The Bride Wore Scarlet (Fraternitas Aureae Crucis, #2) by Liz Carlyle

Jun 27, 2011 Kit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anais de Rohan, daughter of Max and Catherine de Rohan from 'No True Gentleman', was smart, brave and a great fencer to boot. The hero, Lord Bessett proved to be more than the tight laced St James Society Leader with "the gift" - I found him endearing and ultimately, utterly romantic. When Liz Carlyle is at her best her characters are well wove into a large family dynamic and the characters have a vulnerable authenticity that makes the romances so easy to get lost in. I think this series involvi...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Charly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Solid romance and multi-layered plot

*NOTE: I received a free review copy of this book.*
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- Geoff’s an okay protagonist and generally a likeable character. I liked the character of Anaïs very much, though: not just her fiery spirit and bravery, but also her ability to come off as a ninny when she’s really quite intelligent. I found the scenes in which she pretends to be foolish and flighty very amusing.
- The s...more Solid romance and multi-layered plot

*NOTE: I received a free review copy of this book.*
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- Geoff’s an okay protagonist and generally a likeable character. I liked the character of Anaïs very much, though: not just her fiery spirit and bravery, but also her ability to come off as a ninny when she’s really quite intelligent. I found the scenes in which she pretends to be foolish and flighty very amusing.
- The sexual tension between Geoff and Anaïs is well done--equal parts frustration, tenderness, and raw desire--and the payoff scenes are good. There aren’t many actual bedroom scenes (although there are several other scenes that amount to foreplay), but the ones that do exist are passionate.
- Although it leads to some frustratingly dense passages, the plot is multi-layered and intriguing. Above and beyond the usual romance plot.
- The story contains an impressive amount of detail, from descriptions of the setting, to the characters’ backgrounds and motivations, to specifics of plot development, to the social and political structure of 1830s England.

CONS:
- There is so much focus on details of the plot and on the individual characters’ personalities-- Anaïs’s strength and selflessness, Geoff’s honor and protectiveness, etc.--that there’s not much time devoted to their actual connection. I wasn’t sure precisely why they were so drawn to each other at the beginning of the story. Particularly early on, there are few scenes that show them truly connecting on more than a physical level.
- Much of the story’s emotional drama comes from the fact that Geoff and Anaïs passionately desire each other but are both convinced that the relationship is unwise. But their reasons for thinking so weren’t terribly clear to me…or at least, I didn’t buy into them. So the characters’ anguish at wanting each other but valiantly resisting the urge to give in to that desire grew tiresome for me.
- I tend to find epigraphs unnecessary in the best of circumstances, if only because I think a book or chapter ought to stand on its own and not rely on the wisdom of someone else to connect to or expand upon. This book contains a quote from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War at the beginning of each chapter--and what made the quotes particularly annoying for me is that many of them are cryptic or maddeningly philosophical (example: “In general, the Tao of the invader is this: When the troops have penetrated deeply, they will be unified”). Every last one of them pulled me out of the story in a negative way.

Overall comments: I enjoyed the romance here just fine, and the plot is interesting if a bit dense. There are sections that incorporate hints and details pertaining to so many of the different plotlines that they’re difficult to follow because the dialogue flits from one topic to the next, sometimes failing to fully explain or contextualize one comment before moving on. Still, overall I think this is worth a read.(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุด Fraternitas Aurea Crucis (FAC) ซึ่งเป็นสมาคมลับอันเก่าแก่ของคนกลุ่มที่มีความสามารถพิเศษบางอย่างเหนือธรรมชาติ

