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236th out of 263 books
—
233 voters
For the Earl's Pleasure
by
Anne Mallory
Beneath every scornful smile . . .
They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not...more
They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
June 30th 2009
by Avon
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*Originally read 9/12/10 - 9/13/10*
*4.5 Stars*
This book confirms my original supposition about this author's work: We were made for each other. She was made to write these entertaining books, and I was made to read them. :)
Before I get into my review, I would like to make one thing clear...
This is a paranormal historical romance.
There, that should help some readers out. For some reason, the publishers decided to shoot themselves, and the author, in the foot and not mention anywhere in the summar...more
*4.5 Stars*
This book confirms my original supposition about this author's work: We were made for each other. She was made to write these entertaining books, and I was made to read them. :)
Before I get into my review, I would like to make one thing clear...
This is a paranormal historical romance.
There, that should help some readers out. For some reason, the publishers decided to shoot themselves, and the author, in the foot and not mention anywhere in the summar...more
Oct 25, 2012
Dina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Dina by:
Catherine
4 1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 stars because I loved Valerian and Abby's relationship so much that the unanswered questions didn't bother me as they should have)
11 likes · like · see review
He was a magnificent animal. Dark and deadly in both looks and wit. Most would describe Valerian Danforth, Lord Rainewood, in terms of a lean strong predator,a panther or a wolf.
Personally, Abigail Smart found him to be the worst kind of bloated ass."Stupid donkey," she muttered as, all sinewy grace and confidence, he matched her step for step around the nearly empty balcony surrounding thecrowded ballroom below."Ill-tempered shrew," came the lazy reply.
Now,can ANYONE blame me for being grippe...more
Personally, Abigail Smart found him to be the worst kind of bloated ass."Stupid donkey," she muttered as, all sinewy grace and confidence, he matched her step for step around the nearly empty balcony surrounding thecrowded ballroom below."Ill-tempered shrew," came the lazy reply.
Now,can ANYONE blame me for being grippe...more
25 likes · like · see review
This was probably one of the strangest historicals I've ever read (and believe me that's saying ALOT). As I ponder just what to say about "For the Earl's Pleasure" by Anne Mallory, I'm rather at a loss. My bet is if the setting had been contemporary, this would have been a big hit...but, at least for me, the era is all kinds of wrong for this one. Of course, she's the author, not me-so onward.
Abigail has a BIG secret...she sees ghosts. If she were not titled and searching for a husband, that wou...more
Abigail has a BIG secret...she sees ghosts. If she were not titled and searching for a husband, that wou...more
9 likes · like · see review
The latest book for my what did I just read files is For the Earl’s Pleasure by Anne Mallory. From the cover and synopsis you would never know this is a supernatural tale. Avon has done this once before, where they tricked this reader with Tempted by the Night by Elizabeth Boyle. The heroine in that book became invisible. There were some WTF moments in that one such as the hero having invisibosex with the invisible heroine. He has no idea what she looks like. They fight supernatural crime, fall...more
9 likes · like · see review
***4.5***
This was such an unusual book. Honestly, it is a paranormal romance that happens to be set in 19th century London. I am shocked that they didn't market it that way, because I think a lot of people would really like that. As it is now, those readers sort of have to accidentally fall into this book.
I loved it. And the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers thing doesn't usually jibe with me. But this one worked so well... Mallory played it perfectly. That enemy action really only works if you can s...more
This was such an unusual book. Honestly, it is a paranormal romance that happens to be set in 19th century London. I am shocked that they didn't market it that way, because I think a lot of people would really like that. As it is now, those readers sort of have to accidentally fall into this book.
I loved it. And the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers thing doesn't usually jibe with me. But this one worked so well... Mallory played it perfectly. That enemy action really only works if you can s...more
4 likes · like · see review
Thought this would be a quick light read, but it's rather somber, between those who see spirits and those who wish to annihilate them (and those who see them...).
I found the writing rather ponderous at the beginning and it truly took me a while to get into it... Found myself rereading paragraphs to be sure I had understood what the author was getting at, for example. Although this is listed as a stand alone novel, I also kept wondering if I was missing some background information I should have h...more
I found the writing rather ponderous at the beginning and it truly took me a while to get into it... Found myself rereading paragraphs to be sure I had understood what the author was getting at, for example. Although this is listed as a stand alone novel, I also kept wondering if I was missing some background information I should have h...more
Abigail Smart has a vicious enemy in Valerian Rainewood. They were once good friends until his older brother died and he became heir. Now he's one of those mean popular people who enjoys crushing those who are beneath him—and she's beneath him (not in the good way). He only notices her when he needs someone to sneer at.
