A ruthless tycoon
Savage ambition has brought common-born Rhys Winterborne vast wealth and success. In business and beyond, Rhys gets exactly what he wants. And from the moment he meets the shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, he is determined to possess her. If he must take her virtue to ensure she marries him, so much the better . . .
A sheltered beauty
Helen has had little contact with the … beauty
Helen has had little contact with the glittering, cynical world of London society. Yet Rhys’s determined seduction awakens an intense mutual passion. Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him with her darkest secret. The risks are unthinkable . . . the reward, a lifetime of incomparable bliss. And it all begins with…
Marrying Mr. Winterborne
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I’ve actually read this book several times now. The romance is sigh-worthy and the hero/heroine are such that you keep thinking of them long after you’ve read the book.
I just finished reading Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas, and this book doesn’t disappoint. It will put you right in the middle of the late 19th century as if you were really there. Brava, Lisa, brava!
I’m an avid reader of Lisa Kleypas and when she returned to writing historicals I was thrilled. Marrying Winterborne is everything a historical romance reader could want. Aside from the brilliant mastery of Kleypas’ beautiful prose, the character depiction is wonderful and the reader becomes one with the heroine, feeling her every emotion. I highly recommend this romance. It’s a story that will stay with you long after the last page.
Rhys Winterborne is my favorite Lisa Kleypas hero. I highly recommend you start with the prior book in this series so you can get the full arc of this love story and appreciate every bit of pining that Rhys does.
Great story. I listened to it on audio.
What’s the likelihood of rereading this book exactly three years later?! I still love Rhys
CLASSIC KLEYPAS!!!
Can you tell I was excited?!
We had our first glimpse of Rhys Winterborne in Cold Hearted Rake and can we say yum! Tall, broad shouldered, thick black hair, Welsh, owns the biggest department store..where can I sign up because I’m totally up for drooling over this guy! Aside from the brawn though, Rhys is intelligent, sweet, definitely been around the block in the bedroom, a heck of a business negotiator, and he can charm the panties off women-young and old..(can you tell this list can go on and on?)
Now for his intended…Helen isn’t a demure, retiring miss. She has brains and beauty and the more she comes out of her quiet persona..well, let’s just say she’s no one’s doormat. The opening of the book has Helen throwing caution to the wind to have Rhys reinstate their engagement-just think awkward, sweet, and sexy for their first time together-but what follows is a superb love story full of fun, secrets, tears, and surprises.
MW is truly one of Kleypas’s hottest books to date (and I’ve been reading her since the late 1990’s) If one could start a fire with the chemistry Rhys and Helen had, we’d have a furious bonfire going on! These two are perfect together..I mean seriously perfect.. they’re keeping company with Evie and Sebastian and Sara and Derek Craven as one of my favorite Kleypas couples!
It’s obvious there’s been research. The attention to detail given to the foods, the clothes, the department store-it all stands out and creates a gorgeous backdrop to what would seem to be a most unlikely couple..but some of Lisa’s best characters are her most unconventional ones and Rhys and Helen completely fit the bill!
Marrying Winterborne is classic Kleypas! Everything we’ve come to love from her is wrapped up in this gorgeous little gem..definitely one for my keeper shelf!
Amazing need more!!
Never fails to amaze me. Author Lisa Kleypas is a genius Historical author. She always gives you an exceptional story and this one was just as fabulous I couldn’t wait to read about Winterborne and Helen I love when a quit mouse has claws and tames the beast.
This book had a lot of surprises and the love and growth of the family is one of the reasons I love this author. No matter what family sticks together and together they face whatever comes their way, the happy ending and love between the characters is a bonus. Love this book can’t wait to see where you go from here
A Love That Will Exist For as Long as the World Exists
Reese Winterborne is swoon worthy! He is a cinnamon roll for his betrothed and he has an accent, oh my. Lady Helen is the essence of love and strength. I adored the chemistry, the friendship, and the communication between Reese and Helen. The reverse between them was inspiring. This story was emotional, sexy, and filled with hope. I am thoroughly enamored with the Winterbornes!
Our hero is VERY slow to trust- but once he does he’s all in.
She is the heroine who has never really fit in her family (there is a reason for that) Includes a recipe for mints at the back of the book.
The son of a Welsh grocer, Rhys Winterborne has ruthlessly worked his way to attaining immense wealth as the proprietor of the largest department store in the world. He accepts only excellence and knows how to get exactly what he wants. When he meets his friend’s shy cousin, Lady Helen Ravenel, he knows he must have her and if that means wooing her to his bed to ensure their vows come to fruition, so much the better.
Helen has led a very sheltered life in the Hampshire countryside, largely ignored by her parents and kept apart from high society. But beneath her gentle nature is a spine of steel and she’s determined to have Rhys as her husband, despite those who would advise against the match. When enemies surface, Helen must find a way to trust Rhys with her deepest secret, one which could part them for good.
I loved this book! I’ll admit I was a bit stressed about at 60% but that tension didn’t last too long and wound up being just right to keep my interest peaked and let Rhys shine as the excellent man he is. Now I completely understand why Rhys is such a popular hero and he’s become one of my favorites as well. I loved Helen’s quiet, unassuming nature along with her staunch support of Rhys and her refusal to be swayed from what she wanted. I loved the quiet deepening of Rhys and Helen’s connection and how they stood by each other to take on the challenges they faced. I adored how his strength and support seemed to help Helen come out of her shell and show the fierceness she’d hidden beneath her gentle nature. For someone unused to dealing in feelings and emotions, Rhys delivered some of the swoon-worthiest dialogues I’ve read. I also appreciated that the conflict came from outside their relationship rather than an issue of lacking communication between them. There was potential for high angst in the latter half of the book and I was so happy to see that it never fully came to fruition. I think this allowed the relationship between Rhys and Helen to really shine and helped us appreciate how much their connection had developed and solidified, beyond just their physical attraction. I also really love the fact that here we have our rags to riches hero who is at first convinced that Helen must be disgusted by him and his lack of breeding and refinement, but this didn’t last beyond their first real conversation. We blessedly get real communication and characters getting to know each other rather than repetitive, broody inner monologues. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place for brooding heroes, but I was happy not to see it here. I loved both Rhys and Helen and their character development and found this to be an excellent read and a new favorite for me.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/04/marrying-winterborne-by-lisa-kleypas.html
This is a great series book. Not only is the story of the main characters riveting but you stay connected with past and future characters. Well written!
