Heiress in Love (Ministry of Marriage, #1) by Christina Brooke

Jun 29, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-european

Debut

At twenty-three years of age, Jane, Lady Roxdale is a widow. Married for six years to Frederick and with no children from the union, the title and estate passes to Frederick's cousin, Constantine Black. But instead of leaving the entire estate to his cousin, Frederick has stipulated the title and lands are Constantine's, but Jane inherits all the wealth and funds needed to run the estate. And worse, he has given the guardianship of Luke, his young six year-old relation over to Constantine,...more
Debut

At twenty-three years of age, Jane, Lady Roxdale is a widow. Married for six years to Frederick and with no children from the union, the title and estate passes to Frederick's cousin, Constantine Black. But instead of leaving the entire estate to his cousin, Frederick has stipulated the title and lands are Constantine's, but Jane inherits all the wealth and funds needed to run the estate. And worse, he has given the guardianship of Luke, his young six year-old relation over to Constantine, instead of Jane who views him as her son. The only solution it seems, is for these two to marry. For then, Constantine will have the funds necessary to run the estate and Jane will have Luke.

For Jane, newly widowed, wealthy and available, if the Ministry of Marriage has its way there will be now a second arranged mariage she will have to endure. Founded by the Duke of Montford, the Ministry arranges suitable marriages between houses of the aristocracy to ensure powerful and advantageous alliances. Jane (Westruther), an orphan, has been under the care and guardianship of Montford since she was eight.

"Jonathon Westruther, Earl of Dauntry, had broken his neck in a hunting accident, leaving his only daughter under Montford's guardianship. It was a common enough arrangement; as head of the House of Westruther, Montford was named guardian to many children in this large and illustrious family. This was particularly the case where the child stood to inherit a family estate or a fortune that might require Montford's expertise and judgment.

Sadly, Montford had acquired quite a collection of these wealthy orphans."

Many of the orphans, now eliglible for marriage, are introduced in this debut and will undoubtedly have their own stories in future books in this series.

Constantine is not quite the blackguard his name and reputation suggests. Although I found Jane too prim, proper and starchy at first, it's when these two get together in earnest and she is able to see beyond Constantine's bad reputation, that the novel really comes alive. Their chemistry is wonderful.

Although Christina Brooke's prose is not as subtle nor as poetic as some historical romance writers, she tells a great story with two very likable leads. This is still a well-written and very enjoyable debut. And one worth reading.

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Jul 01, 2011 Juliana rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone, esp. fans of sweet misunderstood rogues or reserved and somewhat traumatized heroines

Shelves: historical-romance, part-of-a-romance-series, 0-own-in-dead-tree-form, 2011-jun-reads, 2011-reads, hr-hero-family-estranged, hr-hero-aristocrat-lord-titled, hr-hero-black-sheep-rebel-outcast, hr-emotional-read, hr-hero-nobility, hr-hero-scandal, hr-hero-popular-social-outgoing, hr-hero-rake-rogue, hr-heroine-early-to-mid-20s, hr-heroine-good-girl, hr-heroine-has-children, hr-heroine-abuse-trauma-rape, hr-heroine-plain-jane, hr-heroine-recluse-loner, hr-heroine-nobility-aristocrat-lady, hr-heroine-shy-quiet-wallflower, hr-opposites-enemies-attract, hr-marriage-of-convenience, hr-heroine-widow, best-romance-books, best-romance-heroines-ever, best-romance-heroes-ever, 5-stars, 0-reviewed, regency-historical-romance, set-in-1810s, set-in-england, set-in-19th-century, 4-to-5-stars, challenge-2011-wllk-all-things-smmr, 2011-reads-my-favorites-of-the-year, 2011-reads-my-supremes-of-the-year, hr-role-reversal-of-standard-hr

A simply delightful romance; leading characters were wonderful and their relationship absolutely lovely (5 stars)

This was a lovely romance and I'm so glad that I decided to take a chance and buy it. This is the first book by author Christina Brooke, and trying a new author is always a gamble. The fact that she doesn't have a track record can be helpful, because I have no expectations going in - which is why I'm almost worried to gush about the book as much as I want to, because then that will ra...more

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Jul 17, 2011 TJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adc-reviews, historical-romance, own-or-have-a-copy

The reason people love romance!
*Some scenes to skim or skip if one doesn't like heat*

For a complete review, visit Affaire de Coeur magazine, online -http://affairedecoeur.com/ - or hard copy, July 2011 issue.

