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81st out of 1,132 books
—
1,404 voters
Castles (Crown's Spies #4)
Orphaned and besieged Princess Alesandra knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Colin, younger brother of the Marquess of Caineswood, the bold raven-haired beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen,...more
Paperback, 354 pages
Published
July 1st 1993
by Pocket Books
(first published 1993)
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The fourth book in the Crown's Spies series by Julie Garwood. Princess Alesandra ends up on Colin's doorstep when everyone in his family ends up ill and he is forced to assume guardian duties while his family recuperates. Funny and fun. Another enjoyable read by Ms. Garwood.
this book was,in a word, horrible.
there were so many holes in this story and i honestly think garwood put next to no thought into writing this.
The whole thing was random. We got a lady killer,a missing friend,a princess. It didn’t go together and on top of all that no one was likeable.
the many,and i mean many,historical mistakes prevented me from even giving this book a chance.
The speech was terrible and so off the mark I couldn’t even wrap my mind around it.
the language in here was so modern it...more
there were so many holes in this story and i honestly think garwood put next to no thought into writing this.
The whole thing was random. We got a lady killer,a missing friend,a princess. It didn’t go together and on top of all that no one was likeable.
the many,and i mean many,historical mistakes prevented me from even giving this book a chance.
The speech was terrible and so off the mark I couldn’t even wrap my mind around it.
the language in here was so modern it...more
2 likes · like · see review
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I absolutely LOVE this book!! It was so AMAZING!!!! There are so many wonderful things about this book that I hardly know where to begin telling about it!
Princess Alesandra was orphaned at 12 years old and was left to be raised by nuns at a convent. The happiest day in Mother Superiors' life was when she received notice that the Princess would be leaving the convent. Alesandra was a bit of a hellion and was constantly getting into trouble and the nuns couldn't be happier to be rid of her. Alesan...more
Princess Alesandra was orphaned at 12 years old and was left to be raised by nuns at a convent. The happiest day in Mother Superiors' life was when she received notice that the Princess would be leaving the convent. Alesandra was a bit of a hellion and was constantly getting into trouble and the nuns couldn't be happier to be rid of her. Alesan...more
5 likes · like · see review
I really enjoyed this book. The Crown Spies series was another great series by Garwood and I'm so disappointed that this is the last book.
Princess Alesandra and Colin were such a cute couple. Alesandra grew up in a convent after her parents died. When she was older she was called to go live with her guardian but was taken under protection by her guardians son, Colin. Colin married her in order to protect her from being forced into marriage by a man who was trying to gain her inheritance. He didn...more
Princess Alesandra and Colin were such a cute couple. Alesandra grew up in a convent after her parents died. When she was older she was called to go live with her guardian but was taken under protection by her guardians son, Colin. Colin married her in order to protect her from being forced into marriage by a man who was trying to gain her inheritance. He didn...more
hah! Entah keberuntungan apa yang sedang saya hadapi, minggu ini penuh dengan buku bagus yang rata-rata saya kasih 5 bintang. Karna ga online selama 1 minggu, saya jadi ngebut baca ebook2 yang udah mendep dalem komputer dari tahun lalu. Sukaaaa sama castles. Ga nyangka seorang princess tuh bisa juga humble. Alesandra emang beda dari princess-princess yang lain, makanya Colin bisa tunduk sama Alesandra. Hihihi. Colin keras kepala, tapi Alesandra juga, dan jelas Alesandra lebih pinter dan cunning....more
Aug 14, 2012
Felita
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance,
adult
yaay....akhirnya cerita ttg colin
sekali lagi sang pengarang berhasil membuat cerita dg karakter tokoh yg unik.di sini lbh tau gmn sosok sang hero, colin, yang udah diperkenalksn dari seri crown spies yg kedua.
#colin--ganteng, businessman, mandiri abis, suka menyimpan semua keluhan dlm hati, walaupun digambarkan suka menebar senyum dan pesona
#alesandra--cantik, polos, pinter ngitung plus suka bermain saham, dan keturunan darah biru
aq suka dg kedua sejoli ini. colin dg pendiriannya yg tegas dipadu...more
sekali lagi sang pengarang berhasil membuat cerita dg karakter tokoh yg unik.di sini lbh tau gmn sosok sang hero, colin, yang udah diperkenalksn dari seri crown spies yg kedua.
