Once upon a time, Little Ellie Browning swiftly discovered happily ever afters did not exist and rakes were simply rakes. When the man she had adored for years kissed her and left her heartbroken and she was forced to marry an elderly earl to save her reputation, she resolved to put any dreams of fairy tales aside.Seven years later, the now widowed Eleanor, Countess of Hawthorne, has returned to … returned to England after years of travelling and is now part-owner of a cotton mill left to her by her late husband.
But the owner of the mill, and the very same handsome rake who hurt her years earlier, has no desire to let a woman interfere with his business, let alone little Ellie Browning–no matter how fascinating he finds her since her transformation from coltish scarecrow to almost graceful countess.
Lucian is still recovering from the after-effects of one of his mills succumbing to fire, and now he’s fighting to save the other in a tough economic climate. He doesn’t need this new distraction, especially when, after a series of accidents, it becomes clear someone wishes the mill to close and he has to find the culprit–fast.
With things heating up between Ellie and Lucian, it’s apparent that not only is the mill in peril–they are both at risk of getting burned…
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She was a simple girl just wanting to marry, be a dutiful wife and have child. She hoped it would be with him but it ended up being with some else. Now she is back and intends to run his business now that he is done. She meets them again but they are both different. What will happen now? Can they work together? See how they get on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The good storyline and the wonderful characters made this book a joy to read! I always enjoy reading what this author writes!
I loved this story. A reformed rake who ruined a woman’s life and the woman he ruined who’s come back to haunt him. This story is witty and the plot is challenging. The writing of how these two try to stay away, but fight their attraction will make you smile. There is mystery and intrigue mixed in and I just couldn’t put the story down.
This is an ugly duckling story. Also a second chance at love. It was a short read that had an HEA. The story was good and the characters were likable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a entertaining, emotional, engaging and sweet romance. The story was a good read from beginning to the end. Was a quick yet great read.
This is steamy, romantic and entertaining. Lucian was an ill mannered, cocky, cold and irresponsible rake until the day he was scarred by fire. After that he became obsessed with building up his other factory, and he became generous and caring. He also withdrew from society thinking himself a hideous monster. Ellie was a girl that he knew his whole life and thought of as an irritating pest, until the day he told her she was ugly and awkward, then kissed her. They were caught by her father, who refused to allow a marriage between them. Instead he married her to an old man. When her husband dies seven years later she inherits shares of Lucian’s factory, and decides that she wants to be involved with the running of it. When Lucian ignoring her doesn’t make her go away, he tries to run her off with cruel words. When that doesn’t work he tries to seduce her, and gets caught up in her. But getting rid of her is no easy feat, because she is no longer the awkward, ugly girl that she used to be. Ellie is determined and sweet and insecure. And beautiful. But he can’t figure out how. The two butt heads over everything, even what they want of each other. It’s a fascinating story that I couldn’t put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
This is the story of Ellie, the ugly young debutante, and Lucian, the dashing and dangerous rake. Lucian ruins Ellie forcing her to marry someone much older than her but that hasn’t stopped her. After following her late husband around the world, she has grown up and now she is in business with Lucian, except he is not the same man she knew. A fire that left Lucian scarred has caused some changes in him too. There is intrigue when someone tries to sabotage their business. There is romance and drama and passion thrown in for good measure. This is an all-around good book. It will entertain you and leave you wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
We meet the hero and heroine, Lucian and Ellie respectively, years before the main body of the book takes place. She is a teenager who’s had a crush on him, and she follows him around like a puppy. On a fateful night during a ball, he ruined her with a kiss witnessed by her father. She is forced to marry an earl who is her father’s friend. Coming back to England after globe-hopping with her now-dead husband, the widowed countess is looking forward to taking charge of her late husband’s affairs. One of them is a mill owned by none other than Lucian. Both have changed considerably in the years since they’ve seen each other. She holds her head high with a measure of confidence gained from being a nobleman’s wife and her travels, and he’s been knocked down a peg or two because of a grizzly injury.
Has the rake reformed, reviled by polite society? What will he think of Ellie’s interference with his business? Can they both move past what went before?
Lucian was a hard hero to appreciate. He indeed was a rake back in the day and had such dismissive, unkind thoughts of the heroine when they were younger. When they meet up again, he’s still a bit of a jerk. I want my hero to be a little more likable. I did find it interesting, though, to watch Ellie’s transformation from lovesick girl to countess. Even though much of that takes place offscreen, you can tell that it was not a straight path for her to come from what she was to who she is. While she’s no longer a little mouse, she’s not quite an imposing countess either. From what little we know of her earlier, this evolution seems completely natural. She continues to grow and change as she deals with Lucian and works with her late husband business interests.
If you don’t mind a story with a rake who doesn’t reform quite quick enough, you might enjoy this book.