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Aug 14, 2012 Connie Fischer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lady Jane Roxdale has recently been widowed by Lord Frederick Roxdale. Theirs was a marriage of convenience and an unhappy one. Frederick was a bitter man who treated Jane cruelly both verbally and mentally. Frederick had a ward, Luke, whom Lady Jane loved dearly. Frederick had left Jane a large part of the estate's money with the stipulation that Luke be brought up by the new Lord, not Jane. Enters Lord Constantine Black, the new Lord Roxdale. Frederick had made many foolish decisions regarding...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-romance, first-reads, regency-england

I won this book through First Reads. The story takes place in 1814 Regency England. It is the first in the Ministry of Marriage series and is the author's debut novel. Lady Roxdale is recently widowed from Frederick after an unsatisfying 7 year marriage. She believes she will lose her home and inheritance as she did not produce an heir. Instead she learns that she will inherit all the money, but that her husband's cousin will inherit the land and properties (with no money to maintain them.) It i...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I entered a contest on the web and won a copy of Heiress in Love[Image] by Christina Brooke. I really enjoyed the book so it is getting a post here on my blog “When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth, and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.”

There is a very good explanation for the Ministry of Marriage on Christina’s web site. I recommend that you read it before you start the book....more

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Jul 28, 2011 Lisarenee rated it 5 of 5 stars

For Excerpt Click Here

Jane's first marriage was set up by the Ministry of Marriage. To say she and her husband didn't suit would be an understatement. For all that, she didn't hate her husband, and would never have wished him dead. She just came away from the marriage with a bitter taste and no desire to ever marry again.

Married for seven years to a man she didn't love, she thought she would finally be free. Upon his death, however, guardianship of their ward, whom she had raised and loved as he...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, reviewed, reviewed-2012

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Publication Date: June 28th, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312534124
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance/Regency
Lootability: ***

The Ministry of Marriage is an organisation started by the Duke of Montford, caretaker of 6 of his young family members,that organises the marriages, and at times prevents them, of the English aristocracy.

What I Liked: The women in the Ministry of Marriage books are dynamic and enterprising, they have strong (and passionate) o...more Find More reviews on Raiding Bookshelves

Publication Date: June 28th, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312534124
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance/Regency
Lootability: ***

The Ministry of Marriage is an organisation started by the Duke of Montford, caretaker of 6 of his young family members,that organises the marriages, and at times prevents them, of the English aristocracy.

What I Liked: The women in the Ministry of Marriage books are dynamic and enterprising, they have strong (and passionate) opinions, and are intensely sensual women. Jane has a maturity that Rosamund and Cecily lack, Rosamund has an astounding capacity for love and Cecily has an undeniable and quirky personality. Their personalities were defined in Heiress in Love, though each woman was fully characterised in their own story.
The men of the Ministry of Marriage books are less appealing, Constantin (Heiress) and Rand (Duchess) are rakish rogues, arrogant, passionate and determined to have their own way. It was Griffin (Earl) that was best defined as a romantic interest, although his Beauty and the Beast sufferings were hardly unique.
Of course, they were devilishly....handsome and they have propensity to ravish their chosen women until they have succumbed to their male charms.
The story focused more on the relationships between man and woman than the events taking place around them.

What I Didn't Like: I do enjoy a story with a strong focus on relationships but I generally desire something with a little more exciting. I wouldn't want something as daringly adventurous as Elizabeth Hoyt's books, but I would like more friction between characters, and more problems to keep them apart - particularly in Duchess. The ending was somewhat disappointing, with a resolution that comes far too easily, and quite confusingly. Everything happens quite suddenly, without much fuss and is very easily resolved.
Earl has an unsolved murder, which could eventually, become an impediment to the romance of Griffin and Rosamund, but is more of a side story than a true part of the novel.