#colin--ganteng, businessman, mandiri abis, suka menyimpan semua keluhan dlm hati, walaupun digambarkan suka menebar senyum dan pesona
#alesandra--cantik, polos, pinter ngitung plus suka bermain saham, dan keturunan darah biru
aq suka dg kedua sejoli ini. colin dg pendiriannya yg tegas dipadu...more
Castles by Julie Garwood is a story about innocent, orphaned Princess Alessandra who has grown up in a convent. She receives a letter from the Evil General Ivan who wants to marry her for political reasons and to get his hands on her very well endowed inheritance. To save herself from the horrible fate of marrying the evil general, she travels to England in search of a husband. She only has three weeks to find him. She meets Collin, the hardworking, independent second son of her guardian, the Du...more
I just bought Julie Garwood's
Castles
for a penny, having the feeling I'd probably already read it at some point. Sure enough, it's the fourth and final book in Garwood's Crown Spies series, featuring a princess of some fictional country, Alesandra, and the partially handicapped hero Colin who we'd met earlier in the series.
Colin was injured in a shark attack serving as a spy for his country, and is now working on building his shipping business. When Princess Alesandra comes to England as his...more
Colin was injured in a shark attack serving as a spy for his country, and is now working on building his shipping business. When Princess Alesandra comes to England as his...more
julie garwood emang selalu menghadirkan karya-karya yang bagus sekali.. ;D
castles ini ceritanya tentang colin yang mau membangun perusahaan nya sampai dia sukses dan kaya raya tanpa bantuan siapa pun. makanya dia sama sekali nggak ngeh pas princess alexandra yang cantik dan kaya menawarkannya pernikahan karena kekayaannya. alexandra ini orangnya sukaa banget buat daftar list. karena colin nolak mentah=mentah lamaran alexandra, jadi alexandra buat list calon suami yang pantas. si colin ini asline...more
castles ini ceritanya tentang colin yang mau membangun perusahaan nya sampai dia sukses dan kaya raya tanpa bantuan siapa pun. makanya dia sama sekali nggak ngeh pas princess alexandra yang cantik dan kaya menawarkannya pernikahan karena kekayaannya. alexandra ini orangnya sukaa banget buat daftar list. karena colin nolak mentah=mentah lamaran alexandra, jadi alexandra buat list calon suami yang pantas. si colin ini asline...more
I enjoyed this very much!
I love a SMART woman...and Princess Alesandra is very smart. She's kind, sharp as a tack and mostly a good judge of character.
She has to be married soon, so that the evil General Ivan doesn't get control of her money and use her, as PRINCESS, to get her country back. I was a bit disappointed that this part of the story wasn't completely clear. Maybe in a follow up book?
The first name on Alesandra's list of possible husbands is her guardian's son, Colin. He's very attract...more
I love a SMART woman...and Princess Alesandra is very smart. She's kind, sharp as a tack and mostly a good judge of character.
She has to be married soon, so that the evil General Ivan doesn't get control of her money and use her, as PRINCESS, to get her country back. I was a bit disappointed that this part of the story wasn't completely clear. Maybe in a follow up book?
The first name on Alesandra's list of possible husbands is her guardian's son, Colin. He's very attract...more
England, 1819. Orphaned and besieged Princess Alesandra knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Sir Colin Hallbrook, younger brother of the Marquess of Caineswood, the bold raven-haired beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen, the fighting instincts that won Colin a knighthood for valor were rekindled.
Deceiving himself th...more
Deceiving himself th...more
After Rowena reviewed this I kept thinking about it and decided I had to re-read. While I enjoyed parts of it, I'd forgotten that this is one of my least favorite books.
Colin acts like such a condescending jerk to Alesandra most of the time I found I was just annoyed with him. He doesn't give her the credit she deserves for anything. While that was cute in the beginning, the longer his attitude wore on the less I enjoyed the book. By the time he realizes his mistakes and apologizes, I'd had enou...more
Colin acts like such a condescending jerk to Alesandra most of the time I found I was just annoyed with him. He doesn't give her the credit she deserves for anything. While that was cute in the beginning, the longer his attitude wore on the less I enjoyed the book. By the time he realizes his mistakes and apologizes, I'd had enou...more
What a LOVABLE love story!!!!!!!!!!
yap... itu kata2 yg cocok buat keseluruhan cerita " Castles " interaksi antara Colin & Alesandra menarik n selalu bwt aq tersenyum...
sikap colin yg cool, sok cuek , apa adanya tp sebenarnya selalu pikirin kepentingan org lain. and Alesandra yg cerdas n teratur( cocok jd Manager wkwkwkwk.... ) n banyak akal n yg terpenting dy bs memahami colin dengan segala keadaan colin.
