He wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anything else.

It would be so easy. Closing the distance. Confusing and conflicting all of the very real and necessary barriers that stood between them. That she had tried her damnedest to break down. He wasn’t a fool. And part of him—most of him—wanted to give in. To surrender everything to her.

But there were barriers that she didn’t realize existed. And that was where the true danger resided.

So often in romances, the story is essentially about the woman More...

What an absorbing book! This is why I love Anne Mallory.

I’m the kind of reader who finishes a book and immediately moves on the next one. I’m having trouble maintaining that pattern after this one – I don’t want to let it go. I can totally understand why sometimes readers will finish the last page of a book and head straight back to page one to read it again. This is that kind of book.

It’s also the kind of book that I find impossible to review. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t have the More...

This is my first book by Anne Mallory. Perhaps if I had read books 1 and 2 of the Secrets series I would have enjoyed this and been able to understand it more. I found myself floundering, trying to get a grasp on the plot. However, I have read numerous other historical romances where I have started mid-series and easily been able to read those books as stand-alones. So I'm unsure whether this is due to the author's writing style or simply that In Total Surrender must be read as part of a whole s More...

Loved it. A keeper. A joy. (Not perfect -- see end bit -- but perfect for me.) This is a subtle love story, not a bodice ripper, despite the cover art. Gradually the sexual anticipation simmers, ending in sweet and sizzling fade-to-black love scenes. Its greatest strength is relationship development and characterization. Not a lot of action / adventure, but enough. Part of a series, yet it stands alone just fine.

Andreas is a BAD MAN who trusts no one but his brother and his old nanny. He is the More...

Well, it's been a while since I enjoyed a romance as much as I did this one. Mostly the honors go to Andreas, one of my favorite heroes ever, but Phoebe was a lovely, feisty heroine who matched him perfectly while the banter between them was amazing. Though the tone was dark and sentimental mostly, there were many scenes that made me laugh out loud, lightening the mood and making me read them again and again, as if I couldn't get enough of them.

Our story starts when Miss Phoebe Pace visits Mr Me More...

An absolute fabulous read! Well done Ms. Mallory! The twists and turns were completely unexpected. Andreas was an island. He didn't need human touch, emotions or anything that showed a weakness. Phoebe was a woman of touch, emotions and showed a true strength of character and didn't mind showing those that she loved her softer side. Once she caught sight of Andreas and learned about him and his ways then she knew that here was a man that would protect all her secrets whatever they may be. So beg More...

A very pleasing book with admirable main characters.Phoebe was very lovable.She was smart,kind,optimistic,willful,stubborn and just perfect for Andreas.Andreas was a force to be reckoned with.He was amazing.His selflessness,loyalty,courage,power and his darkness,can make anyone fall in love with him.
Anne Mallory has spun a delightful tale with this book.The way in which Phoebe inserted herself in Andreas's life was very interesting.And it was simply beautiful and amusing the way Andreas tried to More...

I should have loved this book. I’m a big fan of Anne Mallory – especially Three Nights of Sin – and the hero, Andreas, is one of my favorite romance novel types: the unrepentant thug. The heroine, Phoebe, combines ditzy charm and hard-headed practicality in a convincing way. They’re definitely an opposites attract sort of couple, Andreas dour and silent while Phoebe is bright and chatty, but that worked for me.

The book, however, did not work for me. It felt very, very slow to me. And it felt for More...

This review was originally posted on The Historical Romance Critic.

"'You propose to whore for me?' He had chosen the words deliberately. Her smile slipped, and she looked at him for a long moment, and for the first time he had no idea what was going through her head. 'No. I did not mean it in that manner, though I see now how you might have interpreted such a thing from my words.' Bloody head tilt. 'Is that what you require? I don't know that I'd be very good at it, as I lack the necessary exper More...

It was hard to get into this book because the book is mostly told through the hero's POV and that's different from what I'm used to. Another thing that made it so different is the hero is a killer. He's the lord of the underworld and taking peoples lives is something he does without thought. I'm used to that when I'm reading a paranormal but not really when I'm reading a historical. It was kind of unnerving, reading Andreas' thoughts. He's so dark but he was compelling as well.