I enjoyed the Ministry of Marriage novels but I would like a little more out of these books. The story needs a little more adventure, but the romance is devilishly endearing.(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 SidneyKay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-regency

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's the dreaded Ministry of Magic. Wait a minute. What's that you say? Oops, it's the Ministry of Marriage series. And It's not dreaded. Unless, of course you don't want to get married.

And in Heiress in Love by Christina Brooke, AKA Christine Wells, our hero Constantine does-not-want-to-get-married. Our heroine, Jane, isn't exactly keen on the idea of remarriage either. However, these two really do not have any control over their own destiny. The Ministry of ~~Mag~~ Marriage does. Whoever they may...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of historical romance

Recommended to Anna by: Goodreads friends

I can't believe this is a debut novel! Wow. Ms. Brooke is a talent! It's so exciting to find a new author that is so good--she is an auto-buy for me now.

Loved this story. Jane, the heroine, was married as a very young (17) innocent girl to a a man her guardian has selected for her. Her husband is also a friend she has known for years. Unfortunately there is no sexual attraction between them, and the husband does not make her first sexual experience easy for her--in fact, he hurts her and consequ...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Shanrina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 17, 2013 Book Review Diva rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historicalromance

"Heiress in Love" by Christina Brooke

Jane, Lady Roxdale has just lost her husband that she married when she was seventeen. Jane does not feel any loss for her husband as she resents him for all of the cheating he did while he was alive. Jane must now act like the sad widow in front of her friends and family. If only her friends and family really knew what her husband Frederick was like during their marriage. Now that her husband has died, Jane must now sit and listen to the reading of the will...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical, regency, married-once-heroine, society-shunned-hero, first-read-of-author

During the course of reading this book i found the title unfitting of the story. I do believe "Pride and Prejudice: The hero is not Mr. Darcy, nor is the heroine Lizzie; but they share some similarities and it's rather fitting of a title". Too Long. How about this " Trust and the Regency Romance". No. Sounds too much like a non-fiction title. How about "To trust a rake and other stuff". Shorten it down to "To Trust a Rake" and i think we found a winner. Because truthfully the heroine was actua...more
During the course of reading this book i found the title unfitting of the story. I do believe "Pride and Prejudice: The hero is not Mr. Darcy, nor is the heroine Lizzie; but they share some similarities and it's rather fitting of a title". Too Long. How about this " Trust and the Regency Romance". No. Sounds too much like a non-fiction title. How about "To trust a rake and other stuff". Shorten it down to "To Trust a Rake" and i think we found a winner. Because truthfully the heroine was actually a widow and was really in lust most of the time. Love came later. Like in chocolate you lust for it and then love it.

See i'm on the fence on this one. I neither dislike it, nor am i over the moon for it. I'm stuck quite firmly in the middle. Some background information. Jane, Lady Roxdale, has just been widowed. Worse yet her husband kicked the bucket in the middle of "entertaining a lady friend". To save face Jane pretends it was her, but still. Her husband just died in bed in the middle of sex and everyone knows it. How humiliating. To make matters even worse seeing as no heir was produced everything is set to go to the next in line for the title.Her husbands cousin Constantine Black who is as big of a blackguard as his name is (as if that analogy hasn't been used before). The only thing Jane can hope is that the man allows her enough time to get hers, and Luke's (her dead husbands 6 year old ward) things in order to leave. The one thing she didn't expect was for her ex to screw up her life anymore than he already had, nor did she expect Constantine to as handsome as he was.

Constantine Black: Rouge, scoundrel, society pariah, and misunderstood & wrongfully accused hero. He's just like every other Black Night ever to live. Muscled, handsome, with the sex drive of a bunny rabbit to boot. The last thing he ever expected was for his dead cousins widow to be so appealing. The very very last thing he expected was for his idiot cousin to leave him the land and the money to his wife. So it stands he hand the property, but not the funds to keep it. The only thing to do is to marry chit. If only she wouldn't look at like she wanted to ravish him all the while impaling him in the heart with sewing needle at the same time.

