Two sought-after sisters, a slew of suitors—and a vow to hold out for true love. How many proposals will it take to get to “I do”—especially when the stakes are high . . . There have been six suitors so far, all vying for the attention—and generous dowry—of the beautiful, elusive Eleanor Sutherland. What does this woman really want? Who has what it takes to melt the heart of the so-called Lady … heart of the so-called Lady Ice? These are the questions Camden West keeps asking himself. But rather than wait for answers, Cam takes matters into his own hands . . . for he has a secret weapon.
Cam knows that Ellie’s sister, Charlotte, harbors a scandalous secret—one that could bring ruin to the Sutherland name. If Ellie marries him, Cam promises to keep mum. But is she willing to sacrifice her own happiness for her sister’s reputation?
To Ellie’s surprise, it becomes clear that Cam doesn’t need her money, nor is he interested in her status. Soon, what begins as a sham engagement transforms into something deeper, and more passionate, than Ellie could have imagined. Is it possible that all Cam truly wanted was her? And is that reason enough to say yes—or is handsome Cam hiding something else? Even for a lady in love, only the truth will do . . .
more
Eleanor is no dummy, she knows most men want her dowery more than they want her. Cam doesn’t know what hit him when he tangled with lady E. Very good read, liked it very much. I have been invested in this families story from book one.
This book came highly recommended by a member of the historical romance group I belong to. Like her, I’ve been in a reading slump and like her, this pulled me out of it and reminded me of why I love historical romance so much. Thank you, Holly P!
This book had it all. It had a great story line, great characters, meaningful situations, a lot of tension, and the one love scene was so sensuous and not at all crass. I’ll get to that in a moment.
Eleanor Sutherland is the daughter of an earl and has had a few seasons, six suitors, and none of them have passed muster. She got the reputation being cold, even being called Lady Frost. There were bets being placed on her as to who would finally claim her hand. But all she really wanted was to be in love with the man she married. She’s intelligent, beautiful, and many men had tried to court her only to be set aside. She didn’t love them and knew she never would. She was holding out.
Her sister, Charlotte, was caught in a compromising position with Cam’s cousin, Julian, in a garden at a ball. She was caught by Eleanor and Cam and that’s what started this whole thing. Cam was going to ruin Charlotte if Eleanor didn’t marry him. That’s not even the biggest thing. It was dirt on the family, to be sure, but there’s a bigger motivator for Cam to demand Eleanor’s hand.
It made sense what he wanted to do and who was going to benefit from the exposure, but it was a cruel, calculating way that he went about it. It was outright blackmail and he was into it up to his neck. It bears mentioning that Cam was a commoner and she was the daughter of an Earl, in case you’re looking for a trope of that nature.
Cam could be a total jerk. He said some really mean things to Eleanor that made me flinch and cut her to her soul. Ugh! I felt bad for her, but she was resilient. There was no way she was going to marry him under those pretenses, but there is much more to the story here. She was trying everything she could think of to turn him off, but he had so much at stake but so did she. She didn’t want to give in and would do anything to protect her sister, including getting stomped on and bending to the will of Camden West. She was so determined. The problem was, so was he. They both had so much to lose.
Ultimately, this is a story about love, loyalty, and forgiveness. As this book wound down, so did my heart. I was sad for Eleanor. I was sad for Cam. I was sad for Julian. I was sad for Charlotte. I got choked up a couple of times as the story closed. The emotions from these characters seared the pages, was so tangible–Oh man, it was agonizing. I didn’t want it to end like that.
Now for the love scene. There was just one in the whole book, but it was enough. The tension leading up to it, the heated kisses, the sweet kisses to the forehead, the touches, the conversations, all lead up to one incredible love scene. It was long, descriptive in a decent way, he was in it for her. She was in it for him, innocent as she was. It was hot. But it wasn’t just sex for either of them. No matter what the status of their relationship was, it was true love. It screamed off the pages. I felt it. I lived it with them. It was that good.