dengan segala ke angkuhan n keras kepalanya colin, justru lucu klo uda ketemu alesandr...more
yap... itu kata2 yg cocok buat keseluruhan cerita " Castles " interaksi antara Colin & Alesandra menarik n selalu bwt aq tersenyum...
sikap colin yg cool, sok cuek , apa adanya tp sebenarnya selalu pikirin kepentingan org lain. and Alesandra yg cerdas n teratur( cocok jd Manager wkwkwkwk.... ) n banyak akal n yg terpenting dy bs memahami colin dengan segala keadaan colin.
dengan segala ke angkuhan n keras kepalanya colin, justru lucu klo uda ketemu alesandr...more
If you love silly (in a good way), saccharine sweet, Mary Sue romances this a book you would enjoy. There's very little plot to the story and very little character development of minor characters. Our heroine disposition is very similar to Maria, (Julie Andrew's character from the Sound of Music). While our hero is the typical alpha male mold. Although not "a keeper". I did enjoy the story for what it was. I just wish that a better plot had been developed for it. A serial killer that struck no f...more
This was an enjoyable read. I like Julie Garwood. A friend was kind enough to share her Garwood novels and I've read most of them in succession. I've come to find this is not necessarily a good thing. Garwood head hops or changes POV every other paragraph, doesn't really bother me personally but most writers today not discouraged from this practice.
Also I've noticed as I read that all her novels are alike. All her historicals are basically the same. The woman is somewhat dimwitted and needs prot...more
Also I've noticed as I read that all her novels are alike. All her historicals are basically the same. The woman is somewhat dimwitted and needs prot...more
Oh,god...
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
Tdk nyesal uda bela2in ngurangin jam tidur,curi2 jam kerja,ngilangin smua jadwal ntn tivi.And it pays off.Worth it banget.
Sempet upset krn ada kesalahan cetak,dr P.421 mpe P.440 ngilang.Why?Whaaaaiiiiiiiiii???
Mutusin mo put on hold ato keep going on pun jd dillema besar..
Damn!!Damn it!!Dammitttt!!
-semoga suster biara memaafkan ketidaksopananku- *alessandra mode on*.Gak sanggup nunggu lebih lama lagi,akhirnya loncat indah deh..Hal 'besar' yg terlewatkan cmn dua,but I'l...more
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
Tdk nyesal uda bela2in ngurangin jam tidur,curi2 jam kerja,ngilangin smua jadwal ntn tivi.And it pays off.Worth it banget.
Sempet upset krn ada kesalahan cetak,dr P.421 mpe P.440 ngilang.Why?Whaaaaiiiiiiiiii???
Mutusin mo put on hold ato keep going on pun jd dillema besar..
Damn!!Damn it!!Dammitttt!!
-semoga suster biara memaafkan ketidaksopananku- *alessandra mode on*.Gak sanggup nunggu lebih lama lagi,akhirnya loncat indah deh..Hal 'besar' yg terlewatkan cmn dua,but I'l...more
Lovely couple.. Colin & Alesandra
Princess Alesandra dibesarkan di biara.
Suster Kepala Mary Felicity, Suster Rachel, Suster Justina dan seluruh penghuni Biara memanggilnya "anak setan"
julukan itu cukup menggambarkan kalo Alesandra akan menjadi tokoh yang menyenangkan sepanjang cerita di "Castles"
Sebelum meninggalkan biara, Alesandra dibekali dua kata yang diharapkan selalu disimpan didalam hatinya, "Harga diri dan tata krama"
Tujuan Alesandra ke London adalah untuk mencari suami, sebelum Jend...more
Princess Alesandra dibesarkan di biara.
Suster Kepala Mary Felicity, Suster Rachel, Suster Justina dan seluruh penghuni Biara memanggilnya "anak setan"
julukan itu cukup menggambarkan kalo Alesandra akan menjadi tokoh yang menyenangkan sepanjang cerita di "Castles"
Sebelum meninggalkan biara, Alesandra dibekali dua kata yang diharapkan selalu disimpan didalam hatinya, "Harga diri dan tata krama"
Tujuan Alesandra ke London adalah untuk mencari suami, sebelum Jend...more
Apr 11, 2013
KJ Luepke
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Shelves:
50-books-a-year-2013,
basically-porn-for-girls
April 2013: Screw you, Colin, and the horse you road in on! I gave up. After writing the review below I never did pick the book back up again. Neurotic or not about finishing books I just couldn't do it. I am counting this book as 'read' as I did read the whole thing when I was younger (and what shitty taste in books I must have had back then!).