As i said earlier i'm in the middle with this book. It may be me, but i don't find the whole lust then love thing exciting. Rather boring actually. My favorite parts of this book was when the hero and heroine wasn't trying to undress each other with their eyes or literally. I actually would have enjoyed more of those parts. I will also say i thoroughly enjoyed every scene that Lady Arden and the Duke of Monford appears. I want them to have their own book!! It would be interesting to see read their story seeing as to their background.

As to the hero and heroine individually... i'm in the middle with them as well. They seemed interesting at first, but after awhile i started wishing for the book to end. It just went on and on and i'm like just get one with it already. Oh look a Robin! I feel like i'm getting sun burnt on my back (I was reading it outside). As you can read my mind started to wonder towards the end. Not a good thing.

Also note. This author does not write a very good "tortured hero". A mildly irritated one, but not tortured. The heroine was a bit of a haughty prick sometimes as well.....

All in all and ok book. I do want to read the next on though. It seems to hold more promise. The brief glimpse of the hero for it we had in this book was also quite entertaining as well.

Final rating: 3 stars. Good premises, but it feel short of many accounts.

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Jul 28, 2011 Janga rated it 4 of 5 stars

My only complaint about this book is that I wish it had been a bit longer and included more back story. It's the unanswered questions that made this a 4.5 rather than a 5-star read.

Both the hero and the heroine are superbly drawn characters who project one image but are quite different beneath their public facades. Watching them discover one another and grow into trust and love was a rich reading experience. I also loved the balance of the book. It is neither Jane’s story nor Constantine’s but...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Kirsti rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a tantalizing cover! The dress she is wearing is gorgeous, even if she seems to be in the process of taking it off xD Now this is the first in the Ministry of Marriage novel, and from the snippet at the end of the book, this is not the last we will see from these characters. There was some interesting plot twists, and the relatives and friends of the couple that got together in the end will have their own stories to tell, no doubt. I really liked the uniqueness to their love, and that she h...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brooke-christina

I really liked this book. It had everything a Regency should have - interesting story line, plenty of emotions, heartache somewhere along the way, steamy romance, and the obligatory HEA.

The hero, Constantine Black, was the worst sort of rake. His reputation preceeded him as he took on his role of heir to his late cousin's estate. Unfortunately, his late cousin left all the money to his widow. The widow, Lady Jane Roxdale, is finally free from a horribly unhappy marriage. It seems that the only...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Natasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won a copy of this through Goodreads First Reads. I actually had pretty low expectations since historical romance is not usually my chosen genre. I was pleasantly surprised by the book though. The characters were flawed but likeable. And the dialog was quite witty at times. Like almost all romances the story was pretty predictable but that really didn't detract too much from the story. I do wish that Trent would have gotten a little more than a wounded shoulder for the trouble he tried to caus...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Shawna rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of steamy historical/regency romance & misjudged "rake" heroes

Shelves: favorite-beautiful-lush-cool-covers, historical-romance, historical-romance-regency, hh-widow-or-widower, hero-cad-rake-rogue‎-scoundrel, heroine-heiress-socialite, christina-brooke-ministry-marriage, rt-book-reviews-4-stars, 2011-reads, 3-to-4-stars, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, dirty-talk-turns-me-on, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, hero-fake-rake-assumed-libertine, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, heroine-prim-proper-decorous, hh-aristocracy-nobility-royalty, hh-love-commitment-marriage-phobic, i-read-kindle, kindle, married-couples-married-convenience, steam-3-hot, hh-social-class-wealth-matters, pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, heroine-plain-jane-ugly-duckling, heroine-odd-spinster-wallflower, hero-black-sheep, hero-titled-wealthy-lord, heroine-desperately-seeking-husband, favorite-love-scenes, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, favorite-dresses-to-die-for

3 ½ stars – Historical/Regency Romance

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Dec 21, 2011 nurmawati djuhawan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: buku-eng, hr, romance

ini quote buku nya :

When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth, and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.

anggota inti ministry of marriage itu 3 orang yang sangat kaya, berkuasa dan bangsawan.....
buat menjaga harta keturunan keluarga mereka gak kemana2..maka mereka menjodohkan anak/keponakan/sodara mereka....

kali ini tokoh utama nya adalah....