สำหรับผู้มีความสามารถพิเศษเหนือธรรมชาติ สมาคมเซ็นต์เจมส์เป็นเพียงแหล่งรวมตัวกันของคนที่อาศัยอยู่ในราชอาณาจักรบริเทนเท่านั้น ในยุโรปก็มีสมาคมที่มีความคล้ายคลึงกันอยู่ เพียงแต่พวกเขาเหล่านั้นไม่อาจรวมตัวกันเป็นกลุ่มก้อนเหมือนเพื่อนในอังกฤษ ดังนั้นทำให้เมื่อมีความจำเป็น พวกเขาจึงร้องขอความช่วยเหลือมายังเพื่อนในอังกฤษ ภารกิจก็คือ การช่วยเหลือเด็กหญิงผู้มีพลังพ...more หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุด Fraternitas Aurea Crucis (FAC) ซึ่งเป็นสมาคมลับอันเก่าแก่ของคนกลุ่มที่มีความสามารถพิเศษบางอย่างเหนือธรรมชาติ

สำหรับผู้มีความสามารถพิเศษเหนือธรรมชาติ สมาคมเซ็นต์เจมส์เป็นเพียงแหล่งรวมตัวกันของคนที่อาศัยอยู่ในราชอาณาจักรบริเทนเท่านั้น ในยุโรปก็มีสมาคมที่มีความคล้ายคลึงกันอยู่ เพียงแต่พวกเขาเหล่านั้นไม่อาจรวมตัวกันเป็นกลุ่มก้อนเหมือนเพื่อนในอังกฤษ ดังนั้นทำให้เมื่อมีความจำเป็น พวกเขาจึงร้องขอความช่วยเหลือมายังเพื่อนในอังกฤษ ภารกิจก็คือ การช่วยเหลือเด็กหญิงผู้มีพลังพิเศษในการมองเห็นเหตุการณ์ในอนาคต

เด็กหญิงผู้บัดนี้ตกอยู่ในความดูแลของชายบ้าอำนาจ ผู้หวังใช้เธอเป็นเครื่องมือในการสร้างฐานะกำลังให้ตัวเอง ชายคนนั้นฆ่าบิดาของเธอ และควบคุมมารดาของเธอเอาไว้ โดยอ้างว่า เป็นญาติสนิทของอดีตสามีผู้เสียชีวิตไป

เจฟฟรีย์ ลอร์ดบาสเซ็ทเป็นผู้อาสาเดินทางไปเบลเยียมเพื่อช่วยเด็กหญิงคนนี้กลับมา แต่เขาไม่อาจไปตามลำพังได้ มันน่าสงสัยเกินไป แผนการจึงถูกวางขึ้น เจฟฟรีย์จะปลอมตัวเป็นคู่แต่งงานที่เดินทางไปฮันนีมูน ชายผู้ซึ่งไม่ค่อยเข้มแข็งนัก และยังอยู่ในการดูแลของครอบครัว เพื่อให้คนร้ายไม่ทันคิดว่า เขามีอันตราย

แต่ภารกิจต้องการหญิงสาวเพื่อร่วมแผน ซึ่งอนาอิส เดอโรฮานก็โผล่เข้ามาได้จังหวะพอดี อนาอิส ซึ่งเป็นหญิงสาว แต่กลับได้รับเลือกจากผู้เป็นทวดให้สืบทอดภารกิจของ FAC เธอใช้เวลาตลอดชีวิตเพื่อฝึกฝนตัวเองให้พร้อมกับภารกิจนี้ แต่กลับถูกปฏิเสธจากทุกคน เพียงเพราะเพศของเธอ อย่างไรก็ตามเจฟฟรีย์ให้โอกาสเธอในการพิสูจน์ตัวเอง โดยร่วมเดินทางไปเขา ทำภารกิจให้สำเร็จ และสถานของเธอจะถูกพิจารณาอีกครั้ง

ทั้งคู่จึงเปลี่ยนจากคนแปลกหน้า มาเป็นคู่แต่งงาน (จอมปลอม) อย่างรวดเร็ว และเรียนรู้ว่า ต่างฝ่ายต่างมีอะไรมากกว่าที่ตาเห็น