Earlier in 2013: I originally read this book back in college and I don't remember thinking it was good or bad. I recently got it for super cheap from a u...more
Earlier in 2013: I originally read this book back in college and I don't remember thinking it was good or bad. I recently got it for super cheap from a u...more
Jan 17, 2013
Katherine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
romance novel ethusiasts, people who have nothing to do for an afternoon
Recommended to Katherine by:
Kelly
Shelves:
romance
I was recommended this book by one of my girlfriends (she's an avid reader of romance novels.) She said that this was her FAVORITE romance novel of all time--so I had to get my hands on it.
I was disappointed, but not by the author or the writing itself. The main character--our heroine--Alesandra is the most annoying character I have ever read in my life. Garwood tries to fit her into the "beautiful, proper, yet stubborn and fiery" stereotype of romance novel heroines. And she succeeds with great...more
I was disappointed, but not by the author or the writing itself. The main character--our heroine--Alesandra is the most annoying character I have ever read in my life. Garwood tries to fit her into the "beautiful, proper, yet stubborn and fiery" stereotype of romance novel heroines. And she succeeds with great...more
When i finished reading this book it was with a smile on my face. I laughed while reading it, and now i feel relaxed .
The book, the story, the characters of Alesandra and Colin were all great. And I enjoyed reading this book a lot.
It was funny to read how stubborn the both of them were and how they were fighting about everything. It was very entertaining and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
In the begging Colin was interested only to grow his business and Alesandra complicated everything and...more
The book, the story, the characters of Alesandra and Colin were all great. And I enjoyed reading this book a lot.
It was funny to read how stubborn the both of them were and how they were fighting about everything. It was very entertaining and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
In the begging Colin was interested only to grow his business and Alesandra complicated everything and...more
This is the third book which builds off of characters introduced in "Guardian Angel". It focuses on Colin and Alesandra. Both characters have their endearing quirks, but they follow a predictable path to being happy together. It is nice to read about their happiness, but not overly thought-provoking. Secondary characters were interesting, but were only partial used in the book. It was as if there were too many of them at Garwood's disposal, and she only added a few. The pacing was hard to keep s...more
"Your home is your castle." Set in a castle with Princess Alesandra, a feisty and intelligent woman limited by England 1800's society idea of what it means to be a lady is lovely and flawed. A keep of lists she tries to figure out what happened to her best friend who suddenly disappeared. Orphaned she lives with Cainwood family and stays with Colin a business driven man who wants to be successful on his own with a five year plan. He is moody, honest and physically challenged both imperfect chara...more
Like The Gift i was very attached to the characters of Colin and Alexandra. I love all the things she did for him like making the soles for his shoes and getting advice; she did all that secretly knowing that it may prick her pride. I love how attach his butler was to her; among the things i laughed at in the book. I love her wit where she tricks him and his partner Nathan and i love her hilarious list and find it even funnier when he starts picking up her habit of organising his thoughts into l...more
Dec 02, 2012
Marie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance,
julie-garwood
Bintang 5
Buku ke4 seri Crown's Spies
Wow, buku ini pantaas untuk dikoleksi.
Kisah yg indah dan plot yg menarik untuk seorang Colin, pria tampan dan tangguh, putra seorang duke, agen mata mata kerajaan yg mengalami cedera kaki antara hidp dan mati melawan sekumpulan hiu dan berpetualang dengan sekumpulan bajak laut. Bersama rekannya Nathan berusaha membangun kerajaan bisnis. Bertemu dan dijodohkan dengan seorang yg sangat tak biasa, Alesandra. Seorang gadis cantik rupawan, putri kerajaan, pewaris y...more
Buku ke4 seri Crown's Spies
Wow, buku ini pantaas untuk dikoleksi.
Kisah yg indah dan plot yg menarik untuk seorang Colin, pria tampan dan tangguh, putra seorang duke, agen mata mata kerajaan yg mengalami cedera kaki antara hidp dan mati melawan sekumpulan hiu dan berpetualang dengan sekumpulan bajak laut. Bersama rekannya Nathan berusaha membangun kerajaan bisnis. Bertemu dan dijodohkan dengan seorang yg sangat tak biasa, Alesandra. Seorang gadis cantik rupawan, putri kerajaan, pewaris y...more
When I saw this book on my mother's shelf at home I thought it would be the predictable read that has the same ending to it. I've always been told to never judge a book by its cover and it goes to this book too. The two main characters in this story begin with sparks flying between them right from the start. I thought that the end would be just like any other romance book. It was still exactly what was expected of a romance novel but with some difference. I love Princess Alesandra and how she n...more
I read this book a couple years ago, and the like a year ago, the story line kept popping into my head, and but I couldn't remember the title. It took me a while of going through titles and my brain to find it again. I've read it 6 times since then. And I also went out an bought my own copy. This book is just one of those few that you'll remember for a while, you know, the type you don't just forget.
