Josette Marsden’s mission is to educate impoverished girls. A husband would only get in her way.However, one happenstance meeting with the Earl of Selhorst awakens desires Josie has never felt before. As a girl, she dreamed of love, but the struggles of growing up in poverty hardened her heart. She refuses to put her future in the hands of a husband. But, Josie never ignores an opportunity to … opportunity to expand her mind, and until now, the passions between a man and a woman had gone unexplored. All she has to do is convince Lord Selhorst to help.
Patrick Richard Madden, Earl of Selhorst, has lived a charmed life, universally liked by everyone he knows, until he falls on Josette Marsden, knocking her to the ground and all good sense from his head. From there on, Josie does not like him, and he sets out to change her mind. But in return, Josie doesn’t offer friendship, but a chance to help her experiment.
With passion.
While Patrick knows he should refuse, he can’t resist Josie’s beautiful face and her extraordinary mind. She’s made it clear her interest in him is purely academic. He’s never met a woman whose love of knowledge matches his own. He’s determined to show her that marriage to him doesn’t mean giving up her convictions.
A battle of wills ensues, and like all experiments, there is a measure of risk. The closer they become, the more passion and pleasure binds them together. But will scandal force her to give up her principles for the protection of a husband, or can Patrick convince her that giving away her heart doesn’t mean giving up her dreams?
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Being one of 9 sisters could not have been easy and Josette Marsden, immersered herself in books. She had mastered walking and reading to the point not running into anything. That is until she walked into the library with a book in front of her face and ran into an inmovable object it seemed! A very male object she surmised as she was hauled against his boly to shield her from the books tumbling down. Ok what could be better? A room full of books with a handsome man! Well this started the long journey between Josie and Patrick, the Earl of Selhorst.
This all occurred during a house part being given by the Duke and Duchess of Selborn for the Marsden girls to help find a possible match with the men they had invited. Well Josie meets her match in Patrick but cannot get over their first encounter… He seemed enchanted by her, but Josie was perplexed by her reaction to him. “He did something to her. He set off reactions in her body she did not understand. But she would. There were books about everything. She just had to find the right one to explain all that she was feeling.”
This was a delightful story with a stubborn heroine who was really just young and inexperienced I think and spent a lot of time reading by herself if possible. Patrick on the other hand had lived a good life and was determined for her to like him, but it began to turn into something else.
Humor, heartwarming, passion and strong emotions pull these two toward a happy ever after. But could it be? A great series not to be missed although this can be read as a standalone. But trust me, you do not want to miss any!
I enjoy the characters but the books are too much of the same thing in every one.
Josette Marsden could walk while reading a novel and not run into anything. This was true of her home and at Selbourne Castle except this day when she opened the last page and opens the door that led to the balcony shelves and smashed her book into her nose when she heard a waterfall of books dropping and realized she had hit chest of a male that was in her way. She fell, he fell on top of her she was starting Lydia where of his body against her curves intimately he lifted up onto his elbows and she discovered it was Lord Selhorst and he apologized. She told him to get off of her because even though his weight was off of her chest she couldn’t draw a full breath he tried to get up slipped and fell back on her and did this several times and each time she couldn’t draw full breath not because he landed on her but because her body was doing weird things she finally decided that next time he started up she would simply push yourself out from under him and raised her knee where she struck him in the family jewels things were not looking good. She happened to notice some of the books which were all books about a certain subject such as sold kissing intimate see erotic torture and he claimed they were left in his room by Lord Andrews the Duke’s brother. She and seven of her sisters were there for a house party thrown by her sister Violet the Duchess along with seven gentlemen whom it was hoped at least one of the sisters would find a husband. To see if any sister found a husband and which sister found the husband you have to read the book because the sisters will surprise you. It’s a good book…
Book five in The Northumberland Nine Series a well written story that held my interest throughout. This is Josette Marsden and Patrick Richard Madden, Earl of Selhorst’s story. It has a great storyline and the story flows smoothly from page to page. This story had me laughing. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Josie and Patrick share a love of reading, learning, and education. She is afraid to surrender control to a man, but she does in this book with him. I also love reading and learning. But I thought she was too stubborn and hurtful to him at first. She kept pushing him away and being rude until she decides to use him to learn more about kissing. He wanted marriage and she just wanted a dalliance. They were both committed to helping educate those less fortunate. He was generous with charitable giving, but she couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t treat her fairly in marriage.