Abigail also has a secret—well, more than one—but the big one is…
Yup. She sees dead servants tupping against the ballroom walls, and dead crazy aunties prattling about lemons in...more
Abigail also has a secret—well, more than one—but the big one is…
Yup. She sees dead servants tupping against the ballroom walls, and dead crazy aunties prattling about lemons in...more
When I started to read For The Earl's Pleasure, I expected it to be more like the previous book that I had read....boy was I wrong, I definitely was in for a surprise. It starts out with Valerian and Abigail getting into quite a few intense verbal sparring matches, that I definitely found amusing. But then one eveing Valerian gets attacks and starts to appear to Abigail as a ghost. So at first I was a bit confused, because I honestly didn't expect any paranormal aspect to this book. But I found...more
When I started reading the 1st chapters I thought, damn, Anne Mallory is going to let me down on this one.
But, I stuck with it (filler while I wait for my Buddy Read book).
Well, Mallory did it again. I find this author has a talent for creating the most unexpected plots.
I don't know where or who the title of this book, FOR THE EARL'S PLEASURE, came from. Very weird. As a matter of fact, the entire plot was weird for a Regency, but I REALLY enjoyed it.
Spitfire heroine
Supernatural elements
Attempte...more
But, I stuck with it (filler while I wait for my Buddy Read book).
Well, Mallory did it again. I find this author has a talent for creating the most unexpected plots.
I don't know where or who the title of this book, FOR THE EARL'S PLEASURE, came from. Very weird. As a matter of fact, the entire plot was weird for a Regency, but I REALLY enjoyed it.
Spitfire heroine
Supernatural elements
Attempte...more
Actually it's more of a 3.5 stars........would've given it 4 stars if only certain things were not missing....like an epilogue, proper explanations about certain events...or rather the reasons behind the occurrence of those events...some loose ends ..and few other things.
All in all it was different from the usual kind of historical romance and I found it to be very entertaining, sweet, funny and enjoyable......
I would recommend it to people who like reading romances and are looking for something...more
All in all it was different from the usual kind of historical romance and I found it to be very entertaining, sweet, funny and enjoyable......
I would recommend it to people who like reading romances and are looking for something...more
For the Earl's Pleasure, Anne Mallory - I have been on a reading binge of Anne Mallory lately. I would give it a solid B as I find Mallory to be a very good writer and one who writes emotional romances well. This novel (silly title) is a paranormal romance, which makes it interesting in that it is also a historical romance. The H/h have a deeply entrenched antagonistic relationship based on years of resentment after a youthful separation and misunderstanding. Their way back to each other is comp...more
Well, this book was very little like what I was expecting from the blurb, but I read paranormals, so I was ok with those elements. I wasn't crazy with the climax, in that the motives of the antagonists and sequence of events seemed rather over the top, but I so enjoyed how the the author doled out tiny bits of information about the past and wove everything together, that I decided not to be stingy with the stars. Really more a 3.5.
I was confused at first (like others) not knowing this was a paranormal historical romance but I have to say I really enjoyed it. While it was obvious what was going to happen in the HEA, I liked the journey through the 2 characters past and present issues. Because it was some what different of a perspective of a historical (paranormal) I gave it 4 stars because I feel that added more to the book. I'd recommend for light reading.
In reading the reviews on this website and on Amazon I wasn't expecting much out of this book but actually I think it's one of the author's best. Perhaps it's because I knew from reading the reviews to expect a bit about ghosts. Perhaps it's because I often read fantasy novels, where you don't go in with any expectations about what is and is not possible.
Anyway, I thought this novel was a real page turner. I was really interested in finding out the answer to the mysteries and I thought the char...more
Anyway, I thought this novel was a real page turner. I was really interested in finding out the answer to the mysteries and I thought the char...more
May 22, 2011
Quinn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Historical and paranormal romance lovers
Shelves:
romance
HOT HOT HOT! So hot, I am not giving it to the library like I usually do with my read books. I'm keeping this bad boy.
Valerian is great as the male protagonist to me because I would actually fall for him. I can't say that for most of the romance novel males. Abby is agreeable to me- she's not boring like some of the other ladies that inhabit these stories.
