USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret launches a charming new trilogy about three debutantes who get more than they bargained for when it comes to the mating habits of scoundrels . . .
Heiress Winnifred Humphries refuses to marry the odious man her parents have chosen. She’ll marry for love or not at all. But how does a woman know a man truly loves her? Needing answers, she sets out to … Needing answers, she sets out to discover the marriage habits of London’s aristocrats. Yet when her friends kidnap a lord for research, Winn knows they’ve gone too far. Now she’s facing a wickedly handsome scoundrel who wants revenge.
Lord Asher Holt has the perfect plan to free himself of his father’s debts. But when a trio of foolish debutantes abducts him, their scheme ruins everything! Fuming and tied to a chair, Holt overhears that one of them is an heiress. Perhaps he isn’t above a little kidnapping either.
Yet, when the heiress runs away from her own wedding and straight into his waiting carriage, Holt finds himself on an adventure he’ll never forget, falling in love with a woman worth more than any treasure. But will Winn ever believe his heart only desires her . . . and not her fortune?
more
An enjoyable romp as a calamitous heroine runs away on her wedding day
Maybe it’s the effects of the pandemic quarantine, but I’ve been reading a lot in the last eight months, and in genres I don’t usually consume—like historical romance. But I’ve started scarfing them down like Halloween candy (15 in the last two months), and loving the best of them like precious darlings—keepers for my shelf. A friend recommended Vivienne Lorret’s latest book, but I learned my lesson about beginning in the middle of a series with Sarah MacLean, so I went back to this first book in Ms. Lorret’s newest round.
Starting with a dedication that made me snort and want to know the rest of THAT story, Ms. Lorret took me on a delightful ride from London into Yorkshire with a rough and tumble tale involving some of my favorite HR tropes, adding her own unique voice and twists to each one. Her characters are well drawn and a pleasure to get acquainted with, and there’s a nicely foreshadowed (for the reader who’s paying attention) twist at the end.
I related FAR too much to her heroine’s relationship with her mother (I’ve never worn a corset, but I heard every one of those lines about weight and appearance growing up—some things are timeless, apparently.) I wanted to strangle her mother (and the hero’s father) and smack the MCs upside the head more than once—all good things for engaging a reader. After all, I grew to love them each of them and root hard for Winn and Asher’s HEA.
A couple of minor quibbles: I wasn’t crazy about the alternative POVs, but I understood her use of them, especially those of Winn’s parents. There was some lovely “everything converges” foreshadowing about events at a coaching inn, although the fruition felt a touch anticlimactic, and there was one side story that I wish had more of a resolution.
Truly trifling issues in a book I sailed through in less than three days, enjoying every moment of this wild ride. HIGHLY recommended, and the second book is already on its way to my door.
I picked up this book after asking for recommendations for romances with wacky plots, so I knew going in it would have lots of interesting twists and turns. That made it a relatively fun book to read, although there were points that didn’t make any sense to me. The hero, Asher, desperately wants to be free of his very terrible father. Supposedly he is a scoundrel, but we don’t really see any evidence of that. He’s handsome, considerate, witty, and basically a hero you can swoon for. The heroine is insecure about just about everything, including her weight, her worth, her name, and her freckles. She really doesn’t believe Asher the first thousand times he tells her she is beautiful. (Spoilers) The plot itself includes Winn’s friends kidnapping Asher, Asher kidnapping Winn, a night spent in the stables, a randomly broken-hearted farmer, a pirate’s treasure, Asher’s father kidnapping him, and even a reconciliation subplot between Winn’s parents. It was a LOT, and there were several things that just didn’t make sense for me. However, it was fun, and I read it in one sitting, so I can’t complain that much!
Definitely one of Lorret’s best! Full of humor. A fast-paced historical romp — I love road trip romances.
This story was filled with excitement, romance, humor, and delightful characters who had a great tale to tell. The main characters, Winnifred (Win) and Asher are two souls who are really very similar but see themselves as worlds apart. It was so much fun to see them find their way to a delightful, well-deserved HEA.
Viscount Asher Holt is the only son and heir of the Marquess Shettlemane. Well, ‘heir’ is certainly a misnomer because there is nothing to inherit – only bone-crushing debt. His father is such a narcissist that he was out partying while his wife lay dying. He has run up debts in Asher’s name – even sending dangerous money collectors after him. Somehow, Asher has turned out to be an honorable, caring, man but the ton sees him as a scoundrel because of the tales his father tells. Finally, Asher thinks he has found a way out – a way to escape his father and make his own fortune. However, he might have to truly act the scoundrel to make it come true.