Selbourne Castle’s new duchess, Violet, was hosting a two-week House Party. Josette Marsden was one of the nine sisters and, without a brother to inherit her father’s estate, poor though it was, she and her sisters needed to marry for their protection. She had spent her first night at Selbourne Castle, and Violet would be introducing Josie and her eight sisters to nine gentlemen in hopes they would find a husband. Josie was not at all happy to be paraded out and flaunted before the rake friends the Duke of Selbourne’s younger brother, Lord Andrews, had invited. She would rather spend time with her book.
With her nose pressed in a book, Josie walked into the library to find the next and walked right into a gentleman she didn’t see, Patrick Richard Madden, Earl of Selhorst. She knocked him off balance, he tried to save her from falling, and they both went down onto the floor amid the cascading books he had been holding, the gentleman landing on top of her with a grunt. Lord Selhorst apologized, but every time he tried to get up, his hands slipped on one of the books they had landed on and he fell on her again. She felt his hard body each time and was uncomfortable with her own body’s reaction to him. When they finally got up, they started shelving the books bantering back and forth as he teased her. He told her how the book she was reading ended so she could get to breakfast, and she was furious with him for ruining her enjoyment of the book – even though she had read that book three times! It was the principle of the thing! He told her he surrendered and went off to breakfast.
As she sat in the library, thinking again of his strength, she wondered how his body could be so heavy and yet it fit against her in a way that made his weight comfortable! How could that be possible? She went down to breakfast, sitting next to her sister Luna, and Lord Selhorst took the empty seat beside her. When he looked into his blue eyes, she thought of sinking down into a warm ocean. Luna took her hand to bring her back to the conversation. But he ruined the ending of her book, so she had to remember she didn’t like him. She just wished she knew exactly why. She needed to find a book to explain these strange feelings he made her feel. Unfortunately, her dislike of him was a challenge Patrick could not refuse. He valued her love of learning and intelligence. When his parents had died, the love and kindness of others brought him through that most terrible time. He swore to honor the example they had given him by becoming the best man he could be — honorable, responsible, and likable. He was determined to win her over.
Patrick’s opportunity comes when the analytical Josie wants to understand more about the strange feelings he gives her, about the effect of kissing and passion, and things she has never experienced before except through her books. So she enlists his help with her purely academic experiment. Will the two of them find a HEA as Josie is given the chance to identify her feelings? Or will her behavior bring scandal and shame to her?
I absolutely love this series of books! This one was enjoyable, humorous, and heart-warming! Patrick is a wonderful, charming, sincere man that any woman would love to have in her life. Josie is such a severe bookworm that she often forgets people have feelings in her attempt to gain knowledge at all costs, but it’s not through malice. She is fortunate that Patrick will indulge her until she learns what it’s all about. The story line is tried and true as we have been introduced to the nine lovely sisters. It is well-paced and gives us a new perspective of the goings on at the house party as we see events through new eyes. This is a wonderful book and a joy to let yourself get caught up in it. Don’t miss this one (or any of this series). It is so worth it to meet these characters!
As one who loves to read, I enjoyed this book in so many ways. I love how it started with the heroine, Josie, walking around the manor with a book in front of her face. Her meeting with the hero, Patrick, was perfect and actually had me for smiling and then laughing. Josie is a prickly heroine. She knows what she wants and doesn’t want; she knows her likes and dislikes. And she has no compunction against sharing either. I almost felt sorry for the hero at the start because she was simply determined not to like him even though he was clearly a decent gentleman.
