When playing a game of wits, never ever go up against the woman they call the Hellion . . . LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD… Whether it’s business or pleasure, Lord Robert Carlisle never backs down from a dare. But finding a husband for scandalous Mariah Winslow? It’s one challenge he instantly regrets accepting. Even with all his connections—and rakish charms—Robert will have to use every trick in … will have to use every trick in the book to marry off a woman with no dowry and no sense of decorum…no matter how stunningly beautiful she is.
Mariah Winslow has no intention of being a pawn in Lord Robert’s game. She knows he agreed to play matchmaker only to secure a partnership in her father’s shipping company, a partnership that’s rightfully hers. For now, though, she’ll dress for the elegant balls he throws and dance with the eligible bachelors he chooses. But she won’t be outwitted by the devil himself — no matter how tempting and irresistible she finds him.
“With its strong feminist bent and lively battle of wills, Harrington delivers what readers crave: a smart, fun read.” — RT Book Reviews
ely battle of wills, Harrington delivers what readers crave: a smart, fun read.” — RT Book Reviewsely battle of wills, Harrington delivers what readers crave: a smart, fun read.” — RT Book Reviewsely battle of wills, Harrington delivers what readers crave: a smart, fun read.” — RT Book Reviewsmore
When I am in the mood for an excellent historical romance I know that I need to look no further then one by Harrington. This new installment to the Carlisle series is no exception. This time we get Robert’s story. He is hoping to become a partner in Winslow shipping so he teams up with the owner who gives them the task of helping to properly launch his eldest daughter in society in order to be considered. He accepts which ultimately leads to his downfall as he finds himself challenged by Mariah every time he turns around until he finds himself in love with her. This causes him to have to choose between the business and love. This is a wonderfully written romance that really takes you back to the time period while you follow the love story. Extremely well written and honestly a must read for fans of historical romance. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
Anna has done it again! She has finally brought Robert and Miranda together in an outstanding and adventurous way! Anne’s writing keeps you turning the page to see what happens next because you cannot put it down once you begin! You are joked and want to see what Robert and Miranda are up to and get into on their way to happily ever after! Take a moment and go to Amazon and pick up your copy today. I received an advance reader copy but my review is my own!
Lord Robert Carlisle is so close to making a deal with Henry Winslow of Winslow Shipping & Trade. He has worked two years for this and Winslow is finally ready to make a deal! Robert needs this partnership, he blames himself for his father’s death and he needs to succeed so he will feel worthy of his father. He assures Winslow that he is the man for the job, he knows the business, he is unmarried and ready to devote 100% to Winslow Shipping & Trade. Their meeting is interrupted by a commotion outside, they look out the window in time to see a woman racing a phaeton down St. James. Winslow sighs and mutters that is why she is in her seventh season. When Robert asks what he means, Winslow tells him that was his elder daughter Mariah aka the Hellion. He makes Robert an offer, introduce Mariah to society and have her married off to an acceptable gentleman by the close of parliament and Winslow will give him a 20% share of the business. At first Robert is opposed, but 20%!!! He accepts, he will get his mother to help, Mariah is rich and beautiful – how hard could it be to marry her off??
Mariah Winslow loves two things, Winslow Shipping & Trade and the Gatewell School in St. Katharine’s. Her greatest wish is to become a partner in her father’s business, but to date he has been opposed. She has been pulling stunts and gaining a reputation as a Hellion to get her father’s attention. When he calls her into his study to address her latest stunt, she plans to bring up her desire to work with him again. When he tells her he thinks she was right and that he needs a partner, she is elated, believing that he means her, but her joy is deflated when he introduces her to Lord Robert and tells her that he is his choice. And if that isn’t bad enough her father gleefully tells her that Lord Robert is going to give her a proper season and find her a husband, just like her mother wanted! She doesn’t want to marry, but her father makes it clear, if she doesn’t cooperate fully, he will cut her off. She uses her pin money to fund the Gatewell School and would not jeopardize that for anything, because it is her last connection to her mother.
