The Marquess of Wesley is out for blood. For a year, Lord Wesley has tried to undo the devastation his father left to Penndrake, their ancestral home, only to discover the man gambled it away right before his death. Now Wesley is being blackmailed by the new owner into marrying a woman he’s never met in order to get it back. But his intentions are less than honorable… At one and twenty, Miss … twenty, Miss Kate Holden intends to become a governess, having sworn off all men years ago. However, her plans are halted when she receives a daunting letter from her cousin about a Lord Wesley. Ignorant of the name, and the devilish marquess that wears it all too well, she nearly ends up compromised. Refusing to fall prey to Wesley’s skillful seduction, Kate decides to turn things around on the rake. But the high-stakes game between them soon leads to her losing the last thing she expected…her heart.
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When I started to read this story, I liked our heroine Kate right off the bat. I enjoyed the way she met Wesley, though I didn’t care for him as a hero right away. As a matter of fact, the more I read the more l disliked him! He was the hero of the book….How could I possibly like this story if I couldn’t abide the hero?
Well, considering I couldn’t put this book down, it was apparent I could like it very much! It did take me a while to warm up to Wesley, but I eventually did once more of his background was revealed. You could tell he was quickly falling for Kate, but didn’t want to be. And then, in his own unique way, he was attempting to be honorable. But our Kate was strong and knew what she wanted, and what he needed.
So I started out not liking the hero and worrying there would be too much of a Cinderella vibe going on with her aunt and three cousins, and ended up not being able to tear myself away from the story. I will definitely be seeking out more books by Ms. Bailey.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
4.5 Stars
A Mistress for Penndrake by Tammy L. Bailey is the story of Kate Holden and Nathaniel,The Marquess of Wesley.
Kate fell in love when she was around 15 years old with Rourke but he ended up breaking her heart. So from then on she planned to never marry even though her parents want her to marry the man they chosen for her. Kate has been helping her family and plans to work toward being a governess maybe.
Wesley is upset with how his father has handled the family lands and title but now after his death her learns he lost most of gambling it away. Now he is being told that if he marries a women he has never met he can get back what he feels is his. Thinking to ruin the lady and get back everything is his plan.
But then Kate and Wesley meet and sparks fly….can these two stick to what they had planned or will love when out?
Enjoyed this book!
Miss Kate Holden is trying to train herself to be a governess. She is a gently bred woman who’s family is struggling financially. She is staying with her cousins and helping them through the season. Her father is trying to persuade her to marry his apprentice, who she dislikes immensely. When our heroine gets a letter from a cousin warning her away from a man she has never heard of things get confusing.
Marquess of Wesley, Earl of Chelmsford has spent the year since his father’s death trying to put the estate back together , only to find it had been gambled away. The man who won it is trying to blackmail him into marriage, but he has his own way to get it back.
Our hero tries his best to stick with his plan, but problems with all the females he is surrounded by will make sure that’s not possible.
This is a very romantic and amusing story, with great characters. Our innocent and soft hearted heroine is in way over her head with this determined hero.
I loved it.
Gambling for an important wager sometimes does not turn out the way it should. Or does it in the end? Lord Wesley is trying to regain all his dead father had gambled away, including his ancestral home, Penndrake. The new owner, Edward wagers with him that he will have to marry his cousin Miss Kate Holden in order to have the property in his name. Oh what a tangled web woven on that wager. Kate does not want to marry due to her choices and being hurt when younger and desires to live out her life as a governess.
But as the two are thrown together and Kate, having no idea of the wager that has been made, starts to feel affections for Wesley. But Wesley’s goal is not to marry her but far worse. It gets interesting as they begin challenging each other and their witty conversations. Of course there are other ladies with their eye on Lord Wesley and it is amusing to see how they use their wiles on him!
Filled with so many misunderstandings, stray emotions and unexpected attractions, this story will keep you entertained until the end!!
A Mistress for Penndrake by Tammy L. Bailey
Great meet-cute for Kate and Nathaniel when she chases her hat and he follows her… The fact that they had both received letters from the same person that in essence told them to do opposite things made for a great beginning to the story…she is averse to being with him and his goal is to be with her by hook or crook.
There was a bit of an evil stepmother feeling in Kate’s Aunt Sophie and her cousins were a trial at times…much as Cinderella’s stepsisters were to her. The story had cousin Edward pulling strings from outside until he appeared on the scene and manipulated things in person.
I liked most of the story and ended up happy with the ending of the book even wishing that this might be the first book in a series in which we will hear more about the two younger cousins of Kate and just who her manipulative but loving cousin Edward will end up with. The writing felt in keeping with the time period though the mixed emotions of Nathaniel got a bit old at times. All in all it was an enjoyable read and I would read another book by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing-Amara for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Didn’t want to finish it…but luckily author was very good to us.
This was a really entertaining read. I loved the main characters and the sub-characters were great too. The story is full of emotion and drama, and the witty banter between the main characters was wonderful. I was rooting for Wesley and Kate to end up together. There was so much going against them. I was so connected with the story that I got very emotional in a few places. There might have been a few tears shed. : ) It was a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.