One thing that jum More...

Reviewed By: Jen
Review Copy Provided By: Net Gallery
I love historical romances and have read some of Ms Mallory's past books, so when I came across this one on NetGalley, I had to give it a try. However I have mixed feelings about the book and it's making this review hard to write. So, here I go with some of my thoughts...

In so many historicals, the lead characters are in society... or at least one of them is. In this one, neither Andreas or Phoebe is really part of the ton, which made for a dif More...

Mallory crafts a complex hero and heroine who are larger together than they are separately. Merrick is a tortured hero both as the result of evil visited upon him in his childhood and as a consequence of the need for revenge that has consumed him. Because much of the book is in his point of view, the reader understands Merrick’s darkness and his futile struggle to resist Phoebe’s ability to lift the darkness. Phoebe is just as unusual. She possesses a sweetness that could have been cloying had i More...

This is my favorite of the Secrets series so far. Go Team Andreas.

Andreas lurks in the corners of the previous book but mostly just seems like a broody jerk, so it was nice that while 70% of this book be his perspective on the angst of falling in love, it was not just broody jerkiness. He becomes interestingly misanthropic, anti-social and solipsistic with purpose; he finds himself acting without understanding those actions, and it's great. Also I love how angry he gets at her baked goods. I gi More...

I reviewed this book on my blog at www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com


This is my first time reading Anne Mallory, and I was glad to have stumbled on to her! As this was a part of her ‘Secrets’ series, I thought it best to read them all, and I was glad that I did. That’s not to say that the stories can’t be read or can’t stand alone. I chose to do it only because of my own personal preference. I found out that even though each book tells its own individual story, I always get the ‘feel’ for it by More...

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Phoebe Pace becomes a proactive young woman in the family business when her brother goes missing and her father’s acumen falters. Armed with ledgers, her keen intelligence, naivety, innocence, and a smile that lights up the room, she beards the lion, Andreas Merrick, in his den. He holds the paper on her father’s debts and she needs to make a deal.

Andreas Merrick is feared and avoided by even the most depraved and wicked. Even those More...

IN TOTAL SURRENDER by Anne Mallory is an exciting historical romance set in Regency England.The prequel to In Total Surrender is One Night Is Never Enough (Roman’s story). But In Total Surrender can be read as a stand alone. It is written with depth,details and the characters are engagin,enchanting and will capture your heart. It has romance, sweet sensuality,danger,passion,intrigue,suspense,dark underworld, secrets,revenge,and finding love. Andreas Merrick,Roman's adopted brother,a financial wi More...

Redonk Nutshell: Underworld boss meets his match when a Lady inserts herself into his life

Andreas Merrick is, in short, a bad ass. He and his brother-from-another-mother run London's underworld. Andreas has taken over temporarily while his bro is on his honeymoon, and while under normal circumstances this wouldn't be a problem, it becomes one when Miss Phoebe Pace enters the picture. The Pace family owns and runs a successful carriage manufacturing business, and Andreas has been working behind t More...

Fair Disclosure: I received this book as a free galley through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I read a lot of romance novels over the years, but never anything by Anne Mallory. Looking at her library now I’m surprised I had missed her all these years, since she’s just my style (on certain occasions) – smart, strong woman meets smart, strong man and fireworks ensue. In Total Surrender is the story of Andreas Merrick, a king of the London underworld who survived being abandoned by hi More...

J’ai adoré ce livre.

On ne sait pas vraiment ce que fait le héros de sa vie. Il travaille dur, a beaucoup d’ennemis, est implacable et ses affaires paraissent louches. Un soir, alors qu’il attend la venue de tueurs, c’est une jeune fille -Phoebe Pace – qui arrive dans son bureau. Cette jeune femme est la seule personne qui ne soit pas effrayée par lui et qui n’obéisse pas à ses injonctions. Elle vient pour conclure un pacte avec lui. L’entreprise de son père coule et veut conclure un accord avec More...

Well.. I never managed to get in to this book. I kept waiting for the wonderful romance that everyone said to wait for.. and it really only happens in the last 1/8th of the book.