Winnifred Humphries is plump, freckled, has unruly red-gold hair, and a mother who never lets her forget any of those shortcomings. Her father is a domineering, distant man who has announced that Winnifred will be marrying Mr. Woodbine, an odious man who is the heir presumptive to a duke. Mr. Woodbine is disapproving, condescending, and doesn’t like Winnifred in the least. What he does like is her dowry. When Winnifred’s friends (Jane Pickering, Elodie Parrish, and Prudence Thorogood) hatch a plan for her to run away from the wedding, Winnifred sadly declines. However, on her wedding day, whenever a package gets misdelivered to her – a gift from her betrothed to his long-time mistress along with a love note – Winnifred finally sees what her life will be like and changes her mind.
Winnifred (Win as Asher calls her) flees the church and dashes into the waiting carriage that she thinks belongs to her friend Jane. The man inside should be Jane’s cousin and he’ll take her to safety. Ah, the best-laid plans … Having overheard the ladies plotting, Asher is the one in the carriage – and the adventure begins.
“Believe me, my betrothed is even worse once you get to know him. Which is why I am here in this carriage instead of at the church.”
Win and Asher’s journey to safety is an exciting one with carriage chases, villains aplenty, bittersweet moments, and each getting to know themselves and the other. The attraction is there, but the trust needs lots of work.
“And how are you looking at me?” she asked, breathless.
“With imprudent carnal hunger.”
I absolutely adored both Asher and Win and I’m sure you will as well. Their growth into love was a wonderful thing to see and I really enjoyed their journey into their HEA.
“…with all the rain they’d encounter something was bound to take deep root and blossom, and for them, it was love”
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Facing an arranged marriage to an awful man, Winnifred Humphries decides to take her future into her own hands, determined to marry for love. Except, she’s not sure how to tell if a man truly loves her or merely wants her obscene dowry. She and her friends set out to author a primer on the mating habits of London’s aristocracy. But when their endeavor leads to her friends kidnapping a lord, Winn winds up dealing with a man wanting revenge.
Lord Asher Holt has always tried to be a good man but his father’s obsession with gambling and excessive spending, using Asher’s name to do it, has made that nearly impossible. Now he has a plan to finally be free of his father’s schemes, until it is ruined by a group of debutantes. Then he learns one of those ladies is an heiress and, though he’s not proud of it, he finds himself willing to do a little kidnapping of his own.
But when Winn flees her wedding straight into Asher’s carriage, their journey becomes an unforgettable, madcap adventure and Asher finds himself falling in love with a woman worth far more than any monetary value. The problem is convincing Winn he truly loves her and not her fortune.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I found it a bit difficult to get into but I think that’s just my stress level and not the book’s fault. This was a fun road trip story and I enjoyed the rapid development of Winn and Asher’s relationship. I do wish Asher had gotten just a bit more vindication against his father and a slight bit more credit himself. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this promising start to a new series and look forward to the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lord Holt Takes a Bride is the first book in Vivienne Lorret’s Mating Habits of Scoundrels series. I love starting a new series; there’s always the excitement of potential. This was my first book by Ms. Lorret, so my excitement was doubled. And I was thrilled that I wasn’t the least bit disappointed!
Winnifred Humphries is an heiress set to marry the horrible man her parents chose for her. She wanted to marry for love, not to a man who gives her a wedding gift originally intended for his mistress, in which is enclosed a note referring to his intended as a cow. She and her two best friends decide to write a primer for women about the mating habits of London’s scoundrels. It was too late for Winn, but maybe she could help other women. In the name of research, her friends abduct Lord Asher Holt. When he wakes up tied to a chair, he is not amused! After hearing the women refer to a friend as an heiress, he begins to plot how this can possibly help him escape the crushing debt his father has placed him under. He is released, and Winn gets ready to wed. However, she bolts at the last minute and jumps into the carriage her friend arranged for her just in case. Except this carriage didn’t contain the cousin who was to drive it, but Asher! And thus begins the road trip from hell…and heaven.