ทั้งเจฟฟรีย์ และอนาอิสไม่ใช่คาแร็คเตอร์แปลกหน้าเลยนะคะ เจฟฟรียเป็นลูกชายของพระเอกในเรื่อง Three Little Lies (ในเรื่องราวที่เขาต้องต่อสู้กับพลังจิตที่ได้รับสืบทอดมาจากพ่อ) ในขณะที่อนาอิสเป็นลูกสาวของแม็กซ์ เดอโรฮาน พระเอกในเรื่อง No True Gentleman การที่คาแร็คเตอร์เป็นลูก ๆ ของพระเอกนางเอกที่เราชอบในเล่มก่อน ยิ่งทำให้เราตั้งความหวังไว้สูงเชียวล่ะ

และมันก็ยากที่จะเอาชนะความคาดหวังนะคะ ในแง่นึง หนังสือเล่มนี้อ่านสนุกไปได้จนจบเรื่อง แต่แม็กซ์คาดหวังบางสิ่งที่มากกว่า ยิ่งกว่า จากลิซ คาร์ไลล์ ซึ่งเล่มนี้ก็เหมือนกับเล่มแรกในชุด (One Touch of Scandal) ไม่อาจไปถึงได้

เรารู้สึกว่า คาแร็คเตอร์ของทั้งเจฟฟรีย์ และอนาอิสราบเรียบเกินไป อาจเพราะพวกเขาไม่ได้มีภูมิหลังที่เจ็บปวด ไม่มีความลับดำมืดอะไรซ่อนอยู่ (จริง ๆ เจฟฟรีย์ก็มีนะคะ แต่เนื่องจากเราอ่าน Three Little Lies ไปแล้วก็เลยไม่ต้องลุ้น) ความรักของพวกเขาเริ่มพัฒนาจากเพื่อน ไปสู่คู่หู แล้วกลายเป็นคนรัก มันค่อยเป็นค่อยไป ทำให้แทบไม่มีช่วงเวลาหัวใจเต้นแรงให้ลุ้นระทึกแต่อย่างใด

ส่วนที่น่าสนใจที่สุดในชุดนี้ ก็ดันไม่ใช่พระเอกนางเอกด้วยซ้ำค่ะ หากแต่เป็นตัวละครรองที่เราคาดว่าน่าจะเป็นพระเอกเล่มหน้า ที่ตอนเราอ่านเล่มหนึ่งในชุดทำเราอึ้งไปเล็กน้อย (สปอยล์) เพราะตอนอ่านเล่มนึง เขาถูกตามล่าโดยนักข่าวหนังสือพิมพ์ แล้วพระเอกเล่มหนึ่งดันไปเจอสองคนทำอะไรบางอย่างกันอยู่ ทำเรางงไป เพราะคิดว่า เขาเป็นเกย์แน่ ๆ แล้วก็เกิดความเสียดายมาก แต่ในเล่มนี้เราชัดสงสัยตะหงิด ๆ ว่า เจ้านักข่าวคนนี้อาจจะไม่ใช่ผู้ชายรึเปล่า เพราะลิซบอกว่า จะเขียนเรื่องของเขาเป็นเล่มสาม นอกจากนี้คาแร็คเตอร์ของรอยเดน เนเพียร์ซึ่งมีบทมากในเล่มแรก แม้จะไม่โดดเด่นในเล่มนี้ เราก็ยิ่งพบว่า เขาช่างน่าค้นหายิ่งนัก

โดยรวม ถ้าเรื่องนี้คนแต่งเป็นนักเขียนคนอื่น เราคงจะพอใจ และไม่ผิดหวัง แต่นี่คือลิซ คาร์ไลล์ เราคาดหวังบางสิ่งที่มากกว่าค่ะ

คะแนนที่ 70 (less)

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Dec 16, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I searched for this book, Goodreads asked if I really meant the Bride wore Chocolate. Now that's a book I could love. This one, my feelings are mixed. The rating should really be a 3.5.

It's a book that I wanted to love more than I did. I wish I could better identify why, but the relationship between the two main characters never rang true from me. I know in 99.9% of romance novels there will be a happy ending with the two main characters pledging their undying love. But in the middle I stil...more When I searched for this book, Goodreads asked if I really meant the Bride wore Chocolate. Now that's a book I could love. This one, my feelings are mixed. The rating should really be a 3.5.