Eleanor was shunned by Lucien at a young age. Now widowed and in a joint venture with the mill they are forced together again. Time and circumstances have changed things. Will this be their second chance?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Miss Eleanor Browning, the seventeen-year-old daughter of the hosts for the evening, called out in a high-pitched voice for Lucian who was trying to hide around the side of the building. But if he moved any deeper into the shadows, he would have no chance of spotting Lady Clarissa as she slipped out of the ballroom to join him for their rendezvous. An experienced widow was just what he was looking for! However, it was Ellie who ran up to him, urging him back into the ballroom for the next dance! His mother had known it would be difficult for her to find partners and urged him to dance with her. That had been a horrible idea. All it had done was encourage her. She had followed him around like a lost puppy for a couple of years now but he had no interest in a mere child. When he is frustrated and annoyed that he cannot get to Clarissa, he uncaringly puts Ellie in a compromising position and she is forced to marry an elderly man old enough to be her father in order to avoid scandal.
When Ellie returns after her husband dies, she is now a Countess and he has left her shares in a cotton mill. She wants to get more involved in the business and finds that the owner is Lucian! Although Ellie is no longer the ugly duckling that Lucian knew, he is no longer the handsome rake, being scarred in a fire. Someone is still trying to burn down the mill. Will they be able to find the culprit? Will they reconnect despite all that happened to them?
I think the problem I am having is that cruelty of any kind really bothers me. Lucian wasn’t merely a rake, but he was a selfish, cruel, ignorant fool who looked first for his own gratification. Not getting what he wants, he turns mean and hateful, not caring what it meant to a young woman to be caught getting a kiss alone with a man. His total spitefulness at being thwarted made me dislike him very much. I applaud the author for the powerful feelings she brings up in the reader – but I think this works again the story this time. I never, as a reader, forgave him for the way he treated Ellie and ruined her without even a twinge of remorse. When the tables turned, it felt like he was getting what he deserved. It was too little, too late and I couldn’t be happy for him. The story line’s mystery was a good touch. But the mean spirited behavior was too much to overcome and will spoil the story for many.
A second chance story it is well written a story I enjoyed reading. Ellie Browning now the widowed Eleanor, Countess of Hawthorne has come back to England after seven years away to be part of her deceased husbands half of the cotton mill he owned. The other half belongs to Lucian,Viscount Rushbourne who has changed since the night he was the cause of her having to marry an older man. Lucian has also changed as he was caught in one of the mill fires he owned. This story has drama, suspense, danger, arson, second chances, and romance. A book that I recommend. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Old acquaintances ditch scars and baggage in favor of lust and love
When the former rake who inherits his pater’s mill is scarred badly in a fire, he withdraws form Society, Rakedom, and sexual pleasure. Surely, he’s too ugly now, and he can’t bear the pity and scorn of former Ton friends and fellow carousers. When the annoying neighbor girl who he ruined years ago returns as a wealthy titled widow – and the principal investor in his mill – he is torn with guilt, and needled by annoyance. It’s his fault her family married her off to a geriatric titled husband in order to preserve her from disgrace. It’s his fault that she’s never had any of the physical joys of love, and that she blames herself because she’s so ugly (he was the one who told her so!). And why does he find himself caring what she thinks? Plus the woman insists on reviewing the books – she’s far from stupid, not at all sheltered by her late husband, and determined to have a hand in her own future. Problem is, the mill’s not flourishing, and may go under. The mystery of the accidents which plague the declining mill, the discrepancies she finds in the books, and his guilty conscience throw them together, and the sparks of lust are even hotter than the arson at the mill. Superb character-driven sexy romance, and the dangerous mystery of the mill combine in a well-crafted historical romance that fans of the genre will adore.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was just OK for me. I was intrigued by this ugly duckling trope themed book. But what I anticipated to be a sweet, emotionally uplifting read totally fell flat and landed far short of the mark. I did not like the hero of this book at all. In favct I would go so far as to say I detested him. Vile, vain, uncouth and uncaring, there was simply not one single redeeming characteristic to or action taken by this supposed hero. I am a open minded reader and I read all types of romance tropes including dark romances, and honestly, there are less than a handful of characters I would lump in with this one for being completely unredeemable. Although I liked the heroine a bit more than the hero, she was still a very big dissappointment. I would have loved for this character to have shown more strength, growth and maturity after everything she had been through. For me this was a swing and a miss.
Ellie Browning has had a crush on Lucian ever since she was 17 but he lets her know that she’s ugly and that he’s no more attracted to her than his horse….talk about a blow to your self esteem!!! Now it’s 7 years later, Ellie is a widow and a Countess, and she returns from her travels to check out the cotton mill (owned by Lucian) which her late husband had invested a lot of money in.