A new alluring and exciting historical romance from a truly gifted author, Tammy L. Bailey. Alike her other story previously reviewed, “A Mistress for Penndrake” is so exquisitely sculpted that the passion seeps from pages. This beautifully constructed story reads seamlessly, with wonderfully engaging characters and a plot filled with turmoil, blackmail, desire and above all the hope of a forever love. A truly delightful novel that had me hooked from the beginning, reading way into the night, not wanting to miss the chance of a happily ever after.
“A Mistress for Penndrake” easily captures a 5-star rating for many reasons including:
*The portrayal of a love story that is so consuming that its hard not to feel the array of emotions that the characters feel. With an instant spark between the characters, alike love at first site, both deny such an attraction for different motives. The fierce attraction between the Marquess of Wesley and Miss Kate Holden that captivates their total beings is perfectly described by the writer, a journey fought with desire, want, betrayal, and the development of a deeper love.
*A plot that seethes with the turmoil of blackmail and revenge, twisting at times as Kate and Wesley’s feelings towards each other develop, creates a fully consuming read. With the initial aim to ruin Kate’s reputation the main reason for Wesley’s affections towards her, so he can win back his family home Penndrake, the unexpected feelings that result from them spending time together become compelling to read. The expectation of heartbreak and ruin for Kate will have you screaming alerts for Kate, however, your heart will betray you too as Wesley resonates as a charming gentleman, one who is hard to hate with his charitable endeavors and passionate encounters.
*Characters are created with a full array of emotions and characteristics, including their flaws, making them instantly feel familiar. Both Kate and Wesley continue to develop deeper feelings as the plot develops, which in turn changes their personality for both the good and bad. Kate blossoms as she falls in love and opens her heart to the happiness. Wesley experiences the bigger changes as he too opens his heart, however he also learns the heavy price of betrayal. It is easy to invoke a want for the characters to embrace love and have a happily ever after, with such well formed and lovable characters.
*Tammy L. Bailey creates the perfect complete package from start to finish in “A Mistress for Penndrake”. A dazzling front cover showcases a couples alluring embrace, both wearing historically accurate attire, with an exquisite lavender flowing gown taking center stage. The cover is finished with a title that perfectly captures the focus of the story. This is followed by a heartwarming plot and wonderfully engaging characters, finishing with an ending that resonates far past the last page is closed.
There are so many more reasons why “A Mistress for Penndrake” stands out as a must read, which readers will enjoy unlocking. I recommend this book to all readers who love a heartwarming love story, not just readers of historical romances. I look forward to finding out what Tammy L. Bailey has next install and look forward to reading the next addition to her creative journey. A historical romance writer not to be overlooked. After you read this novel, or any of her novels, it is easy to see why I place Tammy L. Bailey as a favorite writer at the top of my romance writers list.
I reviewed this novel voluntarily from an advanced copy.A Mistress for Penndrake
First time in reading this author. Stepping back in time when things might have been simplier they could often lead to more perilous times. this one centers around Wesley and Kate with each having their own story then they cross paths. I often get my hide up when the women are not given the choices they should and like reading the ways they deal with them as in this one. The magnetism keeps also pulling them together even though she tries not to go there. The brand of drama in this one also has you crossing your fingers that things will turn and give a smile.
Nathaniel Marquis of Wesley is out for blood. For a year, Lord Wesley has tried to undo the devastation his father had done to Penndrake, their ancestral home, only to discover the man gambled it away right before his death to Edward Garrett. Now Wesley is being blackmailed by Edward into marrying a woman he’s never met in order to get it back. At one and twenty, Miss Kathryn Holden intends to become a governess, having sworn off all men years ago. However, her plans are halted when she receives a daunting letter from her cousin about a Lord Wesley.
I usually really like books from Entangled publishing but this fell short to me. I was intrigued by the synopsis but on reading the book it didn’t live up to the blurb. How on earth did Nathaniel think ruining Kate would get him Penndrake back? Surely that would have further annoyed Edward. Why wasn’t Penndrake entailed if it was the principal seat of the marquisette? Nathaniel invited the Garretts to a dinner party that was to last a fortnight, surely he meant a house party! But there was no planning for this – the poor servants. I did get a few laughs from the Garret women very Cinderellaish. I couldn’t relate to Nathaniel & Kate & found the chemistry lacking although they were attracted to each other there was no spark. I would be interested to read more from the author as the premise for the book was good.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I have mixed feelings about this book. So many things didn’t make any sense to me like the hero’s premise that if he ruins Miss Kate Holden, he’ll get his ancestral home back from her cousin who won it in a card game. How was that suppose to work? Wasn’t the property entailed to the title? Throughout the book, I found instances that left me scratching my head. I’ve read hundreds of regency romances and never once have I ever heard of picking up house guests at 7:00am especially since they only lived a mile or two away. Even with the relaxed atmosphere in the country, not many of the ton would even be awake at that hour, never mind being ready to travel. In another chapter the Marquess of Wesley leaves his house guests at his country estate while he travels to London for a few days. What? He leaves these strangers at his home? I also didn’t like how Lord Wesley would barge into Kate’s bedchamber whenever he wanted to. A gentleman would never enter a woman’s bedchamber alone and especially not with out knocking.