It's a book that I wanted to love more than I did. I wish I could better identify why, but the relationship between the two main characters never rang true from me. I know in 99.9% of romance novels there will be a happy ending with the two main characters pledging their undying love. But in the middle I still want to feel like there's a real conflict. In this book, the end never felt in doubt for me. These two characters clearly had the hots for each other and the heroine's concern that he was committed to someone else did not seem like enough of a barrier.

There were a few other things that drove me crazy. This is the second book in this series and I did not read the first. I thought it took too many chapters to feel grounded in the story. It also seemed that several characters made random appearances in the story simply to set them up for a sequel.

The author has clearly done a lot of research into this era as was evidenced by the level of detail with respect to clothing, dialogue, and other aspects of the story. Yet the story seemed to swing between "I swallowed a Victorian dictionary" and modern, boring language. For example, the first sentence starts with a description of a "dark, old-fashioned house." This is Victorian times. What does old-fashioned mean?

And since I appear to be on a rant - why do so many romance novelists use the word "coltish" when describing the heroine's legs? Seriously, why would you want a woman whose legs are like a young, uncastrated horse?

At times I like the detail and language, at other times I thought it was a tad bit overwritten. "the sky wisped with a fog that twined like languid cats about the bare masts of the ships." I'll buy a beer for the first person to explain to me what that even means.

I'm going to stop now because I may be starting to sound mean (and as a Minnesotan, generally we don't like to do that.) This book did not work for me. It will work for some readers. Readers who enjoy paranormal elements more than I do (did I mention the heroine and hero have the undefined "Gift") and who enjoy flowery detailed language. I can't condemn the book, but it's just not my thing.

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Jun 06, 2011 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE BRIDE WORE SCARLET written by Liz Carlyle
07/11 - HarperCollins Publishers - Mass Market Paperback

What should you do when Mr. Right Now turns into Mr. Right?

When you have a “gift” that no one understands you might want to pretend it does not exist. For Anaïs de Rohan she embraces it and wants to make her Nonna proud of her. She learns the tricks of the trade that would gain her access to the all-male club known as The St. James Society where she could converse among others gifted as she is.

T...more THE BRIDE WORE SCARLET written by Liz Carlyle
07/11 - HarperCollins Publishers - Mass Market Paperback

What should you do when Mr. Right Now turns into Mr. Right?

When you have a “gift” that no one understands you might want to pretend it does not exist. For Anaïs de Rohan she embraces it and wants to make her Nonna proud of her. She learns the tricks of the trade that would gain her access to the all-male club known as The St. James Society where she could converse among others gifted as she is.

This group being the men that they are decides not to be interested in extending her a club membership but they do have another function she can give them. They have Lord Geoffrey Bessett to be her husband and have them as a couple protect a child with a greater gift than any have ever seen. The darkness that surrounds her is strong and someone is trying very hard to take control of it for nefarious plots against King and country. The plan was uncomplicated and would have gone off smoothly but with Anaïs there is no way that is going to happen. She will pretend to be Geoff’s bride but she is going to run the show her way and when her decision is made that he may be more than just a pretend groom no one is more surprised than she to find that passion does indeed run through her veins not just an urge for adventure.

Both of them believe in fate and that a greater power is controlling their destiny but what if just this once Geoff and Anaïs make their own decisions. So much of their lives has been about the right path and hiding their “gift” but with each other they can just be themselves knowing the other will love them warts and all. It would have gone off as an uncomplicated feat if not for the evil that is living across the street and the job they are supposed to be doing and really trying to handle if they can just stop handling each other.