Lucian still thinks she’s homely looking so why does he suddenly feel so attracted to her? I thought it was very heartwarming when he realizes how much he had hurt her by his words all those years ago and is now able to see the beauty that she really is.
Someone is trying to sabotage the mill and the business….lots of action where that is concerned!!
The only thing I didn’t care for in this story is the steady reference at how ugly Ellie is. I don’t think it needed to be said so often and I just felt so heartsick for her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a great book. I loved this story. The storyline and plot is very exciting. We have a cotton mill that is going through some hard times. There is crooked accounting and sabotage. Ellie is a wonderful character. She is a contradiction of emotion and appearance. From the time she was young she realized she was not beautiful and had little to no redeeming features. An incident with her childhood friend Lucian caused her parents to marry her off to a much older Earl. Her marriage was educationally enlightening and helped her develop into a well-rounded person. But she was still an insecure child emotionally. After seven years of traveling the world with her husband, he died and left her a fortune and property. One of her investments was a mill she co-owned with Lucian. She wanted to help manage the mill. Not sure how, she relied on Lucian to help her. Lucian is a very handsome renown rake. But since a fire in his mill, it left him damaged not only externally but internally as well. When Ellie insists on going over Lucian’s books, he wants to oust her from his life. As they spend time together old hurts start to heal and a new love springs forth for them. At the same time someone is trying to sabotage the mill. First by tampering with the equipment and later setting a fire. Ellie knows there is something suspicious in the accounting. This is a very exciting, dangerous, drama filled romance. I do recommend it. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the story. It is well written and holds your attention. Lucian and Eleanor meet again after seven years when she takes an interest in one of the businesses her late husband left her that is in partnership with Lucian. Lucian comes to realize quickly that Eleanor is not the mousy little girl of long ago but is a woman that he finds himself attracted to. The mill is having problems that Eleanor discovers while reviewing the business ledgers. All this time the attraction between the two of them grows and emotions neither of them expected are developing. There is a HEA but a lot happens first, including finding the culprit sabotaging the mill. It is a great love story foremost and I would highly recommend it as a great read.
Since Lady Eleanor Sedgewick, Countess of Hawthorne was forced to marry an elderly earl to save her reputation after the man she had adored, but who only saw her as an annoyance, left her heartbroken, she has put aside her notions of love and romance. She’s finally realized that what she thought were appreciative glances were merely looks of disgust from the object of her affections. Now widowed and well-traveled, Eleanor has returned to England to look into her partial interest in a cotton mill left to her by her late husband. Unfortunately, the owner of the other half of the factory is none other than Lord Lucian Deverill, the Viscount of Rushbourne, the same man to whom she owes her ruination and broken heart of seven years prior.
After ignoring her letters, Lucian winds up saving Eleanor from a dangerous situation at the roadside tavern she followed him to. He doesn’t even recognize the lady the once coltish Ellie has become. Now badly scarred by a fire that destroyed one of his factories, Lucian has been hiding away from the world and is not at all eager to have Ellie involved in his business dealings. He’s struggling enough to keep the mill afloat in difficult economic times and doesn’t want any interference, especially from her, even if he is amazed by all the changes in her.
Eleanor is enthralled by the progress of industry and excited to be a part of it. But spending more and more time with Lucian ignites things between them and Lucian begins to wonder if he can redeem himself for his past hatefulness or if it’s not too late for him and Ellie.
Lucian is just awful to Eleanor from the start, but she mostly takes it all in stride. He does nothing but pick out her faults, many of which he points out to her face. At first I really didn’t care for this one, mostly because I couldn’t believe this jerk was going to get the girl in the end, but I’m glad I stuck with it because he got so much better. This was very well written and the pace was fast enough to keep me engaged.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eleanor and Lucian are thrown back together after they had had a disastrous separation. Their lives have seen major changes and this sets up an opportunity for some fierce confrontations. There is mischief and mayhem afoot and it will take both of them setting aside there differences to figure out what is going on. Along the way Ellie releases all her book know how to bring to bear into the bedroom with Lucian as they allow their physical attraction to develop. The story is full bodied and interesting and filled with witty repartee.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Being considered unattractive and told that can wear you down and dreaming of a happy ever after is just that. A dream. When younger Ellie Browning was found with rake Lucien in a compromsing position. She was promptly married off to an older man to save her reputation. Now a widow seven years later, she returns to England and is determined to help run the mill her husband had invested in, but Lucien is the main owner. With the business losing money, he has is working hard to bring it back to a profitable enterprise.
Ellie is now a confident, accomplished woman and wants to help find bring the mill back. But now Lucien is lacking in some confidence himself and as these two reunite, there begins a dance of between the two of push and pull and it seems a passion might ignite. But has Lucien really changed from his rakish was and feel bad about how he treated her all those years ago?
A story of redemption and finding the true person inside instead of just outward appearances.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.