The character were awesome, the personalities hilarious, the romantic scenes romance, and the st...more
The character were awesome, the personalities hilarious, the romantic scenes romance, and the st...more
1 like · like · see review
The loved the main story. The main characters were likeable, I enjoyed their banter and I actually laughed out loud quite a few times. I also found myself with that funny feeling you get in your stomach sometimes when you are in the beginning stages of love, a burning/fluttery feeling. Oh, it is so hard to describe, but it is such a wonderful feeling!
The side story about the serial killer surprised me every time it came up, because it seemed it didn't belong in the story. I am glad I continued...more
The side story about the serial killer surprised me every time it came up, because it seemed it didn't belong in the story. I am glad I continued...more
Ms Garwood introduces us to a very intriguing female heroine, but her male counterpart falls somewhat short. I love trashy beach novels, but sometimes the women in these books seem to be much more on the ball than the men. The authors rely on the sex (which I skip) and the physical side of things without working on the real part of the relationship: how the characters interact together. It was okay, because I really liked the female lead, but I would have prefered her to have a funner romantic l...more
Know what's the common denominator for historical romances? There's always the virginal, witty heroine, the dashing hero and the sour-graping antagonist. Where the hero and heroine waits for the other to acknowledge that the other person loves them. And THAT happening is the culmination of the story.
This novel from Julie Garwood's no different. It was predictable. I was able to guess who the culprit was the first time he was introduced in the story. Nonetheless, it was a fun read. Not as good...more
Apr 03, 2012
Alexa Yupangco
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-all-stars,
kindle-books-i-own
(Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
JULIE GARWOOD is one of my favorite romance authors of all time. I've read just about all of her books, thanks to my mom's collection and my sister's attempts to complete it, and I love them. CASTLES is one of my all-time favorites... and not just because the main character's name is Alesandra!
Colin and Alesandra make for an explosive romantic pairing. Alesandra's intelligence, stubborn nature, innocence and loyalty are remarkable; Colin, on the oth...more
JULIE GARWOOD is one of my favorite romance authors of all time. I've read just about all of her books, thanks to my mom's collection and my sister's attempts to complete it, and I love them. CASTLES is one of my all-time favorites... and not just because the main character's name is Alesandra!
Colin and Alesandra make for an explosive romantic pairing. Alesandra's intelligence, stubborn nature, innocence and loyalty are remarkable; Colin, on the oth...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let's Talk About ...: Castles (Crown's Spies #4) | 6 | 7 | Apr 27, 2013 07:22am | |
| Series? | 4 | 71 | Jul 06, 2011 05:29pm |
Julie Murphy was born in 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri to a large Irish family. At the age of six, Julie had her tonsils removed and complications from the surgery resulted in a long period of recuperation. She fell hopelessly behind in school and never caught up. "I was a slow, slow reader," Julie says. "I hated it." At the age of 11, her mother discovered her daughter's secret and promptly enrol...more
More about Julie Garwood...
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“Damn, you're good,' he said and rolled onto his back. The man wasn't much for flowery speech, Alesandra thought with a smile. It didn't matter. She was arrogantly proud of herself because she'd pleased him. Perhaps she should give him a little praise too. She rolled onto her side to face him, put her hand on his chest directly over his pounded heart, and whispered. 'You're good, too. 'Tis the truth, you're the best I've ever had.'
He opened his eyes to look at her. 'I'm the only one you've ever had, remember?' His voice was gruff with affection.
'I remember,' she said.
'No other man is ever going to touch you, Alesandra. You're mine.”
—
67 people liked it
He opened his eyes to look at her. 'I'm the only one you've ever had, remember?' His voice was gruff with affection.
'I remember,' she said.
'No other man is ever going to touch you, Alesandra. You're mine.”
“colin was certain he would feel better once he had gotten some sleep. At one o-clock in the morning he was wishing he could close his eyes and die. By 3 oclock, he thought he had. Colin sprawled out on the bed, face down, with his arms spread wide. Oh yes, death would have been a treat.”
—
4 people liked it
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