The problem for me was the slow and way to complicated storyline. The characters, Andreas and Phoebe were very interesting and likable characters, however the character development got too bogged down by the plot.

I understood the fact that Andreas had been planning the financial downfall of Lord Garrett for a long time a More...

Interesting plotting and development. A unique and delightful new approach to a historical romance novel!

I have to admit that I had some trouble with the first chapters, where we only get the hero's POV. After we start to see thing through the heroine's perspective you won't be able to stop reading! Phoebe is very daring and has an incredible strong way to voice her opinion, it made the story feel fresh and you never knew what she would come up with next! It isn't very believable according to th More...

Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. The book will be released September 27, 2011). Contains some violence.


"Do you not know the tale of the wolf, Miss Pace?"

"No." Her voice was breathy, her fingers clinging to his, not trying to break free.

"And the lamb who poked and poked and poked?"

He drew her hand toward him, pulling so she was half-lying across the desks, only her elbows keeping her upright. "I don't believe I have," she answered. The brown of her eyes was slowly bein More...

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

Oh how I loved this book! It took me a little while to get into the groove of it, but once I did I was hooked. I just couldn't put the book down. In the beginning I felt a bit overwhelmed and I had a little trouble following along. I felt a little lost. I'm not sure if it's because I hadn't read the book previous to this one, or if it's just how it was meant to be. But once I got into the swing of things and got into Andreas Merrick's way of More...

This book started out a little confusing for me at first. It is book three in Anne Mallory's Secrets series, and I'm not sure if things would have been clearer for me if I had read the first two books or if the author was intentionally building a late reveal.

Andreas Merrick is definitely an anti-hero. He's dark, broken, and relentless in his pursuit of vengeance. It seems like everyone in London wants him dead over his business dealings. And he is subjected to one assassination attempt after ano More...

Andreas is on a personal mission to destroy his father who tried to kill him when he was a young boy. In his plan, he is to take over the carriage company of Mr. Pace but can never attain a meeting with Mr. Pace himself. Instead, he meets Phoebe Pace-quirky, stubborn daughter of Mr. Pace. She never showed fear toward Andreas like everyone else. She faced him head on with a smile that confused him all the more. He also finds himself growing addicted to her, much to his dismay.

Phoebe is on a missi More...

~* 4.5 Stars *~
So Much Fun!
Phoebe Pace will do whatever it takes to keep her family from the poorhouse and her father from debtors prison. She knows he wasn't responsible for the mistakes he made, and she knows why, but to reveal the truth would only serve to worsen an already grave situation. So Phoebe does what it is in her indomitable nature to do...take control of the situation, seek the help that she needs, regardless of the source, and persevere. Through guile, cunning, and a bit of tricke More...

Phoebe Pace is trying everything to save her father's company while hiding the true story about his removal from society. Unfortunately, some want to get their hands on Pace & Co, no matter what the costs. Phoebe decides to enlist the help of the most ruthless man in London, Andreas Merrick.

Andreas Merrick has lived his life with one goal: revenge on the man who made him who he is today. Everyone, with the exception of his brother Roman, is terrified of him. That is, until he meets Phoebe P More...

What can I say, I loved this series with the Merrick brothers. I was excited to read this book because the previous book, while introducing Andreas, only gave us a small glimpse at him.

For this novel, Andreas is pushing forward his dangerous game to ruin Lord Garrett and his sons. Part of his plot involves the Pace Carriage Company. He is waiting for Lord Garrett to make his move to take over the company and then plans to call in all the debts of the company Andreas had bought up. What he didn't More...

Expected Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.annemallory.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Secrets
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Warm

Ruthless and apologetically brutal, Andreas Merrick has earned his dark and fearsome reputation. Quite literally fighting off assassins everywhere he goes, he trusts absolutely no one outside of his brother, Roman.

When Roman unexpected More...

2 1/2 stars..soo..this is a weird book. Can't believe it has such a high rating. It took me a long time to get into it and there were many stops and starts before I became interested enough to finish it. I think it's because the author made the male character, who I liked but who was unlike every other male character I've ever read in a historical romance (extremely removed, detached, angry, etc) and so it took a really long time to see his inner layers. Just didn't pick up for me until the last More...