The story was a lot of fun, but it was our two leads who made the book such a joy. Winn was a different sort of heroine – she was a bit plump, had uncontrollable hair and suffered from deep self-esteem issues. It was beautiful to watch her grow into a woman who believed herself worthy of love and one who could attract a man with her wit and unconventional beauty, not just with her money. Asher was just as compelling. He was spending his entire life trying to escape the heavy debt his father put him under, and he was getting desperate. He did not want to use Winn for her money, especially as her grew to care for her deeply. About two-thirds of the story was very amusing as Winn and Ash went on their road trip, heading to Winn’s aunt’s home. They were constantly soaked by rain, Winn’s sleep was disrupted by a “pitchfork” , and they pretended to be traveling troubadours. However, I spent the last part of the book in tears, puffy face and all. How could these two possibly rise above all the odds? This book wasn’t Shakespeare, but it was exactly what I want in a romance: love, fun, humor, tears and steam. I read to escape, and this book gave me all that in abundance.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Lord Holt Takes a Bride
The Mating Habits of Scoundrels Series #1
Vivienne Lorret
https://www.facebook.com/vivienne.lorret/
Release date 03/31/2020
Publisher Avon
Blurb :
Heiress Winnifred Humphries refuses to marry the odious man her parents have chosen. She’ll marry for love or not at all. But how does a woman know a man truly loves her? Needing answers, she sets out to discover the marriage habits of London’s aristocrats. Yet when her friends kidnap a lord for research, Winn knows they’ve gone too far. Now she’s facing a wickedly handsome scoundrel who wants revenge.
Lord Asher Holt has the perfect plan to free himself of his father’s debts. But when a trio of foolish debutantes abducts him, their scheme ruins everything! Fuming and tied to a chair, Holt overhears that one of them is an heiress. Perhaps he isn’t above a little kidnapping either.
Yet, when the heiress runs away from her own wedding and straight into his waiting carriage, Holt finds himself on an adventure he’ll never forget, falling in love with a woman worth more than any treasure. But will Winn ever believe his heart only desires her . . . and not her fortune?
My review :
When on the run, a bride-to-be must decide if she will follow her would-be-kidnapper or settle for a very much more sedated life …
Mrs Vivienne Lorret gifts us here with an alluring and charming tale of moving beyond society’s expectations and deceptions to be one own person.
At first, I was afraid for Winn to turn as a weak and stupid heiress, as the beginning of the story was not very flattering for her. In the opening chapters she was portrayed as so gullible and without spine, I feared I would not be able to root for her when Ash was instantly lovable, he is flawed but inside his hardened heart still beats a romantic one longing for everything he was deprived because of his evil father.
The journey they embark in is a sweet and fun road trip which will awaken along their true selves. During their days together, they reveal their deeper secrets and thoughts, unveiling their dreams, hopes and deceptions.
Ash sees the true Winn, a lovely woman, not the one formatted for society and not fitting her parents expectations. One who loves simple pleasures and not the excesses wealth brings.
When Winn tries to make Ash realize he does not have to act like his father, he can find his own path, to show her he is worth the risk.
Then of course, everything is derailed when secrets are exposed. What an awful character is Ash’s father, he steals from his very son, ready to rob him from any future and threatening his happiness if it can bring him coins. He is devilish and gloats about the hurt and pain he inflicts to his son.
Why my o my only complain is about Ash’s father, he never got his right reward, I confess I was looking for blood, I would have loved to read he was ran over by a carriage, and I would have backed over him with pleasure.
While I would have loved Winn to give a bit more credit to Ash, and to be less auto-destructive. It is thanks to Ash’s stubbornness, she might in time realize her wrong doing.
5 stars for this tale about finding I love the strength to be oneself.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Avon, and prior to it I preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/529820364273806/?d=n
DNF…too steamy.
The runaway bride right into the carriage of the man destined to be her happy ever after!
On her wedding day to a man not of her choosing, Winifred receives a gift with a note from her future husband that is for his current mistress.
What’s a girl to do? Of course not marry the cad and she runs out of the church and jumps into the waiting carriage. How was she to know it was not her friend Jane’s rescuing her, but Viscount Asher.
What happens if a delightful ride to happiness if only she can trust him. Sweet, fun, adventure…
Thank you for writing a story with realistic described characters including being chubby and have money woes. The story dragged in the middle and than a rush to conclude the story line.
To marry for love.
Winifred can’t do it, she can’t marry for anything else but love. She’s a runaway bride, on the run with Asher, Lord Holt who just happened to have his carriage waiting at the front of the church. Asher’s looking for a better life to get away from his leech of a father. He has an opportunity to make it on his own terms and Winifred is the prize. While on the run, they encounter adventures neither one has had before. Together they give each other the strength to live the way they want to live and the love to overcome obstacles. Humor, frustration and sadness are all rolled up into one adventurous love story.
Lord Holt Takes A Bride is the first book of Vivienne Lorret’s new The Mating Habits of Scoundrel series. The story begins with a runaway bride, Winnifred Humphries, climbing into the wrong carriage belonging to Lord Asher Holt. Off they go, but it doesn’t go as smoothly. Misfortune befalls upon them and stranded them on foot. Poor Asher! He tries to so hard to stay one step ahead of his scheming father. Vivienne Lorret creates charming characters and a few who are not so charming. Their misadventures are hilarious, and the attraction between Winn and Asher grows hotter and hotter. Lord Holt Takes A Bride is a must read! I can’t wait for the next book!