*lady jane roxdale : janda lord roxdalle ya...more

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Mar 24, 2012 The Window Seat rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I see a book, my first thought is always whether or not it is a part of a series. If it is, and I am interested in it, I will usually not read it, but will go back and read the beginning of the series. For one thing, I hate being caught in the middle of the story not having all the necessary facts. For another, if I like it, I will rarely go back and read the previous books. Instead, they usually sit around in my TBR pile (or Kindle folder in my case) and they rarely get read. I go forward,...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Carol *Young at Heart Oldie* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star-books

“Clever, lush and lovely – an amazing debut!” – Suzanne Enoch

“One of the most compelling heroes I’ve read in years.” – Anna Campbell

With such praises from two of the most respected authors of the genre, Heiress in Love certainly piqued my interest. It’s my first book by Christina Brooke and, although there were some flaws, overall I really enjoyed it.

What I loved about the book

I enjoy very character-driven romances and this book really scores in that respect. Constantine and Jane and their growi...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Nath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, read-2011, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5/5 (B-)

This book caught my attention earlier this summer when I was going through the list of authors attending RWA. Back then, I was binging on historical romance and this definitively seemed to be right up my alley :) I was determined to get a copy at RWA... and I'm glad I did!! :)

The premise of Heiress in Love is not really original - it's a marriage of convenience after all. Constantine needs the funds to maintain his estate and Jane wants to remain close to Luke. However, Ms Brooke did a...more 3.5/5 (B-)

This book caught my attention earlier this summer when I was going through the list of authors attending RWA. Back then, I was binging on historical romance and this definitively seemed to be right up my alley :) I was determined to get a copy at RWA... and I'm glad I did!! :)

The premise of Heiress in Love is not really original - it's a marriage of convenience after all. Constantine needs the funds to maintain his estate and Jane wants to remain close to Luke. However, Ms Brooke did a great job with it and it's all due to her interesting characters :) I have to say, I really liked the hero of this book. Despite his reputation, Constantine was really an honorable man. I liked that he accepted the consequences of his decision and they were quite dire. He didn't blame anyone, didn't whine and wasn't angry at the whole world. He stood by his principles and wouldn't be coerced into a marriage and it took guts. With Jane, while he didn't have many options, to marry her was still his choice. I also liked that he bonded with Luke - I love men getting along with kids in books :) It shows a different side of them. I also liked that he was hard-working and cared for his tenants. As I said, a great hero and he totally stole the spotlight in this book. I'm not saying that Jane was a bad heroine. She was likable, but paled a little bit in comparison to Constantine. She wasn't as self-assured as Constantine and was a bit the ice maiden. She did feel, but it felt to me she didn't know how to communicate her feelings. The only persons she let close to her were her childhood friends and Luke. Still, at the end, you have to admire her love for Luke.

The romance in the book was okay. I think the fact that bothered the most to me was the fact that Jane didn't enjoy the conjugal act with her late husband and therefore she finally finds passion with Constantine. It's just so common whenever you have widow heroines ^_^; Although I guess it's all a question of chemistry. In any case, I'm happy the two of them didn't jump right in the marriage and in bed together. Actually, both had reservation about it and were trying to find other options. I thought that was realistic. It also gave them time to get to know each other better and develop their feelings. In that aspect, the romance worked for me :) All in all, the romance was there and it was nice, but it lacked a bit of omphf to it making it only okay.

The overall storyline of Heiress in Love was interesting :) Surprisingly, there was a lot going on and Ms Brooke did a great job balancing everything. The most interesting part for me was Constantine's past :) The weakest part for me was the Ministry of Marriage. It seems to be consisted of three persons: Montford, Lady Arden and Lord DeVere and together, they seemed to be related to everyone in Society LOL. As it is the basis of this series, I wished there'd have been more explanations about the Ministry of Marriage. Why did they form, who has given them the power, what is their purpose. Obviously, it is to make match... but there must be more to it, right? So I hope Ms Brooke clarifies that in the future. I also wish for more interactions between Montford and Jane, just so she understands that Montford really did care for them all.