This book is complicated, detailed, and just fabulous so do not blink or you will miss something important. It challenges you to not only pay attention to every twist and turn but makes sure you find yourself completely fascinated with the intricacy of the storyline and the characters.
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Aug 01, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-regency-england

THE BRIDE WORE SCARLET by Liz Carlyle is an exciting historical romance set in 1837 London.It is written with depth and details.The characters will capture your heart.It has romance,sweet sensuality,secrets,love,some magic,passion,mystery,the mysterious men of the St. James Society,and a dangerous mission to save a little girl whose has a frightening gift.Two unlikely people meet,are attracted,thrown together trying to save a little girl and her mother. Anais de Rohan and Lord Bessett must not o...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Minna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, chemistry, cool-abilities, good-main-characters, good-dialogue, historical-romance, horrible-cover, regency-romance

I actually liked this quite a bit. I have not read any of the other books in the series, nor do I believe I have read the novels featuring the stories of the parents of The Bride Wore Scarlet's main characters. I didn't have much trouble with the background, as Ms. Carlyle does a creditable job of explaining the back story just enough to understand the plot.
The characters of Geoff and Anais were very well-done, in my opinion; strong, likeable and vulnerable. Neither was a Mary Sue; both had fau...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2012-challenge, appealing-characteristic-story, romance, part-of-a-series

Anais de Rohan has been trained to be a part of the St. James Society, one of the Guardians. But she's a woman. And this is a problem for most of the membership. Lord Bessett, Geoff, isn't sure. he's got a feeling about Anais. Lots of them actually. But he's not sure if the feelings are because she has power or because she's hitting all of the right vibes. We're told over and over that she's not pretty. She's not ugly but not drop-dead-gorgeous either. Her great-grandmother predicted great thing...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Karielle Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

The Bride Wore Scarlet by Liz Carlyle
Release Date: July 26th, 2011
Publisher: Avon (HarperCollins)
Page Count: 375
Source: ARC from Carolyn at Romance Novel News
Passion and secrets simmer behind the elegant façade of Victorian London in another deliciously intriguing novel featuring the mysterious men of the St. James Society.

Anaïs de Rohan has faced danger in her past, but never anything so great as posing as the new bride to one of the St. James Society's most magnetic -- and ruthless -- leaders....more The Bride Wore Scarlet by Liz Carlyle
Release Date: July 26th, 2011
Publisher: Avon (HarperCollins)
Page Count: 375
Source: ARC from Carolyn at Romance Novel News
Passion and secrets simmer behind the elegant façade of Victorian London in another deliciously intriguing novel featuring the mysterious men of the St. James Society.

Anaïs de Rohan has faced danger in her past, but never anything so great as posing as the new bride to one of the St. James Society's most magnetic -- and ruthless -- leaders. But Lord Bessett's bold challenge to prove herself worthy of joining his secret all-male society is impossible to resist. So she daringly agrees to travel with the enigmatic nobleman on a dangerous mission to save one of their own -- a little girl with a frightening gift.

Soon intrigue swirls about them, drawing them ever closer. And Anaïs quickly realizes that the intimacy of sharing Lord Bessett's bedroom is proving a temptation impossible to resist. As for Bessett himself -- well, he might be a soldier sworn to the Society, but he certainly isn't anyone's saint...
What Stephanie Thinks: This regency novel with a paranormal twist brims with witty and sexy character banter I love. The romance isn't routine, and has me rooting for it to continue, while the characters are full of life and personality. For some odd reason, however, I couldn't get into it.

The storyline is frustratingly complicated and the prose is elaborate. Carlyle may be an advanced writer, but she doesn't have a way with words; it's really difficult to follow much of the plot. I found myself trudging through a lot of the excess text, and even snoozing at some points. The story itself sounded really great: Anaïs de Rohan uses her inherited gift and utilizes Lord Bessett's special gift to help a woman in dangerous peril, as well as her small daughter who possesses a power greater than one has ever known. But it is written in a way that I just don't find interesting.

At least the sex scenes are hot. The relationship between Anaïs and Geoff Bessett, however, ends up exactly the way I imagined, so there isn't anything new to it. It's really sweet how Anaïs confides in him that she is waiting for her Mr. Right, and in the end, he turns out to be her Mr. Right, though. Romances as timeless as theirs makes my heart sigh.

