Everyone knows the man they call “Lord Lightning” is a cold-hearted rake with an unsavory reputation except Eliza Farrell, an innocent young astrologer fresh from a small country village whose horoscopes tell her he is a man who was born to love.When Eliza’s predictions drive away Lord Lightning’s mistress, he indulges in one of his famous pranks and abducts her, telling her she must take his … she must take his mistress’s place. It’s just a joke. But when Eliza shocks him by taking up his offer, the dissolute lord meets his match in a woman as passionate and unpredictable as himself.
Originally published in 2010 and nominated for an RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for best hero, this second edition has been edited and improved.
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The characters had more depth than some romances.
Edward Neville, Lord Hartwood (aka Lord Lightning) is proud of his unrepentant libertine reputation. He is self-absorbed and driven by his own agenda. He is definitely not a peer to be crossed. Which is why Eliza Farrell, a 29 year old unrepentant spinster- slash-astrologer, finds herself alone in a carriage with Lord Lightning heading for his London townhouse. She has just unknowingly sabotaged Lord Lightning’s agenda.
I almost didn’t download this book because of the negative reviews. However, I’m glad that I followed my own seasoned instincts. Not only was the story of Lord Lightning original, but Jenny Brown did a marvelous job of morphing Edward and Eliza from their flawed characters into their better characters. I enjoyed being in each characters head as they schemed and interacted with each other, and as they slowly began to understand and respect each other.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read, even for one such as I who is not into astrology. The writing was good, the dialogue sparkled, the descriptions were very visual, the villain was believable, and the ending was very happy. Since I personally like an epilogue at the end of a novel, I was disappointed that the author did not take their HEA ending just that one step further. Otherwise, I really liked this book.
Content alert: There is some light swearing (da**, he**) and a few uses of Go*, but otherwise there are no hardcore vulgarities. There is some very passionate kissing, and there is one artfully described bedroom scene. Lastly, there is an inept attempted rape that is not too descriptive.
FYI: I also posted my review with Amazon (as Rural Reader) and with Good Reads.
Eliza, a trained astrologist, is reading Lord Lightning’s horoscope chart to his mistress Violet when the man himself appears. Since Violet refuses to accompany Lord Lightning (actually Edward, Lord Hartwood) to Brighton, Edward kidnaps Eliza. This book started as a regency romance, but it became so much more. To Edward, everything is a game since he denies the reality of his unhappiness. Eliza, at twenty-nine, is a spinster and definitely not wise in the ways of the world. She takes on Edward as a project, hoping to prove that her reading of him as a loving man is accurate. This book depends on character development as well as self discovery. The author writes masterfully and the book is a delight to read.
This story exceeded my expectations. The characters were colorful and the banter was fun. It kept a good pace throughout with lots of unknowns being revealed along the way. There was tension between the spinster Eliza and Lord Lightning, but not too much. There were enough feel-good moments not to feel cheated. Sometimes internal dialogue slowed the pace a bit, but otherwise, it was a page-turner of a story. It has lots of sensuality, but thankfully isn’t all about the sex and there’s really only one sex scene. I think Eliza’s age didn’t fit with her description of being young and little, but her intelligence and wisdom make her a wonderful heroine. Lord Lightning has his vices, but he’s not rotten to the core as he would like everyone to believe. This is is a story of love and redemption along with an exciting plot that thickens as the story unfolds. The ending was well developed too.
I liked this as it was an unusual story around a destitute young woman trying to make her way as an astrologist. She inadvertently gets caught up with Lord Lightning, who in turn takes advantage of her naiveté, but has enough honor not to cross the line.
Fast paced dive into an incredible twist of a well scripted adventure, in a time when only typically well-off families included women who were literate… Do not hesitate, prepare to be swept away into a mesmerizing story.
Loved it!
Sex too steamy
A bit of history, mystery and love.
Loved w
Good book
Unpredictable action, original plot and unexpected ending. Enjoyed this book a lot.
Loved this book. The main characters thought they were playing a game but that game revealed many secrets. For both of them. Great reading.
Unique heroine. I enjoy a book that teaches me about something new while being entertaining.
a good read
Truly original and very compelling
Totally enjoyed this book. Strong h, was able to know herself and Lord lightning through astrology.
Great book
Goodman book which was easy to read.
This story had wonderful characters. There was such a depth to them as well as making sure we see their growth thru the entire book. It was wonderful to see these characters grow and change for the better. I also loved the astrology chart references. We don’t see these in many historical romance and it put a wonderful twist on the storyline. Highly recommend this book!