In the end, I was really pleasantly surprised by Heiress in Love. I think Ms Brooke has a nice writing style that flows well and is easy to read. Heiress in Love was definitively a solid debut, its flaws minor, and I am looking forward to Mad About the Earl, the next book in this series :)
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Dec 24, 2011 Ilze rated it 1 of 5 stars

Just couldn't get into it. The hero had promise, but I couldn't understand his lust for the heroine at that point in the story at all. Her husband has just been buried, she's in deepest mourning, they've both sustained huge shocks during the reading of the will, and she's behaving like a pill towards him. And all he can think about when he sees her is shagging her?? It's a bit like Eddie Fisher and Liz Taylor's affair right after Mike Todd's funeral: Eddie Fisher is the last person I think of wh...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Sherri *The Lady Hillindale* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, alpha-male, disappointment, heroine-is-an-dumbass, historical-romance, love-the-cover, bland-characters, hero-is-boring

It's probably not a good recommendation for a book when you think "I wish they'd get the hell on with this story" followed shortly thereafter by "why am I still reading this?". Both sentiments apply to this book. While I adore the gorgeous cover art and the story PLOT was intriguing, the author seemed to take forever to get around to it, and frankly I got bored. Halfway through the book, I decided to skim the rest, and I'm so glad I did.

The pros of this book are that the cover art is gorgeous. T...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Catherine by: Juliana

Shelves: romance, historical, series, bad-childhood, england, manipulation-plot, read-2011

*3.5 Stars*

Well, Juliana, I now know why you were so unhappy with the beginning stages of the relationship between Constantine and Jane. How very aggravating it is when authors have the characters instantly lusting after each other for no logical reason! He saw her through a window at a distance and fell into lust with her? Uh huh. And she was just as bad. Why were they attracted? And why did they stay attracted? These are things I really need to know if I’m expected to care about the characters...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Ana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: z-read-in-2011, historical-regency

When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth, and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband's death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time.

Disgrace
...more
When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth, and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband's death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time.

Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale's land and title—while Roxdale's prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her—body, heart, and soul

I've decided to give this book a try because of the intriguing summary and the high ratings of some of my GR friends. Unfortunately, I didn't like it that much.

The plot itself has merits, and I like Constantine, but I never warmed up to Jane.

Constantine never expected to inherit his cousin's title and estates, but now when his entire life has changed, he hopes to finally prove, not only to other, but to himself as well, that he's more than a libertine. He's always been good with women, and now when he needs to marry Jane, to keep the estates from ruination, he will need all the skill he has. As I said, Constantine is an OK character, I wasn't terribly impressed with him, and I highly doubt I'll be able to remember anything about him in a week or two.

As for Jane, she was a lot harder to like. Her marriage wasn't happy and she has some trust issues, so she does have her reasons for being distrustful, but sometimes I just wanted to slap her. Constantine deserves better than a woman who doubts him over and over again. Of course his action at the end of the book were a mite annoying as well, but Jane was much worse.

And one more thing, the way they resolved their argument in the end: (view spoiler)

I do like Jane's guardian the Duke (I can't remember his title right now). He's so arrogant and ducal. :-) And the idea of the Ministry of Marriage is unusual.

I will try the second book in the series Mad about the Earl when it comes out, but I do hope it's better than this one.

Rating:

2.5 stars(less)

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Jul 02, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, christina-brooke, ebook, favorites

All right, I'm not going to lie and say I didn't have high expectations for this book based on the cover (yes, I judge a book by its gorgeous cover) and then the back cover blurb later on because I did. And wow am I happy that it lived up to those expectations. Just an absolutely wonderful, sexy, touching romance novel.

