An eligible young lady dying to break free, a dignified Lieutenant with no standing in High Society, a possessive suitor, and a climactic duel that leaves the London’s ton on their knees. Lady Vivian Ravenswood has the future determined for her; a wealthy husband, a place in high society, a coterie of exclusive friends; and all of it chips away at her at a frightening pace. The open fields and … pace. The open fields and rolling countryside call out her name, yet Lady Vivian remains under lock and key. Could a chance encounter grant her freedom, or as her family would prefer, will she remain in her cage until her dying day?
Lieutenant Sawyer Cook has fought many bloody battles in the Americas, but it is the struggle of a lifetime once he returns to the country that he calls home. The indifference that proper society shows him is due to his lack of a title, but little does the ton know that they are in the midst of one of Britain’s finest. Without courage and determination, Lieutenant Cook faces a society in which all doors are firmly closed in his face.
One magical evening at Almack’s – the seventh heaven of the fashionable world – Lady Vivian and Lieutenant Cook find new hope and the possibility for authentic love within each other’s eyes. They meet every chance they get, and at each turn, there lurks another impediment, another nay-sayer, determined to keep Lady Vivian and the decorated Lieutenant apart.
Romance ensues, scandals are wrought, and real identities are revealed. Trapped between duty and longing, can Lady Vivian break the bonds that hold her tight, or will the grit and force of a soldier be enough to break her shackles?
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Delightful and refreshing! This Regency-set novel re-establishes my love of the genre, as it has it all:
The War Hero & his friends and supporters; the villain; the beautiful lady and her chaperone and lady friends; the father (himself a war hero long ago);the fox, hounds & horses; Almack’s; a duel in which the hero demonstrates not only his skill but also his character.
All this, peppered with humor and a smattering of unique characters playing supporting roles makes this a delicious story I was sorry to finish.
The 3rd daughter of a widower, in her season, faces a daunting challenge of denying a persistent would-be-suitor in favor of a dashing young orphan of uncertain means. Her father, initially in favor of the well heeled suitor, finds himself rooting for the soldier despite himself, as the soldier reminds him of himself at his age. There is a duel of words, followed by a duel of swords. Bets on: will he ask/will she accept? All the elements one loves to see in a novel of this era.
This is a clean book with a HEA ending, warming the hearts of readers of all ages.
I received this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own.
I love the cover of this book, and it immediately drew my attention, making me want to read it. A lighthearted Regency romance, Lady Vivian speaks of an era where women had few rights to choose the husbands of their hearts or to marry for love. Despite her feelings for Sir Phillip, Vivian’s father continues to encourage her to allow him to court her and with very few other offers on the table, Vivian feels she has no choice. That is until the enchanted evening when Lieutenant Sawyer Cook takes up his Golden Ticket and attends Almack’s. Espying Vivian, Sawyer knows that she is the only woman he has met that speaks to his heart and he does everything in his power to pursue her. Sir Philip is not at all amused by the upstart’s claim to Vivian and sets out to make his life a misery. However, “ faint heart ne’er won fair maiden”, and Sawyer ultimately makes his stand, with potentially disastrous results. The book was generally well written with interesting characters that brought a smile to one’s face. I found the last chapter detracted from the book somewhat. Despite that, it ended on a positive note with a happy ending. I received this book for free as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Lady Vivian Ravenswood is the youngest daughter of the
Ravenswood family. She is the only unmarried daughter.
Her father is matching her with a wealthy, goodlooking
man but he is very domineering.
Then at an exclusive London club Lady Vivian meets the
eyes of Lieutenant Sawyer Cook, a soldier just returned
from war. The next day, Lady Vivian is horseback riding
and meets the Lieutenant who is fox hunting.
Their is undeniable attraction between the two but will a
former soldier be an appropriate husband for her??
The description of the maze and the flower garden is
amazing. It is a place that lets your imagination run wild.
All the characters are well defined, creatively cast with
entertaining and interesting supporting characters. Lady
Vivian’s chaperone Fanny was an entertaining addition to
the story.
This was a truly enjoyable read!!
A BEAUTIFUL REGENCY ROMANCE!!!
Oh man. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this tale immensely. A refreshing spin on the Regency era. If you’re looking for excitement, humor, family issues, a sweet read with the heartwarming appeal that will draw you in and hold your attention thoughtout the entire read. I haven’t read anything from this author before, but I will be sure to in the future. The characters and scenes were intriguing and complex with a few twists and turns that keep it exciting. The scenes were so vividly detailed and descriptive that I felt I had been transported back to times of old to ground zero. Following the characters along I was mesmerized as their personalities transformed and blossomed beautifully. Remarkable job Ms. Forest, thank you for sharing this little gem with us.
The Almack’s Series, #1 is the beginning of what promises to be an interesting series. The characters are charming and interesting. The storyline is interesting, with unpredictability, humor and a bit of adventure. I enjoyed both the main characters and the secondary characters. Well worth the time to read.
This author has such a cheeky, even playful way of writing that it made it a total delight to read her book.
I loved how Lady Vivian patiently went about her life and then not so patiently waited for Sawyer to get on with it and marry her.
Her father was quite an amusing character, as was her chaperone, Fanny. Oh, and of course there was a man who thought everyone owed him something and who was sorted out ver nicely, Thank you !
The friends and acquaintances in the two main character’s lives played their parts very well and padded out the story with their antics.
Altogether a very nicely put together story that will make you chuckle from time to time as the tale unravels.
I received a free advance copy of this book and this is my voluntary and unbiased review.