When her father is called out the room, Robert attempts to talk to Mariah, he is surprised that she wants to be a partner in the business, she doesn’t want to marry and by her bluntness that her father only wants him for his political connections. He tells her he knows and while he is sure she would be a good partner, he will be better. She assures him that will not happen, because she is not going to be easy to marry off. He scoffs at that, until he learns the truth, she has no dowry, no promise of inheritance and her father will not let a son-in-law join the company. Robert then realizes what a huge task he has agreed to, but he has to succeed. She offers a parting shot, he won’t get his partnership and she will not make it easy for him.
Let the games begin! Robert and Mariah enter the social whirl with the help of his mother and she learns a lot about him. She grudgingly begins to like and respect him, but that doesn’t stop her from pushing him to the limit of his patience and accidently spilling things on him 🙂 They share a bit about their pasts and a few heated kisses. They grow closer and it is clear that there is something between them, but neither is willing to give up their dreams for love.
When they finally make love Mariah hopes that Robert will choose her and it seems like he will and they might be able to have a future. But when she learns that he is responsible for a project that will destroy that which she holds most dear, she is heartbroken and doesn’t give him a chance to explain. He loves her, he will not lose her! But this story is far from over and a misunderstanding leads to an incredibly amusing scene with a brawl and more drinks being dumped on him!
This was an amazing story of love, grief, forgiveness and acceptance. The story flows nicely, has a lot of witty banter, steamy love scenes, a little heartache, a little jealousy, a whiff of betrayal, a wonderful declaration scene and an absolutely beautiful epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but it could definitely be read as a stand alone title with no problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
Hellion meets Hellion and it is off to the races we go. I had a hard time figuring out who I liked better in this book – the hero or the heroine. I finally just decided it was a toss-up because they were both wonderfully engaging characters. As always, Ms. Harrington’s writing was superb and the story was well plotted and didn’t leave us with any loose ends. Well – except – I was left wondering toward the end – which of the outcomes befell Robert’s brothers? Did they pay the innkeeper or did they end of in gaol? They obviously didn’t end up dead. Sorry – I won’t explain – you’ll just have to read it. ** smiles **. I’d also like to see an HEA for Evie, Mariah’s sister – maybe that will be an upcoming book! I loved this quote from Mariah – while she is talking with her sister – “Glass slippers will cut you, Cinderella.”
Robert Carlisle is the middle of the three brothers. Like his brothers, he is an Adonis, tall, blonde, broad of shoulder and handsome as the devil. Also like his brothers, he took the death of his father very, very hard and blamed himself for it. Since that awful night when his father died, Robert has been trying to prove himself to his father by becoming the responsible and successful man his father would be proud of. Robert is also a very, very intelligent man and has made great strides in developing his own fortune. One thing he wants above all others is a partnership in Winslow Shipping, the largest privately owned merchant company in the British Empire. Finally, he has a meeting with Henry Winslow and is offered a partnership – but – there is a caveat to that partnership. Robert must provide Winslow’s oldest daughter with a season AND have her married the end of the season. Robert blanches when he hears that news – after all – Winslow’s daughter is known as The Hellion for a very, very good reason. The Carlisle brothers were the scourge of Mayfair, and the Winslow sisters are their female equivalents.
Mariah Winslow was still very young when her mother died. She adored her mother and for a very long time, she blamed herself for her mother’s death from fever. If only she hadn’t begged her mother to take them to the park on that damp day … But she finally came to realize that it wasn’t her fault. She also adored her father and had followed him around like a little puppy since she was very, very young. Since he loved having her around, he allowed it. That fostered her interest in the company and she learned all she could about the business hoping and praying that someday he’d make her a partner. She loved the business, it was part of her heart and soul and she was better at it than any man she knew – not bragging, just truth. Just imagine her mortification when, after her latest escapade, her father tells her that he’s brought in a partner and that partner will be providing her with a season and that she WILL be married by the end of the season. Crushed, heartbroken and very determined to assure that doesn’t happen, Mariah begins her season. Her favorite thing and her best revenge is to do everything she can to enrage, aggravate, embarrass, etc. Robert – and she is very good at her favorite thing!