This book is filled with so much emotion. I loved the characters, even Cam when he was being a jerk, and the story was superb, earning this a solid five stars. I’d give it more if I could.
I loved this book! Camden West is out to right a wrong and Lady Eleanor Sutherland is going to be the one to pay the price. He blackmails her into an engagement and she fights him at every turn. Back and forth, these two parry, each having the advantage for barely a moment before another secret is unearthed. Will they ever stop their conflict long enough to realize they were perfect for each other?
Ms. Bradley is a talented author and has woven an intriguing story of revenge, guilt, regret and finally love. I was hooked by the first chapter and my attention never waned as I devoured page and page wanting to find out what will happen to Camden and Eleanor. I was definitely not disappointed. Fans of Regency Romance will definitely enjoy this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series about Eleanor’s sister, Lady Charlotte!
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4.5 stars
There have been six suitors so far, all vying for the attention and generous dowry of the beautiful, elusive Eleanor Sutherland who’s been named Lady Ice & there’s a page of wagers concerning her in the betting book at Whites. Camden West knows that Ellie’s sister, Charlotte, harbours a scandalous secret which he orchestrated & one that could bring ruin to the Sutherland name. If Ellie marries him, Cam promises to keep the secret. Ellie learns that Cam doesn’t need her money, nor is he interested in her status. To protect Charlotte Ellie agrees to be courted.
A very enjoyable read the plot is well paced & I found it hard to put down. I’d read the earlier Sutherland novels so was looking forward to this, at the start I did wonder if I would like Cam & Ellie as their behaviour was questionable however as the story progressed & their past history was revealed I grew to like them both. Amelia is lovely & my favourite character, a very wise head on young shoulders. A story of revenge & finding justice but nothing goes smoothly Ellie vows to only marry for love but also believes in protecting her family. Cam thinks all the Sutherlands are tarred with the same brush but gradually has his eyes opened about the family. The attraction between Cam & Ellis is sizzling & gradually builds. I’d highly recommend this delightful book. There’s also the attraction between Charlotte & Justin & I can’t wait for their story.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the independent nature of the main character, Eleanor. I also found the hero a refreshing departure from the “standard” historical leading man. The writing is well done, the story flows smoothly, and it isn’t predictable; at least it wasn’t for me. Premise for this story is that Lady Eleanor is being blackmailed into marrying Cam; a wealthy gentleman in the trade business recently returned to England. Eleanor tries her best (in myriad ways) to dissuade Cam and she can’t understand why SHE has to be the one he marries. We learn a lot about each of the characters as the story unfolds. I felt vested in these characters, making the story that much more engrossing. I won this e-book thru a goodreads giveaway.
a delightful interesting book! fun characters and wonderful story. Lady Eleanor refused suitors and is known as lady ice, but you will love her! When Cam comes along…. well read this and find out! Loved the book! I received this book as a gift from my sister and cannot wait to read more by this author!
This is such a beautiful book, full of emotions, one of my favorite book so far by Anna Bradley.
I cried so much while reading this one. So many people just don’t have the ability to be tolerant and are too quick about judging someone before having all the facts. Ms. Bradley always has such beautiful hidden messages in her books. Patience being the dominant theme for me in this novel.
Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor by Anna Bradley
The Sutherland Sisters #1
First book in a series and first book I have read by this author – it won’t be the last. In fact, I am eager to read Charlotte’s story when it is out.
Eleanor’s father was not a nice man and treated her family abysmally. Siblings, mother and self were only relieved when he finally died. She, as a result of seeing her mother’s unhappiness, has determined she will only marry for love and so far her brother has assisted her in this endeavor by turning wannabe husbands away. Well, along comes someone intent on having her for his wife and that person is wealthy self-made man Camden West. His reasons for her coercing her into marriage, he believes, are just. His cousin Julian disagrees. His much younger sister, Amelia, has not a clue. Eleanor is NOT inclined to be forced to marry someone she doesn’t love but she does love her sister so sets out to thwart Camden in his plans. A battle of wits ensues as Eleanor and Camden spend time together…secrets are eventually revealed and a HEA achieved…though it is a rocky path for a while and especially rocky for Eleanor’s sister, Charlotte, and Cam’s cousin, Julian.