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has already endured one marriage of convenience brought forth to her from the Ministry of Marriage, where one of the prominent members is her childhood guardi...more All right, I'm not going to lie and say I didn't have high expectations for this book based on the cover (yes, I judge a book by its gorgeous cover) and then the back cover blurb later on because I did. And wow am I happy that it lived up to those expectations. Just an absolutely wonderful, sexy, touching romance novel.

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has already endured one marriage of convenience brought forth to her from the Ministry of Marriage, where one of the prominent members is her childhood guardian, the Duke of Montford. Montford rescued Jane when she was a young girl and brought her to him home to be his ward, along with numerous other wealthy, titled, parent-less cousins and together with other prominent heads of the ton, this Ministry of Marriage arranges marriages based on land and title mergings, not on love. So when the will of the late Lord Roxdale is read and Jane is left all the money and the new Lord Roxdale, Constantine Black is left the land everyone is outraged. As a result of the late Lord Roxdales death, a loan on the mill on the property is called due and Constantine has no way to get all the money needed in time....unless he marries Jane.

The first time Jane sees Constantine he is like a prince arriving on his white horse to whisk her away from her perfectly proper life. Too bad she doesn't want to like this man that is taking her home away from her and her young nephew, Luke. When also at the will reading it is announced that Constantine is to have guardianship of Luke she know the logical conclusion is that she must marry Constantine to keep the boy that is like a son to her. As Constantine refuses to marry Jane (and has even been warned from Montford that a marriage between them is unacceptable) she sets about to seduce him. Jane is a bit nervous and terrified at this prospect as her marriage was far from passionate and happy. As these two, albeit reluctantly, grow closer Constantine shows Jane just how passionate and happy a life together can be.

Sigh, this really was a wonderful story. I find the whole Ministry of Marriage aspect interesting and something I believe could very well have happened during this time period. All the characters were written and delivered so wonderfully as well. I loved watching Constantine emerge from his protective barriers of his unfair past to show Jane what life could be. Oh, so romantic, sweet...and hot when he does! And Jane, it was great watching her emerge from her perfect shell, or Ice Maiden as Constantine first thought of her, into a passionate, loving woman. And the addition of Luke was really well done as well and I was surprised at how well Constantine took to his new guardianship. Yes there was a bit at the end that I just wanted to shake Constantine for his actions, but there were justified based on his past and I was very happy with how it was resolved. We also get to meet a few of the other cousins of Janes that will be featured in future stories and they all sound promising already! There also seems to be a small romance blooming for the Duke of Montford as well that will hopefully continue on in future stories as well. I do wish we had gotten to see a bit more of Janes past and how all these cousins grew up together but hopefully that, too, is something that will be explored more in the future. Overall though, if you are looking for a wonderfully romantic story that has no huge misunderstanding and shows true growth to your characters, Christina Brooke has delivered a winner in her debut novel and I can not wait for more from her! 4 1/2 stars(less)

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May 29, 2012 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-period-romance

I wanted to see Trent really get what was coming to him. After all that, the climax was a little dull. There was not real feeling of resolve other than the relationship between constantine and Jane. Jane was just on the border of being one of those heroine's that I did not like. Constantine did not have enough dark edge for me, but I guess that was the point that trying to be brought accross. Everyone made the wrong assumption about who he was as a person and man. All in all I liked the book, th...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Susannah Carleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars if that were possible. I liked the book, but I would have liked it more without the fictitious (and, in my opinion, wholly unnecessary) Ministry of Marriage. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, particularly the hero. The story is well-written. The three Ministry of Marriage characters would have had much the same roles in the story if the Ministry hadn't existed (which it did not). It is not necessary to re-write history to write a good book.

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Feb 15, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The couple talked and tried to avoid the usual misunderstandings that pop up in books. Though I was exasperated over Constantine's fit at the end because Jane did not have complete faith in him after a short courtship, though she had suffered from the betrayal of an unfaithful husband. Let's ignore her baggage and be a jerk that she wasn't sensitive to his baggage. Otherwise I loved the story.

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title link	preview: Heiress in Love
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Heiress in Love (Ministry of Marriage #1)

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