who she really was and what she wanted for her life.
In the end, it was a nice read but not the Amazing and Heartwarming that I have come to expect from Lisa Kleypas. I have high hopes that the other two books in this series will be better. If not, it doesn’t matter; she still is an auto-buy for me.
Notable quotes/parts: One of my favorite things about the relationship in this book is how they were attracted to each other not only physically but because they shared common interests. They both loved books and talked about poetry and philosophy and enjoyed being with each other and at one point Grant thinks:
“A beautiful woman, a fire on the hearth, a roomful of books, and a bottle of wine… It might not have been every man’s idea of heaven, but God knew it was his”.
As this is also my own idea of heaven (note: replace beautiful woman with Dear Partner) I could completely relate.
Additional Thoughts: I love when I read a book that makes me want to read more about a historical event or fact. In this case it was the Bow Street Runners history. They seem to have been the first police force in London, founded in 1749 by the Bow Street Magistrate Court, which in turn had been created a few years back as the number of street crimes had increased. Their office was at Bow Street, (hence the name) and they answered to the Magistrate and were paid with funds from the central government. It was the beginning of the professionalism in the area of crime fighting.
Verdict: Established fans of Lisa Kleypas will surely like the book. If you haven't read any of her books yet, I would start with her Wallflower's series
Full Review at:
http://thebooksmugglers.blogspot.com/2008/01/title-someone-to-watch-over-me-auth... show less
I also adore her because she has given me my top two favorite Romance Heroes: St Vincent (Devil in Winter) and Derek Craven (Dreaming of You) . She has delighted me with interesting and spunky heroines such as Lawless Lily and Lilian Westcliff. And this is why it breaks my heart to say that Someone to Watch Over Me didn’t do much for me.
I mean, it’s not by any means, a bad book. Once again, she shows how good of a show more writer she is – this time she deals with the old amnesia + revenge scenario which, in the hands of a less qualified writer, would leave me wondering “why I am reading this”; but in her hands she manages to add something that gets me going. And that something is definitely the characters she invents.
Grant Morgan is a good man and a good hero. He works as a Bow Street Runner, a sort of police officer and as the story begins he is called to investigate a drowning. Once he gets to scene he recognizes the victim as Vivien Duvall, London’s most famous courtesan. She is barely alive and it is clear that the incident has been a failed attempt of murder – she has strangling marks around her neck. Grant takes her to his home so he can keep her safe and find out who is trying to kill her but when she regains conscience , they realize she does not remember anything, not even who she is. Which brings us to the revenge scenario – Grant has vowed to make her pay for some rumors that she had spread around the Ton that she refused his advances when they first met but it was actually the other way around. He sees the current situation as a perfect way of getting back at her by telling Vivien that he is her current protector – he plans to use her and dump her.
But of course, nothing goes according to plan as there is something about Vivien that is not quite right. She doesn’t behave as a courtesan; she has an air of innocence that is very puzzling and attractive to Grant. She is, in fact very adamant that she would not be capable of doing the things she is said to have done. She feels this connection to Grant because he saved her and as they go about investigating the mystery of who tried to kill her, Grant can not help but to feel utterly attracted to her and right from the very beginning he thinks that if he didn’t know that she was a conniving, ruthless woman he would be quite mad about her. And as they succumb to their attraction to each other they finally realize what is clear to us – that she is not who they think she is. And now, they must run against time to find out the truth, get the would-be killer who is still at large and to come to terms with their insecurities so they can get their happy ending.
There are amazing sequences in the book, specially the ones relating to Grant realizing his feelings and how important Vivien is to him but I also felt like there was something missing front his read and I am not sure what. Perhaps, the fact that towards the end of the story Grant became a bit too overbearing for my taste not giving Vivien the time she needed to get to grips with who she really was and what she wanted for her life.
In the end, it was a nice read but not the Amazing and Heartwarming that I have come to expect from Lisa Kleypas. I have high hopes that the other two books in this series will be better. If not, it doesn’t matter; she still is an auto-buy for me.
Notable quotes/parts: One of my favorite things about the relationship in this book is how they were attracted to each other not only physically but because they shared common interests. They both loved books and talked about poetry and philosophy and enjoyed being with each other and at one point Grant thinks:
“A beautiful woman, a fire on the hearth, a roomful of books, and a bottle of wine… It might not have been every man’s idea of heaven, but God knew it was his”.
As this is also my own idea of heaven (note: replace beautiful woman with Dear Partner) I could completely relate.
Additional Thoughts: I love when I read a book that makes me want to read more about a historical event or fact. In this case it was the Bow Street Runners history. They seem to have been the first police force in London, founded in 1749 by the Bow Street Magistrate Court, which in turn had been created a few years back as the number of street crimes had increased. Their office was at Bow Street, (hence the name) and they answered to the Magistrate and were paid with funds from the central government. It was the beginning of the professionalism in the area of crime fighting.
Verdict: Established fans of Lisa Kleypas will surely like the book. If you haven't read any of her books yet, I would start with her Wallflower's series
Full Review at:
http://thebooksmugglers.blogspot.com/2008/01/title-someone-to-watch-over-me-auth... show less
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Lisa Kleypas received a degree in political science from Wellesley College. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts in the Miss America competition. She published her first romance novel at the age of 21 and has been a full-time writer ever since. She is primarily known for her historical romance novels, but she also writes contemporary romance show more novels. Her books include Sugar Daddy, Crystal Cove, and Cold-Hearted Rake. She has won numerous awards including a Rita award for her Christmas anthology novella Wish List in 2002, the award for Best Sensuous Historical Romance from Romantic Times magazine for Lady Sophia's Lover in 2002, and the RITA award for best Short Historical for Worth Any Price in 2004. Lisa's novel's Marrying Winterborne and Hello Stranger made the New York Times Bestseller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Someone to Watch Over Me
- Original title
- Someone to Watch Over Me
- Original publication date
- 1999-05
- People/Characters
- Sir Grant Morgan; Victoria Devane (Vivien Rose Duvall)
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- Dedication
- To my mother, who made this book possible by taking care of my son Griffin every day while I wrote.
This labor of love included making at least two hundred peanut butter sandwiches cut into squares, changing approximately... (show all) four hundred diapers, and watching untold hours of “Thomas the Tank Engine.”
Thank you, Mimi, from Griffin and me. - First words
- From the moment Grant Morgan saw the woman, he knew that—despite her beauty—she would never be any man’s bride.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)“Well, milady,” he replied softly, “that’s why I married you.”
- Blurbers
- Jill Barnett
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,403
- Popularity
- 16,817
- Reviews
- 46
- Rating
- (3.57)
- Languages
- 8 — Czech, English, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 28
- ASINs
- 7