“An unforgettable read.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars “Goodger writes romances that touch readers’ hearts and bring a smile to their day.” —RT Book Reviews The Brides of St. Ives The picturesque seaside town of St. Ives is home to all manner of treasures . . . It’s not every day a young woman is offered ten thousand pounds for a few months’ work—especially the plain, shy daughter of a tin mine … day a young woman is offered ten thousand pounds for a few months’ work—especially the plain, shy daughter of a tin mine owner. The only thing special about Harriet Anderson is her extraordinary memory for even the smallest, most obscure detail. So when she’s asked by a gentleman to help restore his once magnificent ancestral home, she simply can’t refuse, no matter how scandalous the position. The money will mean freedom from her callous parents, and a life of independence. Harriet doesn’t imagine dreaming of anything more . . .
Augustus Lawton, Lord Berkley, cares about only one thing: restoring his beloved Costille House to its former, historically correct, glory. His late wife had taken great vindictive delight in transforming the old castle into a modern Victorian nightmare. Harriet’s remarkable memory will be invaluable in repairing it—and in helping him solve his wife’s murder. Yet as they work together, Augustus finds that besides her uncanny gift, Harriet possesses other priceless qualities. And as the castle’s beauty is gradually revealed, he can’t help noticing, so is hers . . .
Praise for the novels of Jane Goodger
“Fun, delightfully romantic—and sexy.” —Sally MacKenzie on The Spinster Bride
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Romantic, heartwarming, amazing!! I have just turned the last page and my heart is smiling! I so enjoyed this book that I read it straight through and it is 2:00 in the morning! This is a story of Beauty and the Beast but in the opposite direction. The hero being the Handsome one and the heroine being a plain jane ( or so at first sight!) Our heroine Harriett Anderson is thought plain to the point of no one noticing her.,even her family But she did have a special gift. A photographic memory so she could recall even small details from years ago! Augustus Lawton, Lord Berkeley overheard her speaking to her friends and sees an example of her recall and knows she may be the only one to help him restore his Costille House. His late wife had remodeled the castle into a modern home nightmare and he enlisted Harriett with her memory for detail to help restore it to it’s former glory. What starts as a business transaction slowly turns into something else as Gus uncovers Harriett’s true self and inner strength and beauty. Do not want to give the story away, but this will be a book I put on my to be read again shelf,. I cannot wait to go back and read the other books by this author. She pulled me in with her descriptions and almost palpable emotions.. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could!!
Really enjoyed the story. This is my first book by Jane Goodger, and I’ll be back for more.
I loved this book
An enjoyable read about two people from two different worlds finding each other and having the courage to ignore the dictates of society
Goodger is always the best
A woman with a unique memory helps a man rebuild his home and life..
The story line for “The Earl Most Likely” initially is an attention-grabber, but after a few chapters, it seems that a publisher or some other influence nudged the author and convinced her that PG doesn’t sell. She ended up going down the trite steamier path of cookie-cutter authors who cannot come up with enough dialogue, and resort to those secretive steamy scenes with the main characters isolated from their surroundings and other characters.
The supporting cast became part of the painted back-drop, and the story relied too heavily on that high-school, behind the bleachers thrill that works for a teeny-bopper, but not for those of us expecting a coherent and well-rounded “conversation” in our reading materials. I still give it three stars for at least making it through the first 1/3 of the story before giving up totally on originality.
Throughly enjoyed this book!! After I finished it I got the first in the series and found out the third doean’t come out until mid August. I will get it as soon as it comes out. I liked the characters and want to see how each one does in their future. Of course I did not like the mean characters!! There is some sex but they are not too awfully descriptive or long. Premarital sex has been in both books but they do go on to get happilied married. It is hard to please everyone!!
Grammar issues aside, the story was a nice, historical romance which had, of course, a happy ending.
This was simply a treat. The combination of a plain-Jane heroine and an earl who needs her was surprising and sweet. I loved how Harriet’s memory helped Augustus Lawton, Lord Berkley, recreate the house he loved, one diminished by his first wife. Lenore took pleasure in ruining the atmosphere of his family home, creating a modern (Victorian) style and ruining its medieval atmosphere. As Harriet did her work, Gus realized that there was more to the young woman than her looks — she was beautiful because of her kindness and intelligence. She also believed in him and worked not just to restore his house but to help him solve the mystery of what happened to Lenore. The mystery within a love story adds depth to the tale, as do Jane Goodger’s wonderful descriptions of secondary characters. (I received an advance copy on NetGalley. The views are my own.)