These two are on a real roller coaster ride. They want to despise each other – and they are sure that they do – but there is an attraction there. They spend time together and get to know each other and start to admit they actually care – and then betrayal (or not) raises its ugly head.
This is a lovely read with page-turning excitement throughout. You’ll want to read it straight through because you’ll just have to know what happens next. Will she pour mop water over his head? Embarrass him into climbing a tree and getting scratched by a cat? Deliberate spill champagne on his jacket? Who knows – all sorts of shenanigans happen and you won’t be able to keep up with them unless you read the book.
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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.”
Lord Robert Carlisle harbors tremendous guilt; his way of making amends – by being the best he can be in his personal life but especially in business. An opportunity arises to be the best when he’s offered a partnership in the most prestigious shipping company around. The only caveat – he must find a husband for the widowed owner’s only daughter. An easy task that Robert happily accepts – thinking he can foist the details off on his family with little interaction from him.
Mariah Winslow lives and breathes her father’s shipping company. The only thing that would make her truly happy is a partnership in the company. A husband is definitely not part of the plan. She’s devastated to learn her father has offered a partnership to man in return for his finding her a husband. A task she’s determined he shall fail at.
What Robert hasn’t counted on is his desire to spend time with this spitfire. Mariah hasn’t counted on falling in love with his family. Who will be the winner of this game? And what price are they willing to pay to emerge victorious?
As usual, Anna Harrington has infused her characters with strength and determination, with a touch of vulnerability and a dash of humor. Each book in the Capturing the Carlisles has been fantastic and As the Devil Dares is no exception. Hoping there’s more to come in this entertaining family.
Bravo, Bravo for Anna Herrington. This book gets a standing ovation. As The Devil Dares was so great, it is now on my top 10 books read. This is one of Anna’s best writing to date not that her other books aren’t great too but she out did herself on this one. This book has wit, pranks, helping one another, a love for family and friends, a love for a sister, loss of family, an orphanage, determination, challenges, deceit, bickering, needing to prove oneself, a father’s misunderstanding, seeing one another in different ways and of course love. It has everything that I love in a book. The description is so detailed that you really get a visual and the characters come alive. I highly recommend this book, you won’t be disappointed. Travel back to 1823 London with Robert and Mariah as they each seek what the other wants.
“As the Devil Dares” is book Three in the “Capturing the Carlisles” Series. This is the story of Lord Robert Carlisle and Mariah Winslow. I just loved this book. The characters were engaging and Ms. Harrington does a fantastic job of teasing out the back story for Robert and why he works so hard to be successful. What does he have to prove or is it who does he have to prove it too? Mariah is another complicated character in that she’s atypical for the period. All she wants is to prove to her father that she’s the best match to take over the family shipping business, but why is he making her attend ton events to find a husband. Can’t he see that her first love will always be the Winslow Shipping business?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next story in the series. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
She’s fire. He’s ice. And, when they get together, there’s steam aplenty!
Mariah was my kind of heroine… spirited, forthright, compassionate, altruistic, independent and intelligent. But, she also had a softer, more romantic side. She was a well-rounded, likable character who immediately drew me in.
Robert was strong, smart and sexy. He was a man with a plan and was determined that nothing or no one would get in his way. But, he was also brokenhearted and full of guilt and shame over his father’s death, a proverbial “wounded bird”. I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug to comfort him. Aaaand, maybe I wanted to sneak in a squeeze of those well-defined muscles, as well.
When Robert sets out to find Mariah a husband, in order to secure a partnership with her father in his shipping company, the battle, the sarcastic banter and the witty repartee begins.
I loved everything about this book. It successfully continued the Carlisle series with all the drama and romance of its predecessors.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
I absolutely love Anna Harrington’s historical romances! As the Devil Dares is the third book in the Capturing the Carlisles series and I believe it is my favorite so far. Who doesn’t love a strong-willed hero and heroine whose passions flare in and out of the bedroom?