I really liked this story. I liked the characters and the plot of this book. His father needs to find his end though. I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series.
She may be cautious, and she may be dowdy according to society, but Miss Winnifred Humphries is resourceful and determined. Faced with marriage to a man who despises her, and whom she hates, Winnifred makes a run for it, right into the waiting arms of Lord Asher Holt. A case of mistaken identity means that it is far too late for Winnifred to reverse her decision and return home. In what becomes a sometimes hilarious and others a dangerous adventure as Winn and Asher race towards their goal, the plot is exciting, witty and unpredictable. Discovering a warm-hearted woman who cares about his plight as much as her own, Asher is surprised when his feelings become engaged. However, with the threat of his father’s actions hanging over him, he knows that he could never subject Winn to whatever his lordship plans next. When in such dire straights, it is difficult for Asher to act honourably, but the deeper he falls for Winn, the more convinced he is that he has to find a way for them to be together. The story is enthralling and romantic, and made me realise all over again that when all one’s props have been removed, it is amazing how resourceful the human spirit can be. I enjoyed this book immensely and found myself disappointed when it came to an end.
Lord Holt Takes a Bride was funny, sweet and sexy. There was adventure, a bit of action and so much more. I simply adored the main characters, Asher and Winn. I loved watching them stumble through falling for each other. This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series as well as reading through her backlist. I definitely recommend it to all.
Copy provided by publisher through Edelweiss
Lord Holt Takes a Bride by Vivienne Lorret is the First book in the Mating Habits of Scoundrels Series. This is the story of Asher Holt and Winnifred ‘Winn’ Humphries.
Winnifred’s parents think less of her and make sure she knows it each day because she doesn’t fit into the perfect looking lady. They plan to marry her off to a Mr. Woodbine who only wants her for her dowry because he cares for his mistress. Winnifred and her friends: Jane Pickering, Elodie Parrish, and Prudence Thorogood, are not sure how to tell when you are in love nor have they really seen it. So of course they have to study it and question it. This leads to a a kidnapping of Asher. Asher is the only son of a man who goes through money and has even used his name to create debts. Thinking he has a plan to get away from him or at the very least stop it he gets kidnapped but a bunch of debutantes. But he soon learns that one of them is a heiress so this might work to his advantage. Winnifred becomes a runaway bride and she jumps into the carriage that her friend has ready for her…but there is a mistake. The waiting carriage is Asher and he doing the kidnapping now….let the adventures begin! I really love this authors writing. You get steamy reads but you also get some comedy thrown in that makes this all the more enjoyable. Hope to read more from this author soon!
Heiress Winnifred Humphries refuses to marry the odious man her parents have chosen. She’ll marry for love or not at all. When her friends kidnap a lord for research, Winn knows they’ve gone too far. Lord Asher Holt has the perfect plan to free himself of his father’s debts. But when a trio of foolish debutantes abducts him, their scheme ruins everything! Fuming and tied to a chair, Holt overhears that one of them is an heiress. Perhaps he isn’t above a little kidnapping either. Yet, when the heiress runs away from her own wedding and straight into his waiting carriage, Holt finds himself on an adventure he’ll never forget, falling in love with a woman worth more than any treasure.
I loved every single page, I read this book whilst on lock down & it was pure escapism & totally lifted my mood. I adored Asher & Winn who were so similar in many respects. It was their adventures that had me thoroughly captivated & hugely entertained. I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve read by the author, what a find, it won’t be the last. Strong characters & a story that flowed very well. I truly wanted someone to get his comeuppance & I think he may well have done or at least I hope he does
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Heiress Winnifred Humphries has always detested the idea of marriage without love, but in her world it’s what is expected, a suitor is chosen by your parents, and that is who you marry. Winnifred’s parents have already chosen her suitor, and she already knows there is no way it would be a marriage with love, because he has already given his heart to someone else, his mistress.
There is no way she is marrying him, she wants a husband who loves her and she will stop at nothing to find one… even if it means kidnapping a Lord to do a little study of sorts to find out what makes a man truly love a lady!
Lord Holt Takes a Bride is a light-hearted romantic literary romp that is certain to have you smiling throughout! It’s delightful characters will draw you in, and their antics will keep you thoroughly entertained and have you flying through the pages. I enjoyed watching this one play out, Winnifred and her friends were a hoot, their quest to create a guide for heiresses wanting to find true love brought lots of humor and drama to the pages. This was a fun one to devour, it was romantic, funny, and good for the heart! Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased.