Beguiling the Beauty (Fitzhugh Trilogy, #1)

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Beguiling the Beauty (Fitzhugh Trilogy #1)

by Sherry Thomas (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 1,055 ratings · 195 reviews

When the Duke of Lexington meets the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg on a transatlantic liner, he is fascinated. She’s exactly what he’s been searching for—a beautiful woman who interests and entices him. He falls hard and fast—and soon proposes marriage.

And then she disappears without a trace…

For in reality, the “baroness” is Venetia Easterbrook—a proper young...more

Mass Market Paperback, 281 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Berkley Sensation

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May 05, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-european

Her beauty was staggering, excessive, as if she were not quite flesh and blood, but an artist's conjuration, born of a bout of fevered ecstasy.

Christian de Monfort, Duke of Lexington at nineteen was smitten. Venetia Fitzhugh Townsend, a married lady was simply the most beautiful woman Christian had ever seen. Two years later, Venetia's husband dies. She remarries a wealthy, older man, and it is rumoured she had an affair with one of her second husband's best friends. Christian now realised that...more

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May 20, 2012 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, reviewed, romance-historical, sherry-thomas

Let me preface this review by saying that I have a fan-gurl krush on Ms. Thomas, so it is extremely hard for me to give any book she writes a 3 star rating. However, since I also want to be truthful when I write a review, then I must let the 3 star must stand.

What I loved about the book was as usual Ms. Thomas has wrote two emotional and complicated characters, where not all as it seems. While I didn't like Venetia or Christian for most of the book, by the end I wasn't ready for the book to be...more Let me preface this review by saying that I have a fan-gurl krush on Ms. Thomas, so it is extremely hard for me to give any book she writes a 3 star rating. However, since I also want to be truthful when I write a review, then I must let the 3 star must stand.

What I loved about the book was as usual Ms. Thomas has wrote two emotional and complicated characters, where not all as it seems. While I didn't like Venetia or Christian for most of the book, by the end I wasn't ready for the book to be over. Here is one area where I think the book suffered, was the it was too short in length. While Christian may have been in love with a beautiful woman for many years, he really didn't "know" her and on Venetia's part, she only knew of Christian as the man who had just insulted and maligned her honor and payed him back by handing him his heart within a week's time. The ending was too abrupt for what they had put each other through.

The entire premise of the book was how beautiful Venetia was, but by the time we got a full discription of what Venetia looked like, I just didn't visualize her as being attractive as much as odd looking. I still don't know what color Christian's eyes were. That was hard for me, as a reader we were left just as much in the dark about the truth of Venetia's past as Christian was. But the biggest problem for me was the love scene discriptions or rather the lack of. There were none and what was there was brief, which was sad because she has done a wonderful job in the past with love scenes. I think if the book would have at least had one or two, I would have at least rated the book higher, but on its own merit I can't.

Now having said that, we have met our next two couples and as usual the relationships are about as mucked up as two people can get things and I am looking forward to seeing how ST untagles them. I don't want anybody to think that I didn't enjoy the book, I did, but it just wasn't as good as some of her books in the past at least for me. I know this review is kind of rambling, but I am having trouble putting something more cohesive right now. (less)

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May 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kelly-lebrock, victorian, own-it

Hmmm, sort of waffling here, but I think 3 stars. Easier to say that I liked it more than Delicious, but it was not as intimate and intricate as His at Night and Not Quite a Husband and Private Arrangements. I adore the 'don't-hate-me-because-I'm-beautiful' trope, and parts were really lovely, but the romance seemed at arm's length. So much happened offscreen, so it was hard to really feel sympathetic - or to get that true angst fix.

There was also oodles of series foundation building, and nearl...more

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May 05, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fv-review, ppb

“Avenge yourself. Make him fall in love with you, then give him the cut.”

Christian de Montford’s (The Duke of Lexington) greatest passion has been for science and archeology since a young child. That is, until one summer afternoon at the annual Eton and Harrow cricket match where he first laid eyes on Venetia Townsend. It was love at first sight for Christian and while he coveted a married woman, she was considered a curse by her jealous husband. After Mr. Townsend’s untimely suicide, Venetia ma...more
“Avenge yourself. Make him fall in love with you, then give him the cut.”

Christian de Montford’s (The Duke of Lexington) greatest passion has been for science and archeology since a young child. That is, until one summer afternoon at the annual Eton and Harrow cricket match where he first laid eyes on Venetia Townsend. It was love at first sight for Christian and while he coveted a married woman, she was considered a curse by her jealous husband. After Mr. Townsend’s untimely suicide, Venetia married her second husband a year later. Christian, still obsessed with her beauty, makes countless inquiries regarding her life. He soon comes to the conclusion that Venetia is a shallow, selfish woman who diminishes those around her; though that still does not tame the desire he holds for her even ten years later. Upon completion of a lecture on evolution at Harvard, Christian is asked to elaborate on an article he wrote and published in Harper’s Magazine with regard to human beauty being a product of natural selection:

“I do enjoy beauty, but I enjoy it the same way I do a cigar, with the understanding that while it gives temporary pleasure, it is essentially meaningless, and perhaps might even be harmful in the long run.”

Christian, furthermore goes on to present evidence of his theory in describing the demise of Venetia’s two marriages. Although he has not called her by name, he has no clue that Venetia is in fact hearing every word of condemnation he speaks in the lecture hall. She knows without a doubt Christian is placing judgment on her with regard to the rumors he chooses to believe as facts. After returning to her hotel, Venetia runs into Christian at the hotel clerk’s office. She disguises herself not only with the veil she is wearing but also speaking fluent German to which he in turn takes notice of her and translates to the clerk. At the check in desk, Venetia overhears Christian is scheduled to depart on the luxury liner, Rhodesia, in the morning. On a whim of anger, revenge and encouraging words from her younger sister, Venetia books a room on the Rhodesia as the Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg with the deceitful intention to seduce Christian and walk away. What she does not count on is seeing the true person Christian is underneath his duke’s title, or how easily she can come to love a man whom she considers her greatest enemy.

I will start by saying this was in no way a “feel good” or satisfying story for me; even after the HEA ending. A good part of the story is based on seduction and revenge. It took me a long time to engage in the plot and the main characters, only able to focus on two or three chapters at a time before putting it down and not returning to it until hours or a day later. For me, that type of tedious reading is uncharacteristic. As the story progressed, I hoped that a love for the characters would develop as well but I found myself more frustrated as their story unfolded.

This was my first read by Sherry Thomas. On a positive note, I will say that she did exhibit a poignant dialogue, at times overly flowery and descriptive, but eloquent all the same. Both main characters were clever, tenacious and were appealing as individuals. What I longed for was the dialogue to resonate into Christian and Venetia’s hearts and validate what they claimed to feel internally for the other. What I was left with was a couple, exhibiting a heaviness and coldness throughout the majority of the storyline. I found the love scenes very stale; lacking emotion or zeal and this was disappointing from two individually strong, intelligent characters. As the reader, I never felt an amorous connection between Christian and Venetia and as a result their final admittance of love lacked a warmth or genuineness that I long for in a couple. Although the main couple lacked romance and passion on the page, the secondary characters that played prominent roles in their lives showed potential. I have heard rumors that the second book in the series is extremely emotional and a step above this initial debut of the Fitzhugh trilogy. Given the positives I did find Ms. Thomas’s writing style and the intrigue I have regarding the secondary characters, I will definitely give it a shot and hope for a more satisfying outcome.

Favorite Quote:

“She traced the lower edge of his blindfold, across the ridge of his nose, across his cheek. The next thing she knew, she’d yanked him to her, her leg over his waist, her tongue in his mouth. She wanted this. She wanted him. She wanted to absorb his fearlessness through touch, until she, too, was open and brave and worthy of this closeness that lifted her like a tide.”

Originally posted at http://www.fictionvixen.com/2012/05/b...(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Kerrie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: buddy-reads, why-am-i-even-reading-this, ebook, wangst, snarky-rants

(This review contains spoilers, and I don't care.)

I don't know about my fellow buddy readers, but for me this Buddy Read was going to ask a Very Serious Scientific Question:

Do Sherry Thomas books always blow chunks?

Now, it wouldn't make sense to read the same book. This is scientific, you see. But as the Sherry Thomas Pain Train commenced, one truth became evident:

Miserable characters living in a hell of their own making that they created with their eyes wide open.

It's all about the wangsty emoz...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Limau Nipis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, historical-romance, on-nook, wasting-my-time

I would say that this is the least favourite book of mine from the Fitzhugh Trilogy.

Just because, Venetia decides to lay with the hero, the Duke of Lexington, when she meets him at the cruise liner. Because she wants to break his heart, because he talks badly openly about her during his lecture in America - where Venetia becomes the audience.

Too many time is spent just establishing these two characters. My complaint is, Sherry Thomas, why can't you dedicate the second half of the book, on how Ve...more

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May 02, 2012 Charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-historical, genre-romance

Never warmed to the heroine. She seemed feckless and cowardly to me and her agony and pain never truly registered with me. The hero was fine but again I was never really there with him.

This reminded me oddly enough of a run-of-the-mill category romance. The forgettable kind, where the glamour and wish-fulfillment of it all is more important than the characters and relationship. Something about it was simplistic, without true depth of emotion. A little paint-by-numbers, for all that it had an int...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobuy-author, may-2012-release, own-it-kindle

Updated to 4 stars on re-read
Not as good as I've come to expect from Sherry Thomas. I'm not all that crazy about love at first sight based only on great beauty, and the stratagem to keep her identity secret later seemed kind of lame. The next book in the trilogy sounds more promising, although the relationship of that couple, as shown in this book, is certainly problematic.

Update: I'm not sure why I was so harsh on this book the first time around, but I liked it much more on re-read after readi...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Mskchick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I win both Beguiling the Beauty and Ravishing the Heiress from the publisher from a contest on one of my book blogs

Christian has been nursing an unrequited tendre for Venetia for 10 years. He is enamored only of her beauty, and believes all the rumors that he has heard about her. It causes him great despair that he is in love with her despite her black reputation, and he is afraid that he will not hold her percieved misdeed against her when he finally gets to interact with her in the ton. This c...more I win both Beguiling the Beauty and Ravishing the Heiress from the publisher from a contest on one of my book blogs

Christian has been nursing an unrequited tendre for Venetia for 10 years. He is enamored only of her beauty, and believes all the rumors that he has heard about her. It causes him great despair that he is in love with her despite her black reputation, and he is afraid that he will not hold her percieved misdeed against her when he finally gets to interact with her in the ton. This causes him to slander her when he is speaking in a lecture in America. He doesn't have much faith in his own willpower or powers of perception, does he?!

By a twist of fate, Venetia is present at the American lecture where he defames her, and she conceives a way to have her revenge against him, although she doesn't think it out completely. They are on the same transatlantic ship, and she pretends to be a German baroness. She remains in a veil the whole time (or Christina is blindfolded, or the lights are off) and they conduct an open affair during the ocean crossing. Hijinks ensue, both fall (truly) in love, and then the heartache starts as the baroness flees Christian after hearing about how he has 'loved' Venetia from afar for 10 years.

Despite some of my complaints in the first few paragraphs, and the many contrived things in the lot, I did really enjoy this book, and it is a solid 4 stars for me. The ending was hokey and somewhat rushed, but the rest of the book was good enough that I forgave the ending. I would defeinitely recommend this book to others. I really enjoy Sherry Thomas' writing style, and she can make the story good enough to make you forget the improbabilities that occur.

I hated the bits of Millicent and Fitz's story that were in this book, although not a virulently as I hated them in their own book, Ravishing the Heiress. They both need to be slapped. The hints for the coming book of Tempting the Bride, the third in the trilogy, were a bit heavy handed, but I can't wait to read book 3!

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Nov 10, 2012 Rawles rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, time-contemporary

2.5

Sherry Thomas is a more than competent writer, which is why I decided to read this book despite my noted disinterest in mistaken identity plotlines (UNLESS they involve crossdressing), and much of the actual romance between the hero and heroine is engaging and genuine. Unfortunately, this book is brought way down by its central conceit: namely the incredulity-straining, suspension-of-disbelief-shattering incredible physical beauty of the heroine.

There were various moments where it was just si...more

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Sep 05, 2012 ALPHAreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Christian, Duke of Lexington, fell in love with Venetia Easterbrook from afar, as many young men have done. But she was married at the time of his falling was for naught. But Christian still made a promise to himself that one day, no matter how long he’d have to wait, he would take a chance with the beautiful Mrs. Easterbrook.

Christian harboured this thought close to his heart for years. Even after an unsettling conversation with Mr. Easterbrook about his downfall, thanks in part to his beguili...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Yellow Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I have read from this author and wow was I amazed at how good this book was. I definitely did not expect it to be so good. It is quite obvious the author has done her research she describes things articulately and of course correctly. The authors knowledge of the time period and the main Heroes career definitely gives an edge to this book, in a sense that it makes it more attractive and interesting to read. Aside research the authors use of prose is absolutely spectac...more This is the first book that I have read from this author and wow was I amazed at how good this book was. I definitely did not expect it to be so good. It is quite obvious the author has done her research she describes things articulately and of course correctly. The authors knowledge of the time period and the main Heroes career definitely gives an edge to this book, in a sense that it makes it more attractive and interesting to read. Aside research the authors use of prose is absolutely spectacular although I really feel some parts were rushed other then that I think Thomas did a great job.

The author also talks about Millie and Lord Fitzhugh which was annoying and interfered with the storyline I really do not care what happens to other characters, the more on the main hero and heroine the better. But that is how I see it.

The development of the plot was well laid out our Hero has been longing in his dreams for Venetia ever since he saw her at a party with her husband. And due to Venetia's good heart rumors have been accumulated that tarnish her honor, so our hero blindly believes those rumors and uses her as an example in one of his speeches in America. And of course our heroine is there listening to his speech, she becomes enraged and seeks to destroy him. Since she is considered a great beauty she swears to seduce him and break his heart. And she does it on their way to London, they spend the most amazing nights together however Venetia is incognito(always wearing a veil) and Christian as a gentleman that he is never questions her choice. Her plan succeeds however she falls for him hard just as much as he falls for her.

The hero and the heroine were perfect they had a balance that a lot of romantic writers fail to establish. In a lot of other books it is either a heroine who is a complete wimp and a pushover and the man is a brute, while in other books the man is the wimp and the woman is the brute. However, the balance was achieved with the main characters, Christian was an alpha male he was strong and he was able to take control, thankfully he was not also a selfish alpha male (from the 80s bodice rippers ugh). In fact he was willing to accept his mistakes and he apologized to Venetia he did not make her suffer for no reason, he married her although he was still angry at her. Venetia was an amazing and perfect heroine she was beautiful and feminine, yet she wasn't a wimp or a push over she stood up for herself when needed and she proved her love to Christian. The development of their relationship was also very well written.

A very happily ever after tale, a lovely read I recommend this to any romance lover.(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Christian de Montfort, the Duke of Lexington, is a hero to die for. He is handsome, wealthy, and extraordinary learned gentleman. He is a Naturalist who loves digging for dinosaur fossils. He is also very private about his life, but does his duty to his family. One day while still at Harrow University, he notices a lady in a carriage and asks his friend who is that beautiful woman? He finds out she is Mrs. Townsend and is very much married. A few years later, Christian finds out that Mrs. Townse...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Photojim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, historical-romance, e-books, romance

*Note: Since this is a book club read, I don't want to give any particulars in the review as I don't want to influence other book club members with my review but I'll speak in generalities and maybe will come back and update after our book club discussion.*

As I have commented many times in the past 'I HATE HISTORICALS'. And yet every year I end up reading a couple for one reason or other. In this case, it is the book club pick for a group of friends. And here's the thing - I didn't HATE it. I di...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Elisa Beatty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Man, Sherry Thomas is just amazing. This is another really intense, fascinating, substantial story with a truly challenging core conflict and intelligent, intense characters... I wasn't sure it was going to work when the heroine decides to seduce the hero WITHOUT HIM REALIZING WHO SHE REALLY IS (she wears a veiled hat and/or makes him turn out the lights or wear a blindfold), but Thomas more than pulled it off...she made it erotic and very moving (the heroine is a Great Beauty who feels like no...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Erica Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, victorian-romance

I'll read anything that Sherry Thomas writes, including a books with tropes that I'm not too fond of, such as the H/H masquerading as someone else. In Beguiling, Thomas actually pulls it off, placing her leads on a transatlantic voyage in which it's actually conceivable that a masquerade would work. If you're a Sherry Thomas fan, then you already know that her writing features intense emotional close-ups and characters who are decent people dealing with difficult, but relatable circumstances (e....more

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May 31, 2012 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I love Sherry Thomas, and I hate writing negative reviews of books written by authors I love, so I'm going to keep this short.

This story is so impossible that I think Sherry Thomas used up all her talent trying to hammer it into some workable form and had none left over to make it actually romantic. The early chapters stutter forward oddly; we have the hero, Christian, who is obsessed with the heroine, Venetia, for upwards of ten years despite only having glimpsed her on two brief occasions. She...more I love Sherry Thomas, and I hate writing negative reviews of books written by authors I love, so I'm going to keep this short.

This story is so impossible that I think Sherry Thomas used up all her talent trying to hammer it into some workable form and had none left over to make it actually romantic. The early chapters stutter forward oddly; we have the hero, Christian, who is obsessed with the heroine, Venetia, for upwards of ten years despite only having glimpsed her on two brief occasions. Sherry Thomas has to work hard to make us believe that this powerful, rational, scientific man could be subject to such an irrational passion and...she doesn't quite succeed. It doesn't fit with his character, not when he's had such minimal exposure to her.

Venetia, for her part, suffers from having to share page space with characters destined for future books. She has a complicated past herself, involving two previous marriages, which we discover right along with the backstories of Venetia's sister and her sister-in-law. Scenes that ought to have been devoted to shoring up the romantic connection between Venetia and Christian are devoted to the two sisters and their beaux-to-be.

Then there's the particular contrivance of this book: Venetia and Christian have an affair on a boat traveling from New York to London, while Venetia wears a veil at all times so Christian never sees her face (and thus never recognizes her as a person he's been obsessed with for ten years). She's motivated by revenge, because he's said some horrible things about her, but their time together is so special that they fall madly in love. There are just so many details that need explaining here - what does she do in the dining room while wearing a veil? When in Christian's room, are the lights off? Is he wearing a blindfold? What other steps are necessary to keep him from recognizing her? And where did she learn to speak German so well that she can pass AS a German? - that I constantly felt the author's hand forcing the story along and never, ever felt the magic.

I could go on, but it would be spoilery to discuss much more of the plot. There are more unlikely events and Sherry Thomas works really, really hard to make them seem plausible and she more or less succeeds, but that doesn't make the book itself a success. The ending, in particular, was a ridiculous letdown. Comic rather than moving. (less)

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May 07, 2012 Hirondelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

2.5 stars in my own very steep and picky rating curve.

It was a bit meh, in no way actually bad at anything possible, but sort of weak. I loved the author´s earlier standalone books. And now instead of one book a year we get 3 books in one year, sounded lovely. Except it turns out this is book feels much less dense, less rich than her earlier novels.

This trilogy is about 3 siblings (or more correctly 2 sisters and their sister in law) in late 19th century English high society. I love the setting...more

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May 06, 2012 Dorothea rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

First please indulge me as I spend a paragraph or two hating on the cover illustration. I have read SO MANY romance novels and know all about their silly covers but for some reason THIS one bothers me. Mostly, it's this horrible dress she's wearing. It looks so uncomfortable! The scratchy-looking lace on the neckline is digging into her breasts, but if she lowered her arm, the bodice would fall right off. Her posture may be physically possible (although who knows what she's doing with her right...more

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May 06, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 3 of 5 stars

Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas
Historical Romance May 1st, 2012
3 ½ stars

Sherry Thomas writes a novel about two beautiful main characters that are unerringly meant to be together.

The Duke of Lexington, Christian de Montfort is charming, attractive and wealthy. But there is one thing he can’t have, the married and very beautiful Venetia Easterbrook. When her husband cryptically tells Christian that Venetia may be the death of him and then suddenly and mysteriously dies, he questions her hono...more Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas
Historical Romance May 1st, 2012
3 ½ stars

Sherry Thomas writes a novel about two beautiful main characters that are unerringly meant to be together.

The Duke of Lexington, Christian de Montfort is charming, attractive and wealthy. But there is one thing he can’t have, the married and very beautiful Venetia Easterbrook. When her husband cryptically tells Christian that Venetia may be the death of him and then suddenly and mysteriously dies, he questions her honor. Especially when she quickly marries another man many years her senior. However, this does not stop Christian from still desiring her for himself. When he visits the Americas he vilifies Venetia anonymously and Venetia is hurt and humiliated. When they meet on a transatlantic boat she pretends to be the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitze-Hardenberg so she needn’t confront him. But finds she is shockingly aware of him and he of her. She decides to hurt him with a vengeful affair as the mysterious Baroness but instead finds herself in love.

This was an interesting story which seemed a bit more convoluted then it needed to be. The motivations of each character seemed to be more extreme than most people, especially Christian. Christian (particularly, in the beginning) comes off as a bit spoiled because he can’t have Venetia so he easily is willing to believe the worst of her. I also felt it was pretty unbelievable that they had an affair and he has no clue that the Baroness is really Venetia. Venetia is a far more sympathetic character, she holds painful secrets but the affair with Christian didn’t seem true to her character. She becomes enraptured with Christian despite his arrogance. I enjoyed the second half of the story more as Christian must change. They both long for each other and their feelings were very real. While well written, I found this story ultimately unsatisfying.

While the first section of the book is a bit unbelievable the second half is filled with deep emotion that is romantic.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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May 05, 2012 Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2012

Probably my least favority Sherry Thomas, this book played with tropes that I tend to find snooze boring- "i'm so beautiful i find it difficult to establish meaningful relationships," "revenge sex based on mistaken identity," and "love or some semblance thereof at first sight." That's not to say that Thomas did not have interesting things to say about all of the above in clear, lovely prose. That just means that my emotional tie-in to the story was basically nil.

I'm going through a bit of a dry-...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, read-2012, arc-giveaways

I devoured this book in one sitting. Sherry Thomas's prose is always delightful, and this was no exception. The dialogue sparkled, particularly during the hero and heroine's affair on the steamship. In fact, if the entire book was like that section, this would easily be a five-star, all-time favorite romance for me. I loved the chemistry between Christian and Venetia, not just the physical, but their passion for their shared interest in paleontology, the emotional honesty allowed by Venetia's an...more I devoured this book in one sitting. Sherry Thomas's prose is always delightful, and this was no exception. The dialogue sparkled, particularly during the hero and heroine's affair on the steamship. In fact, if the entire book was like that section, this would easily be a five-star, all-time favorite romance for me. I loved the chemistry between Christian and Venetia, not just the physical, but their passion for their shared interest in paleontology, the emotional honesty allowed by Venetia's anonymous seduction, and complete abandon which with Christian was willing to both fall in love and profess his love.

The fly in the ointment, of course, is what caused Venetia to seduce Christian in the first place. One of my biggest romance pet peeves is a hero who believes stupid, hateful rumors about an innocent heroine for no good reason. Normally it is a dealbreaker for me, something that causes me to give up on a book almost without fail. Here, I found it mostly forgivable. The biggest mitigating factor was that Christian was so delightful the rest of the time. His misjudgment of Venetia was one minor misstep; in fact, I found myself wondering why a man who was otherwise an open-minded, observant, excellent judge of character was so willing to believe the worst of a complete stranger based on the word of a husband who was so insecure he admitted to memorizing the face of every man he ever observed lusting after his wife. Thomas does a good job of showing how Christian's discomfort with the power of his physical attraction to Venetia prejudices him unfairly, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with how this was dealt with (or rather, not really dealt with) during the resolution and HEA. However, something that would normally be a dealbreaker for me felt more like a minor quibble because I liked the rest of the book so damn much.

Once Christian discovers Venetia's identity and realizes that her seduction was motivated by revenge, the book takes a brief turn for the frustrating, as anger and shame motivates them to deceive and hurt each other instead of trying to offer explanations and apologies. But it's comparatively brief, and soon resolved with a grand romantic gesture that ties absolutely everything up very quickly and neatly. It feels a little abrupt, but again, I was more than willing to roll with it because I was really, really enjoying the book, and really, really wanted to see everything resolved.

I didn't go into this book with the highest expectations, knowing that it contained one of my biggest romance pet peeves, but I wound up really enjoying it. I am now even more excited about the next books in the series, especially Millie and Fitz's story. If this is how Sherry Thomas writes one of my least favorite tropes, I can't wait to see her do one of my favorites.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I won this book in an ARC giveaway. However, I am not the kind of person who won't nitpick a book just because she got it for free.)(less)

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Mar 13, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

A complicated yet compelling look at the issue of what it means to be judged almost exclusively by one's outward appearance or social station without regard to the true nature of relationships that have been characterized in a negative light and with almost disregard for the truth. It is almost unbelievable to most women that there could actually be such beauty as to be a burden to the one possessing it, but so it was with Venetia Fitzhugh Townsend Easterbrook, a woman who was incredibly intelli...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Lord Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: era-victorian, romance, genre-historical-romance, travel, place-usa, place-ship, scientist-scholar-academic-etc

I was a bit apprehensive before starting, since reviews have not been all that great, but I actually quite liked this. I'm a huge fan of Judith Ivory's Beast, so I suppose I was predisposed to liking this book.

I adore nerdy heroes, and I think naturalist dukes qualify for that status.

The love at first sight/hating from rumors thing was kind of annoying. (Not least because i don't believe in love at first sight, and therefore books based on that premise.) And really, why can't heroes in love with...more

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May 19, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, keepers, romance-goodies

I have one complaint about this book--it was too short! I'm used to Ms Thomas's 300+ page stories and this was noticeably shorter. I wanted more, but for the story's purposes, it was just right.
That quibble aside, this is a great book, with all of her usual marks--exquisite language, angsty main characters, interesting setting.
Venetia(our heroine) is a Great Beauty who is very aware that her appearance affects people to the point that very few people know the 'real' woman. Christian, our hero,...more I have one complaint about this book--it was too short! I'm used to Ms Thomas's 300+ page stories and this was noticeably shorter. I wanted more, but for the story's purposes, it was just right.
That quibble aside, this is a great book, with all of her usual marks--exquisite language, angsty main characters, interesting setting.
Venetia(our heroine) is a Great Beauty who is very aware that her appearance affects people to the point that very few people know the 'real' woman. Christian, our hero, succumbed to the lure of her beauty as a youth, and is still obsessed with thoughts of her. There are some nice ruminations on how beauty is perceived in the dialog. Indeed, the idea of Beauty and how we react to it/live with it is one of the major motifs of the story.

Circumstances conspire to allow Venetia to disguise herself as someone else and have a mad fling with Christian. I usually have a hard time with these kind of plots (I'm always asking 'why didn't he recognize her?') but the author pulled this off to my satisfaction. Naturally, complications arise, which would be very spoiler-y to go into, before they can get to their HEA (and I did believe in the HEA). Christian has the longer journey, as he has to come to grips with his obsession. Venetia has to learn to open up her feelings and reveal them to Christian; to not hide behind her Great Beauty persona.

This is the start of a trilogy, so some of the page count is taken up with laying the groundwork for the next two stories. But that groundwork was nicely integrated into the main story, so it was not as annoying as sequel-baiting tends to be.

Two points, though, keep this from being a 5 star for me: the major one was the scene with the noted gossip-mongers at the end, which just really seemed so unlikely that I almost cringed. The other is very minor, but it jerked me out of the story--Venetia is talking to Christian about her first husband and uses the word "bloke" rather than "man" in describing him. It just sounded so wrong coming from her very upper-class lips.

ps--there's a nice bonus for faithful readers of her earlier books. Leo Marsden, the Tremaines, and Lord Vere are either very briefly mentioned or show up for very brief cameos. Lovely Easter eggs.(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Babyfishmouth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, kindle

The niggling sense that this book wouldn't be what I hoped started during the prologue when Christian, the hero, reveals that he loves a woman he's never met based solely on her beauty. My concern grew in direct portion to the number of pages devoted to Millie and Fitz (H/h in Book 2 of this trilogy which I read first). But I think all hope of having this book be more than a two star read happened the moment Venetia put on the veiled hat.

I read a romance by Judith Ivory called The Beast that sh...more

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May 18, 2012 Las rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I can't believe I'm giving a Sherry Thomas book two star (and really, the only reason it's not one star is because at least the grammar is good). This book lost me at the prologue, and it never got me back.

Christian sees Venetia once, from a distance, and falls instantly in love. Doesn't speak to her at all, doesn't even make eye contact because she doesn't notice him, but that's it--she's so other-worldly beautiful that he falls in love and stays in love for 10 years, during which time she's w...more I can't believe I'm giving a Sherry Thomas book two star (and really, the only reason it's not one star is because at least the grammar is good). This book lost me at the prologue, and it never got me back.

Christian sees Venetia once, from a distance, and falls instantly in love. Doesn't speak to her at all, doesn't even make eye contact because she doesn't notice him, but that's it--she's so other-worldly beautiful that he falls in love and stays in love for 10 years, during which time she's widowed twice over and he grows resentful because the love of his life--whom he's never met--is just too beautiful for him to forget and he can't stand that she lives her life in a way he doesn't approve. Not that he knows how she lives her life, because, again, he doesn't know her and doesn't know anyone who's close enough to her to provide him with any details about her life.

Ten years after not meeting her and falling in love with her anyway, he gives a lecture at Harvard about evolution. During the Q&A, in order to make a point about how dangerous beautiful women are, he, without revealing her name, recites a whole bunch of details about her life. Venetia, of course, is in the audience and is understandably horrified. Now, even though a lot of people in England would know who Christian was talking about, there's no reason for her to believe that anyone in audience would have any idea. So, as far as she knows, there are no consequences to Christian's indiscretion other than her justifiably hurt feelings. No matter, after a few days she decides she wants revenge, and the best revenge would be to get him to fall in love with her on the ship that will take them back to England. That sounds like an incredibly petty reason to seek out that level of revenge, but whatever, I'm always game for a good revenge plot. Except that doesn't happen, because after one night of hot lovin', Venetia (who's hiding her identity with a veil) is in love with Christian and now she's in a state because how can he ever forgive her?! Venetia girl, I sympathize with that long dry spell, but ain't no orgasm that great.

So, basically, what we have here is a romance between two immature people who are too stupid to know their own minds. A heartbroken Venetia disappears, intending to never let Christian know the truth. Christian is hopeful that she'd come to him like she promised, even though he's all conflicted when he sees Venetia and once again is in thrall, because he doesn't know that Venetia is his Baroness. And it turns out that a fellow Englishwoman was in that audience at Harvard, and she knew exactly who Christian was talking about, so she happily spread the word. And around this time, the presumed infertile Venetia finds out she's pregnant (I can't believe Sherry Thomas went there). Yada yada yada, Venetia confesses everything right after Christian figures it all out on his own. They get married. Christian's pissed and Venetia is heartbroken but hopeful.

And then, the most ridiculous resolution to the most asinine conflict occurs, in the form of the gossip who spread the word about Christian's badmouthing of Venetia. I seriously considered DNFing right there, but with 10 pages to go I carried on, with my eyes rolled way back into my head.

I wasn't crazy about His at Night...it just wasn't for me, but it wasn't a bad book by any means. But Beguiling the Beauty was just awful. The characters were dumb, the plot was weak, the conflict was nonsense. Not a good start to this trilogy, although the secondary characters were a hell of a lot more interesting than the "hero" and "heroine," so here's hoping for the kind of writing that made Sherry Thomas an autobuy for me in the next book.
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May 10, 2012 Janusz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading my first Sherry Thomas book in twelve months brought home to me her astonishingly consistent excellence. Numerous authors are able to churn out consistently mediocre pulp fiction (and sometimes make a fortune in so doing), but truly original and inventive writers seem unable to avoid the occasional sour lemon among the juicy peaches.

The narrative of Beguiling the Beauty is deceptively complex, which is perhaps why the Goodreads summary is so unsatisfactory, leaving out so many essential...more Reading my first Sherry Thomas book in twelve months brought home to me her astonishingly consistent excellence. Numerous authors are able to churn out consistently mediocre pulp fiction (and sometimes make a fortune in so doing), but truly original and inventive writers seem unable to avoid the occasional sour lemon among the juicy peaches.

The narrative of Beguiling the Beauty is deceptively complex, which is perhaps why the Goodreads summary is so unsatisfactory, leaving out so many essential elements.

Christian, Duke of Lexington and the most eligible bachelor in Britain, is in no hurry to marry. Part of the reason is his scientific objectivity and passion for natural science. He's more interested in fossils than debutantes. But the main reason is a life-changing glimpse, when he was still in his teens, of a stunningly beautiful woman across the verdant pitch of the Eton-Harrow cricket match. He's completely entranced, even when he discovers she's married. Neither does his infatuation diminish when Venetia, the transcendental beauty, rips through marriage after marriage, leaving a trail of malicious and highly unflattering gossip in her wake.

While giving a lecture at Harvard, Christian is asked about the role of beauty in natural selection. Instead of his usual succinct answer, he finds himself describing, third-hand, the uncontrollable damaging effect of human beauty, using his cricket pitch experience as an example. Unfortunately for Christian, Venetia is sitting in the audience and promptly deduces that Christian is talking about her.

Her original plan of charming Christian and introducing him to Helena, her unmarried sister, turns into a plot of vengeance for outing her in public, even though most of the Harvard audience would not be able to make the connection.

She pursues him on his transatlantic voyage back to England and attempts to seduce him -- not an easy feat, as this requires maintaining her anonymity through the use of veils, darkened rooms, and blindfolds.

The gentle seduction works too well, leaving both Christian and Venetia in a limbo of frustrated passion.

After Christian realises that the mysteriously veiled shipboard siren is Venetia in disguise, the tension and stress between them escalates further.

At one point in the book, I found myself completely absorbed in the psychological tension generated by the stormy interaction of the pair and experienced intense discomfort -- an indication of the skill with which Ms Thomas handles the emotions of the characters and draws the sympathy of the reader.

The romantic episode on the transatlantic liner requires some suspension of disbelief, especially concerning the effectiveness of a veil or the darkness of an unlit room. But by this point in the story I was completely hooked and more than willing to give Ms Thomas the benefit of the doubt.

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Jan 26, 2013 Karen Wheless rated it 3 of 5 stars

I never liked the old school romances where the hero and heroine hated each other until the end of the book, when they fell into each others arms and declared eternal love. I could never believe that all the hurtful things the characters did to each other could be forgotten so easily. Sherry Thomas’s books remind me of those romances. They are written in a much more sophisticated way, but the characters still spend most of the book hurting each other, inflicting painful emotional wounds until th...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Miss rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh no. This reminded me of His At Night in very negative ways. Let me remind you of how I reacted to His At Night.

To the heroine: Oh my poor morally ambiguous desperately scheming darling. I understand that you need to find a way out of your uncle's abusive household. You do whatever you need to. You go ahead and seduce that dude. Or his brother. Whatever works for you!
To the hero: Stop projecting your fantasies onto a woman you've just met! You can't be angry at her for failing to fulfill them!...more

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About Sherry Thomas

Sherry Thomas writes both historical romance and young adult fantasy.

On the romance side, she is one of the most acclaimed authors working in the genre today, her books regularly receiving starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.

On the young adult fantasy side, there isn't much to sa...more

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“She felt as if she'd been hugging puppies all day.” — 2 people liked it

“Do you think I should be paying my addresses to Mrs. Martin, my dear Miss Fitzhugh?” he whispered. “Martin doesn’t
look the sort to have enough stamina to service two women.
And goodness knows you could probably exhaust Casanova himself.”
Again this insinuation that she must be a sufferer of nymphomania. Behind her fan, she put her lips very close to his ear. “You’ve no idea, my Lord Hastings, the heated yearnings
that singe me at night, when I cannot have a man. My skin burns to be touched, my lips kissed, and my entire body passionately fondled.”
Hastings was mute, for once. He stared at her with something halfway between amusement and arousal.
She snapped shut her fan and rapped his fingers as hard as she could, watching with great satisfaction as he choked back a
yelp of pain.
“By anyone but you,” she said, and turned on her heels.” — 1 person liked it

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Beguiling the Beauty (Fitzhugh Trilogy #1)

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