Robert Carlisle strikes up a business deal with Henry Winslow hoping it is the perfect way to do something that would make his father proud, but the deal has the potential to destroy everything that Mariah Winslow cherishes and has a passion for.
Mariah Winslow known around town as the Hellion bucks what society expects of young women by taking on causes her father doesn’t approve of and wanting to work in the family shipping business which is unheard of for a woman. When Robert Carlisle becomes her father’s business partner Mariah sees him as the enemy, but soon she realizes they have quite a bit in common and their attraction for one another takes precedent over their differences.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books in this great series!
I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
When Robert agreed to a partnership with Henry Winslow, he had no idea what he was getting into.
Mariah has always dreamt about running the family business along with his father. However, his father had made a promise to her mother and he intends to keep that promise.
The book is well-written and the characters are very well-developed. The plot flows nicely and the characters’ feelings are described in a way that you can feel them in your heart. Another positive point, at least for me, is the sense of humour. It made me laughed several times and, at the end of the book, I wanted to go on reading about them.
I highly recommend this book to all readers who like a fun and enjoyable romance.
A fabulous romance with sparks abounding between these two who think they are against each other! I just adored the banter and antics that Mariah and Robert get into when around the other. Very well written with secrets and humor sprinkled throughout. The story keeps the pages turning because you just want to find out how it could all end happily! The secondary characters are lovable and fit right in. You won’t be sorry with this next Carlisle book! This author knows how to keep you intrigued.
I was given the book, but this is my own opinion.
This is a beautiful, emotional romance. An enemies to lovers romance that focuses on Lord Robert Carlisle and Mariah Winslow. These two strike sparks off one another from their very first meeting. Robert makes a deal with Mariah’s father. To gain a partnership in his prestigious shipping company he is to make sure Mariah finds a husband. Of course, this is the very last thing on the woman they call The Hellion’s mind. She has always long to be part of the family business. This creates the base for a warm, charming, fun, sweet and passion filled romance. It is impossible not to fall in love with these characters as you discover the baggage they both carry due to grief and for Robert also guilt. Can these two ever come to an understanding? Read this thoroughly entertaining book to see find out. I’m posting a completely honest, voluntary review after reading this book.
This is the third book of the “Capturing the Carlisles” series but it could be read as standalone.
It is a fantastic story, funny with strong hero and heroine.
You will love them and be part of their story. Who would you love more? It is so difficult to decide.
I could not put down the book until the last page!
I recommend this story to all that love regency.
I received this book at no charge from the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Whether it’s business or pleasure, Lord Robert Carlisle never backs down from a dare. But finding a husband for scandalous Mariah Winslow? It’s one challenge he instantly regrets accepting. Even with all his connections and rakish charms Robert will have to use every trick in the book to marry off a woman with no dowry and no sense of decorum…no matter how stunningly beautiful she is.
Mariah Winslow has no intention of being a pawn in Lord Robert’s game. She knows he agreed to play matchmaker only to secure a partnership in her father’s shipping company, a partnership that’s rightfully hers.
This is the third book in the series but could stand by itself. However the series is so very good I’d recommend reading them in order & you’ll come to love the Carlisle brothers as much as I do. Robert & Mariah clash from their first meeting & they can’t seem to meet without locking horns. Their meeting with Elizabeth, Robert’s mother is hilarious especially when he finds himself holding a plate of tarts. However their attraction is also apparent from the beginning & they are the only ones who won’t recognise it. There are misunderstandings along the way & a heroine who like dowsing the hero in liquids whether it’s champagne, ale or dirty water. I love the author’s books & I’m always drawn in from the beginning, the characters are always strongly portrayed & this book is no exception. The plot is so very well paced that I was loathe to put the book down. I found myself laughing at Robert rescuing a kitten & had tears at the three brothers sharing scolds by their father. I would have liked to have known whether the two brothers spent time in the lock up or paid for damages.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read