I did enjoy some of the banter between Wesley and Kate, but that wasn’t enough to save the story for me. All of the above criticisms just had me scratching my head throughout the story and really detracted from the plot.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to enjoy this but I was a little disappointed. Kate had strong plans for her future but one guy comes along and she throws that all away. Nathanial is a broken jerk of a man. He made me so mad for about 80% of the book. He never really apologized for using Kate and that made me angry. Just couldn’t get over the characters to enjoy the story.
Not very original or well produced. Repetitive struggles, thin characters.
The very moment Kate receives a letter from her cousin warning her of Lord Wesley, who does she meet? Lord Wesley. His home was gambled away and in order to get it back he must marry Kate. But in an act of revenge against the blackmailer, Wesley decides to seduce and ruin Kate, win his home back and marry an heiress.
This story had a lot of push and pull from the main characters. I must say that I had a hard time with Wesley’s decision except each time he had the opportunity to ruin Kate, he did not. I did like him for that. However, there seemed to be a lot of holes in this story that kept me from enjoying it completely, although I’m sure there will be others who can and will enjoy it regardless of the inconsistencies that concerned me. I choose not to go into them in order to keep those things free from other readers locking onto them as I did.
While this was a very well written story, and the steam was appropriate for the story (if not the era, IMO but which I was ok with) the secondary characters were well developed but not very likable. With the exception of a few, most of them treated Kate as a servant. Despite her desire to become a governess, I didn’t understand why they would treat her so, as she was still family.
I loved the premise of this story and I tried to put the little things out of my mind, but in the end it did ruin my overall reading enjoyment of the book. However, I believe this could be an “it’s me not the book” situation so please read other reviews to determine if this one will work for you.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and Entangled. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really, really wanted to LOVE this book, but I just couldn’t get there. I am sure it would appeal to the majority of historical romance readers, it just didn’t appeal to me and left me puzzled and with many unanswered questions – so many things that just didn’t make sense to me.
I read the premise, it sounded wonderful and I couldn’t wait to get started on it. Then, I learned that the hero, The Marquess of Wesley, is going to take revenge on Garrett, the man who won – fair and square, no cheating – Wesley’s estate from his gambling father. Wesley’s father is now deceased and Garrett will either claim the property from Wesley or Wesley can marry Garret’s cousin, Kate Holden. So, what is our hero’s first thought? He’ll ruin Kate and somehow that is going to be revenge on Garrett and it will get his property back. Right – that is both honorable and intelligent and surely Garrett is unintelligent enough to give Wesley his property back after he ruins Garrett’s favorite cousin.
Wesley’s problem never really made sense to me. Was he totally broke with nothing at all left? His father lost tens of thousands of pounds and Penndrake. Was Penndrake the only estate of the Marquessate? His mother lives in London – do they own a house there? If Penndrake was the only estate, then why in the world wasn’t it entailed? I know it is just barely possible for that to happen, but it seems highly unlikely. I understand that the father was a dastardly old jacka**, but – well, I just had a hard time with that whole entailment thing. For someone whose whole future, including his home and income, is at stake, Wesley never seems desperate to me. Not like someone who had lost everything and had no other means to live and support himself.
Miss Kate Holden fell in love at fifteen and the object of her affections was a shallow, selfish, self-centered young man named Rourke – who is Wesley’s distant cousin. Rourke married someone else and she decided to never lose her heart again. That is the set-up of the yin-yang between Wesley and Kate – she doesn’t want to marry, but she’s attracted to him – he wants to ruin her, but he’s attracted to her. That whole ‘I’m going to ruin her’ from Wesley and ‘I’ll never give my heart away’ thing from Kate went on way, way, way too long.
The characters – well – there wasn’t a worthwhile one in the lot – except the Vicar and his family. None of them would be someone you’d want to sit down to dinner with. I couldn’t really identify with either of the main characters. You have what is basically the equivalent of Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and step-sisters – but it was Kate’s distant aunt and cousins. Then there is Wesley’s stupid cousin and Kate’s cousin who is blackmailing Wesley. . . . Not a keeper in the bunch as far as I can see.
Here are a few of the things that seemed a bit odd to me. Not a whole list – just a few and I’m trying not to give too much of the plot away.
The Marquess delivers babies?
Wesley says he’s going to entail Penndrake to Kate’s father. . . Say what
When Wesley took his house guests to the village to shop, they gave him the receipts/bills for their purchases and he complained about the cost of the fabric Kate’s sister purchased. Why would he be responsible for paying? It didn’t say he offered to pay – it was just written as if that were the normal way of doing things. These were well-to-do folks and could certainly afford their own.
As I said in the beginning, I REALLY wanted to love this book, but just couldn’t get there. I could buy that there was insta-lust between them, but I didn’t see the love growing because they never actually spoke. They spoke in riddles and circles, but nothing in the way of actually getting to know each other. Don’t let my experience keep you from trying it — you might love it — it has a number of 4 and 5-star reviews.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”