Yes, I was surprised there was a supernatural bend to the story, since it wasn't written in the cover description. But I'm happy that I bough...more
Valerian is great as the male protagonist to me because I would actually fall for him. I can't say that for most of the romance novel males. Abby is agreeable to me- she's not boring like some of the other ladies that inhabit these stories.
Yes, I was surprised there was a supernatural bend to the story, since it wasn't written in the cover description. But I'm happy that I bough...more
Katyana's review pretty well sums it up. I liked the book, it seems when there is a mystery in the book it is more interesting to me than the typical boy and girl hate each other and then get together at the end of the book type theme. It IS a Paranormal. Those of you that do not like that will not like this.
If you like The Sixth Sense, I see ghost... you will probably like this one just fine!
If you like The Sixth Sense, I see ghost... you will probably like this one just fine!
This was a very unique book. I could not put it down. Abby and Valerian were childhood friends, until one horrible incident tore their friendship apart. But the problem is, they can't stay apart from one another.
That is how their story opens with them at a ball, going at one another with mean hammer and tong. The insults fly fast and furious between the two. Abby is in London trying to nab a husband and Valerian, unbeknown to Abby is doing everything he can to stop it. The problem is that other...more
That is how their story opens with them at a ball, going at one another with mean hammer and tong. The insults fly fast and furious between the two. Abby is in London trying to nab a husband and Valerian, unbeknown to Abby is doing everything he can to stop it. The problem is that other...more
Let me say that some of this book should be hard to swallow, but it's not. It is a very different approach to romance, and I loved it. Even the outrageous parts were easy to believe because Ms. Mallory wrote it all so well. It flowed smoothly, was beautifully written, and if you don't love Raine's change of heart then you aren't breathing. A good example of why I love her books.
This is a strange one. I read the back cover expecting one story but I ended up reading something quite different entirely. For one, it doesn't say anything about it being a paranormal-ish historical romance. And I'm not saying paranormal as in the vampire kind. I'm referring to ghost. That's right, ghost. As in the heroine can see ghosts and the hero becomes one.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was a frustrating book. a) it's not clear that it's a paranormal/historical from the description, b) the writing is kind of all over the place, c) it never quite establishes clear world-building, d) I never particularly cared what happened to the main characters. It wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't very good.
I definitely give it a 4 for entertainment value. For the reality issue, well, it is fiction. I had a hard time starting this book and wondered if I should just let it go but I continued to the 2nd chapter and kept reading. I decided to give it 3 stars based on some issues I had with certain turns of events.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 on GR system
My first novel from this author - writing was good (apart fromoveruse of all forms of the word 'dark'),tension between the protags well-done, didn't guess the villain's identity. The blurb doesn't mention that the story has a heavily paranormal element, so something to be aware of.
My first novel from this author - writing was good (apart fromoveruse of all forms of the word 'dark'),tension between the protags well-done, didn't guess the villain's identity. The blurb doesn't mention that the story has a heavily paranormal element, so something to be aware of.
Yet another great story from Anne Mallory. I think what I like most about her books, is that you can't always tell what you are getting in to just by reading the back. I was instantly drawn in! I'm not going to spoil anything more, just read it!
Well, it's different. She did it with a spirit, bothered me somehow. LOL. And the ending, I wish the author included Basil and Stagen there. It would be more interesting with their comments on how Abby and Valerian got together at last.
I wish she'd change the time period! This book is funny and keeps you turning the pages. Set in the 19th century everything seems a bit odd and wrong, but the story itself is well written and only a bit cheezy. Her best so far!
Interesting cross-genre book. I liked the characters and the storyline. Found it interesting and well written. Not quite 4 stars but definitely more than 3 stars. It definitely took me awhile to figure out what was going on.
This book was so so. The whole idea of paranormal in my historical romance is a hard thing for me to grasp. The love story is touching but the spirit/ghost thing didn't do it for me.
Hypnotic and spell binding! Never have i read a paranormal historical romance ever. Different from the other's yet set in the rigid rules of english society.
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Some people have always known they wanted to write. Others fall into it and discover its inherent joy. I’m somewhere in between. As an avid reader, writing a novel had always tickled the back of my mind. There seem to be a lot of people who say, “Someday I’ll write a book.” For me, the feeling tickled, moved into an incessant knocking and finally became a dull roar. All I needed was to make that “...more
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Jan 02, 2012 04:22pm
I loved it too. It prov...more
Jan 02, 2012 04:28pm