I really, really wanted to like this book. The characters are strong and the romance steaming. But the biggest problem is that I didn't -- and I still don't -- know what the main conflict of the novel was. And I'm not too enthusiastic about rereading to find out; it's not worth the trouble. I am able to make out a basic storyline (as one thing this story doesn't lack, is detail), but as a whole, the entire concept of the Fraternitas society -- which is the secret coven Anaïs attempts to join -- confuses me. Therefore, I don't recommend this book at all; books like these are ones that strengthen my disfavor towards historical romances.

The one thing I can't take my mind off is how The Bride Wore Scarlet (a scarlet dress isn't even mentioned in the book...?) aptly inspires every girl that sometimes, your prince won't arrive into your life promptly on his noble steed; sometimes, your prince was there for you all along.

Stephanie Loves: "She wanted to smack him with a cracking good blow across the cheek.
She wanted to drag him to her bed, and slide her hands beneath the well-tailored façade of civility he wore. Wanted to stroke and tempt and touch until his bare skin shivered beneath her fingers."

Radical Rating: 5 hearts-Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book. (less)

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May 27, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-2012, hr-victorian-edwardian, paranormal-elements

The second book in the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis series by Liz Carlyle. It wasn't a bad read. I just found myself easily distracted and didn't really feel the passion and chemistry that I expect from historical romance. It had some paranormal elements but I didn't think it affected the story either way.

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Oct 14, 2011 Judi Lacanlale rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Fraternitas and I really enjoyed it much more than the first one. Here's a bit of tidbit on the behind story of this book. The two main characters are children of Carlyle's previous hero/heroines. Anais de Rohan and the daughter of Max and Catherine from 'No True Gentleman' & Geoff Archard is the son of Merrick MacLachlan and Madeline Archard from 'Three Little Secrets'. The MacLachlan's showed up in the book but I really wished she had the de Rohan's because I...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

The only reason this didn't get a 5 out of 5 is because it wasn't edited well. There were very obvious errors that should have been caught and weren't. And after the 10th error I found I stopped counting.

I didn't read the first in the series, but this book stood alone very nicely and I wasn't confused about any past references. However I did enjoy the story and the romance was very HOT. Anais and Geoff had a very strong attraction to each other from the beginning and when they finally fall into...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in a series and I have not read the first. Like another reviewer I think this is one reason why I had so much trouble with The Bride Wore Scarlet. I was half way through the book before the story caught me. I would be reading and a scene would be thrown in that did not involve the main story or the main characters and I would wonder who are those people and why should I care. In my opinion Liz Carlyle did not do a good job of getting back story woven into the book. I enj...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Cherise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, historical-romance

Anais de Rohan has some special gifts. When she tries to enter a secret society for people that also have special gifts, paranormal in nature, the all male group instantly rejects her. But when a little girls life is in danger, this all male group needs a woman on the inside. Anais poses as Lord Geoff Besset’s wife and together they work to rescue a little girl and her mother.

This was really an unexpected delight. I have never read anything by this author before and didn’t know what to expect fr...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Virginia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, historical-romance, paranormal, mystery

Liz Carlyle's second entry in her "Fraternitas Trilogy" hits the ground running and offers great romantic adventure all the way to the last page. "The Bride Wore Scarlet" is an enthralling love story with strong paranormal elements and a well-matched romantic duo. Anais de Rohan and Geoff Archard (Lord Bessett) are both gifted with special mental abilities and great physical prowess, making them the perfect pair to carry out a rescue mission for the mysterious St. James Society. This "sparks fly...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-library

The cover art and blurb drew me in, I didn't realize the book would be on the dry side. It came across as tons and tons of exposition with not enough warm human contact to make up for it. Anais was a little too perfect as the tomboy turned chosen one and the same for our hero.

The best part was the kissing scene between a couple of secondary characters. They're the only reason I'll read the next book.