“You’re my entire world, cariad. My heart only beats as an echo of yours.”
Alas! I’m not ready to say goodbye to Helen and Rhys. After seeing the budding connection the two formed in the first Ravenels book, I was eager to get to their story. And this historical romance was everything I wanted it to be and more.
“If I had the right I would forbid you to go anywhere without me. Not out of selfishness, but because being apart from you is like trying to live without breathing.”
Despite being well-known and extremely wealthy, Rhys Winterborne is frequently looked down upon for his common upbringing and Welsh descent. Marrying Lady Helen Ravenel would increase his status, but his desire to marry her runs far deeper. Just when it seems his chances of securing a future with her have been dashed, Helen comes to assure him of her feelings. The two strike an agreement that will force her family to accept the match. It’s not long before Helen uncovers a secret and a figure from the past returns that might jeopardize her happiness with Rhys yet again.
“I’d let you stab a knife in my heart if it pleased you, and I’d lie there loving you until my last breath.”
Helen and Rhys’ story was so sweet and romantic. There was a lot of yearning, admiration, and tender moments. I also enjoyed the scenes with the Ravenel family, Dr. Gibson, Fernsby, and Lady Berwick. There are many characters to love in this series and I related to Helen quite a bit.
“You’re all mine. Every hair on your head. Every part of you was made to be loved by me.”
The ending, although it will likely be with its difficulties, is healing with Helen stopping the cycle of resentment and abandonment that was started long ago. It was beautiful to see. In conclusion, I just loved the story and the characters that unfolded in this book!
Marrying Winterborne went beyond any of my expectations. After reading the first book in the series, I was sure I knew how this book was going to play out but man was I wrong.
What looked like to be a simple case of misinformation turned into whirlwind love affair between Rhys and Helen. The term opposites attract was coined for these two making their chemistry off the charts.
Rhys and Helen’s love story is full of twister and turns and a plot twist you will least expect. A must read for sure!
Now on to the next Ravenel sister, and my favorite twin, Pandora!
Loved the characters. Good read
I read the first in this series and was quite disappointed. However, this second book is an improvement upon the first. Although it did have some uneveness, overall, it was an enjoyable read with an unexpected outcome (I will not spoil that here)
In the first book in the series, we actually get a glimpse of how the romance began between Rhys and Helen. I really liked that interaction, so I have to say if you haven’t read book 1, maybe read it just for that part. Book 2 begins with a broken engagement. Helen is distraught and wants to fix the misunderstandings caused by her overly protective family. She is desperately in love with Rhys and wants to marry him. Rhys and Helen come up with a plan to overcome her family’s objections to the marriage, which works. But then a secret from Helen’s past appears that threatens to send their love affair to a crashing end.
The attraction between these two characters was done very well. I liked dark and messed up Rhys needing to overcome his less-than-idea upbringing to compete amongst the well-to-do. Helen was sweet and head-over-heels for Rhys so every obstacle to their love was like a knife to her heart. Although the romance aspect was set – they were clearly in love with one another – their backgrounds are what kept them apart. They had to work through these things throughout the book to get to their happily-ever-after.
The shortcomings were mostly about resolution of the secret and how easily that came about. Also, very little about some details that would make the villain pleased and how the hero and heroine dealt with that. Villain sort of disappeared at the end without an explanation as to how his plans coming to fruition would now be ruined. Hm.
Overall a satisfying read. The last 1/3 was actually the part I liked the best. Better than Book 1!
I absolutely loved every minute I spent with Ryse and Helen.
This was a wonderful read. Very good writing. I enjoyed every word!
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars
I wasn’t sure what to think going into this one after the way things ended in Cold Hearted Rake. I didn’t think that Rhys Winterborne was going to be able to redeem himself. Boy was I wrong! The action in this book picks up about a week after the end of Cold Hearted Rake. Even though it can technically be read as a standalone, I don’t think it will have the same emotional impact if you don’t read the previous book since that’s where we first meet Helen and Rhys and their relationship/courting begins. As rough and gruff as he was, Rhys was such a pure sweetheart to Helen. I loved how much he loved her and the things he said to her are still making me swoon. Plus, those sexy times were so very, very delicious. I really appreciated that the majority of the drama was not between Helen and Rhys and that the twist was resolved fairly quickly without much heartache. One of my favorite characters was Dr. Gibson and I’m very excited to know that she has her own book in this series.
The narration by Mary Jane Wells was wonderful as always, though I did struggle a bit understanding her sometimes when she voiced Rhys. The accent and welsh words had me repeating certain lines a few times before I could make the words out. The ebook definitely helped during these times. I can’t wait to continue on with this series!
CW: discussion of suicide, infidelity
Unf, Rhys’s thirst for Helen was written SO well. And I was braced for a way more gut-wrenching confrontation between them once he learned her secret, but no, he just made it all better. *hearteyes* The grovel was P-E-R-F-E-C-T.
Love the characters. They grow as they meet unexpected challenges and realize just what is at risk. Lisa Kleypas never disappoints!