This was a deeper book than many historical romances. The characters were complex as was the plot. The growth of the characters was enjoyable to observe as were the interactions between main and supporting characters. I was left feeling that sometimes getting what one wants or thinks one wants is not all that one might want it to be. I do believe Eleanor and Camden will be happy together and want to hear more about them in Charlotte’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4.5 Stars
Two sisters joined in blood, united by scandal. Anna Bradley knows how to tantalize, that’s for sure. Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor is a romance born of scandal, but forged out of love. Eleanor is thrust into a situation that forces her to chose between self – preservation and family loyalty. Her choices are limited but her heart is pure. Camden is more a mystery. The motives that drive his devious plan are more far reaching than just him marrying. They involve secrets that encompass the Sutherland and West families and could ruin not only reputations, but lead to heartbreak for all involved. Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor is regency at it’s finest. Full of surprises and breathtakingly wonderful.
What an unexpectedly delightful read with very complex and interesting characters. I say unexpectedly delightful because before I started reading I had wondered how the characters could go from blackmail to an HEA. Then, after the things that were said during the initial blackmail contact, I was sure it couldn’t happen. This was my first book by Anna Bradley, but it most definitely will not be the last.
Both the hero and heroine as well as several of the supporting characters are fractured and flawed by terrible childhoods. Once you finally understand the depth of emotional disturbances in their childhoods, you can better understand their actions in adulthood.
Lady Eleanor Sutherland is referred to as Lady Frost by the ton. It isn’t a name she has sought, nor is it a name that describes her in any way. So far, she has soundly rejected six suitors – five the ton knows of and one they don’t. She has her own page in White’s betting book where young bucks bet on everything from getting a smile from her to getting her to accept a marriage proposal. One of the first scenes in the book shows one of these young bucks trying to propose to her at a ball. Eleanor wants to marry for love, but she is afraid of marriage because of the way her father treated the family and her mother just seemed to disappear as a person. Eleanor has learned to feel that she isn’t important and she doesn’t matter.
Camden West’s childhood was shattered when he was nine years old and his father died of a fever. His uncle moved in and took over Cam’s inheritance. The uncle is a vile and hateful man and when Cam becomes really close (like brothers) with Julian (the uncle’s son), the uncle becomes wildly jealous of the relationship. Cam’s mother is shattered emotionally and never recovers. I can’t really tell you much more here without spoiling the story for you – but just know that the pivotal events in Cam’s life happened at the country estate.
Cam left home when he was thirteen and left for India when he was seventeen. Once he left, he never returned. While in India he made a huge fortune and came back to England bent on justice for his sister. However, he has confused justice with revenge and doesn’t take into account all of the collateral damage his revenge will do.
You’ll love Cam’s little sister. She is the sweetest eleven-year-old you’ll ever meet. Everybody loves her and she is the sunrise in Cam’s day. He loves her beyond all measure and will do anything for her, her future and her happiness.
The first part of Cam’s revenge includes marrying Eleanor. He tries gaining her interest in the normal way, but when that doesn’t work he develops a scheme to have her sister, Charlotte, compromised and he would be the only witness. That way, he can blackmail her into marriage. You’d think that wouldn’t work, but the Sutherland’s are a very, very close family and will do anything for each other.
The morning after Charlotte has been compromised, Cam pays a visit to Eleanor and delivers his blackmail demand. She finally agrees, but with no intention of actually going through with a betrothal. Thus begins a game of cat and mouse with each of them scheming to outwit the other. That part is a fun read when you see how Eleanor pulls his chain – until he finally figures out what she is up to.
You’ll ride along on a rollercoaster of emotions right up to the end. Cam finally realizes what true love is and that if he loves Eleanor, he might just have to let her go – yep – when that scene gets there you better have the tissues ready. You’ll also sigh and cry for Julian and Charlotte as well.
“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.”