I don’t know how many of this Northumberland Nine series I’ve read, but I have enjoyed them all to various degrees. I enjoy a good romantic Regency series. I loved the hero and heroine in this book. Josie is so book smart but completely baffled by anything that can’t be read about, quantified, and measured, like emotion and love. The hero is completely swoon-worthy. He falls for her rather hard and fast; it is sweet to see how he thinks and feels about her despite the way she treats him. He wants nothing more than for her to love him as he loves her. They are intellectual equals and have similarly compassionate hearts that could certainly do more for the world together rather than apart. This book is surprisingly steamy but completely in character for both of them and as a natural part of the plot.
There were some issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In particular, commas were an issue. There occasionally was wrong word choice, like condensation instead of condescension. I thought the book did end a little too abruptly. Their HEA had only just been determined when the book ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed the humor of this story, the hero’s worthy heart, and the heroine’s transformation.
Josette/Josie Marsden is terrified of marriage. Her preconceived notions of love and marriage stop her from ever considering a match. She relies on book knowledge to answer all of life’s questions. However, when it comes to Patrick, Lord Selhorst she finds herself fighting against feelings she can’t explain. Josie wants to understand why she and her body react when she is near Patrick. She is determined to find out. Patrick is attracted to Josie from the beginning. The more he spends time with her he finds the more they have in common. But Josie has these brick walls around her heart and Patrick is doing his best to break through them. A lovely story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A charming romance
Dayna Quince has written a story with a main character that I really did not care for. Josie is downright mean rather immature and so willing to hurt others. I love when an author brings in characters like this. You will see Josie change and let us face it there is only up for her. Patrick doesn’t give up on Josie, Patrick is on a likable character. A charming romance written by a talented author you really should pick this one up. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
This is not a good portrayal of an intellectual woman at any time in history. There is a fine line between being smart and being more comfortable around books than with people and not just simply displaying superiority and arrogance to others, especially men. Josie was not a likable h. Patrick, on the other hand, was a very likable H. Too bad he did not cut and run when he had the chance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m finding this series so much fun to read and in book 5, it’s Josette Marsden’s turn to fall in love! Not something she had ever planned on doing, though, she is quite content to keep reading books and educating herself more, in the hopes of helping others learn an education.
Patrick Richard Madden, Earl of Selhorst, is one of the friends invited at the two week house party which the Northumberland Nine sisters are attending as well. Being an avid book reader himself, he feels a connection to Josette but she will have nothing to do with him. It’s up to him to change her mind and is more than willing when she asks him to help her understand about kissing and passion, something she has never experienced before.
I found Josette a little bit hard to like at first but she eventually redeems herself. It’s a good thing Patrick doesn’t give up on her but he sure has to work hard to convince her what they have is real!!
I was given a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Self-taught intellectual Josette Marsden has always used her books as an escape from the rather hectic life she lives with her eight other sisters. Given their lack of funds, her books are the only escape she’s likely to have, though she dreams of educating other girls in similar situations and helping them establish lives of their own outside the influence of men. Josette has no interest in much else until she meets Lord Selhorst at the house party of her neighbors, the Duke and Duchess of Selbourne and is accosted by feelings she’s never had before and doesn’t know what to do with. But she knows she doesn’t like this discomfort, or Lord Selhorst for that matter.
Lord Patrick Madden, the Earl of Selhorst is known for being affable and well-liked, so when Josette Marsden declares her vehement dislike of him, he’s determined to change her mind. Josie isn’t interested in being friends, but she does want to enlist his help in exploring the acts of passion she’s only read about. Patrick’s first reaction is to reject Josie’s proposal, but soon he realizes this may be the only way he can convince her that marrying him would be a good thing for them both.
Josie really frustrated me. I’m an over-analytical bookworm myself, but she was downright callous and hateful to Patrick most of the time, not to mention judgmental and hypocritical. She did admit that she lied to herself out of fear but her insistence that she knew better than anyone else just made her unlikable, especially combined with her willingness to hurt people and her hypocrisy. To be fair, Josie did at least acknowledge this eventually and came to her senses about what would actually make her happy, but it was a bit too little too late for me.
Bottom line: I’ve really enjoyed this series and will continue to follow it, but this was definitely my least favorite sister thus far.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.