I did request the first one to see if that would help me like this on a reread. That's a much bet...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Carrie Olguin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Romantic adventure with plenty of story in I believe it's the Victorian era (trains and gas lights and stiff corsets).

The H and h go undercover as a married couple to rescue a window and her "gifted" child from the clutches of an unscruplous man.

There's more, such as the structure of the Guardians and another thread for what must be a future romance for perhaps the next book. It takes a few chapters full of set up for events to move forward, but then keeps moving. The climax is a "small bump" no...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

After a reading spate of first-time romance authors, it was heavenly to return to an author who knows how to write -- how to plot, how to create interesting characters, and does it all in lovely prose. Though I'm not a big fan of the supernatural historical romance, the supernatural stuff here was linked well to character development. And meeting up with the children of lovers in previous books (Anais, the daughter of Catherine & Max, from NO TRUE GENTLEMAN) and Geoff (who we actually met as...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-reads

An interesting use of the paranormal (which I usually detest) in a Victorian historical romance. I did like the subtle hint that perhaps knowing your "future" makes you hesitant to do what you want when it seems like that decision is not leading toward your "future".

Still a bit hazy on the whole St. James Society/Fraternitas/Gift thing. Maybe it was explained a bit more in the first novel of the series? And I am interested more in Ruthven and his sister Anisha (Ruthven was likely the hero of boo...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, arc

It was literally in the cards that Anais de Rohan would attempt to become the first member of the age-old, all-male St. James Society. Her nonna had the gift of being able to read the tarot and had been seeing Anais’ future path for years, one that her parents would be completely opposed to. She entrusted her education to her Aunt Maria and for nearly half of her life, Anais had been making secret trips to train with her uncle, one of the Society’s most famous and respected members.

She’s found s...more It was literally in the cards that Anais de Rohan would attempt to become the first member of the age-old, all-male St. James Society. Her nonna had the gift of being able to read the tarot and had been seeing Anais’ future path for years, one that her parents would be completely opposed to. She entrusted her education to her Aunt Maria and for nearly half of her life, Anais had been making secret trips to train with her uncle, one of the Society’s most famous and respected members.

She’s found someone to sponsor her at her initiation in London but of course things go completely awry when the members find out the candidate is a woman. It doesn’t matter who her sponsor or trainer is, the Society is in an uproar and nearly all of the members are ready to flat-out send her packing – nearly all.

Just a day earlier another Society agent arrived asking for the London group’s help. They fear a child with the gift of precognition and her mother are being held under duress by someone who intends to use the child for treasonous purposes. The agent thinks the best way to extract both the mother and child is for someone in the Society to find a woman to pose as his wife, befriend the mother and convince her to leave. The only problem with the plan is that none of the Society members available for the job know anyone suitable to play the role of wife – that is until Anais shows up and a plan is hatched.

Lord Bessett doesn’t want Anais in the St. James Society but he’s not above a little scheming. He tells her that if she goes on this mission she can have a chance to prove herself worthy of the group knowing full well that the feisty Anais will accept. He thinks he’ll be in charge of things but he finds out quickly that she’s unmanageable in every single way and she turns any seduction he has in mind around and makes him the seduced.

When I picked this, I didn’t know it was the second in a series – the cover doesn’t say anything and I don’t know enough about Liz Carlyle’s books or follow them closely enough to have had any idea. The first is One Touch of Scandal and is about one of Bessett’s friends and fellow Society members - I had to go digging for this since I knew the third would be called The Bride Wore Pearls and silly me, I thought the first would be The Bride Wore..something.

The St. James Society members all have some sort of paranormal ability and their mission is to protect and in some cases, nurture others who also have those abilities. Since they’re often passed down through bloodlines, it was always assumed that Anais’ brother would be the one who would be chosen to join the Society which is why when her nonna read the cards and saw it was to be her, she had her trained in secret with her uncle.

Lord Bessett is sort of what you’d expect from an arrogant secret-Society type. He assumes a woman needs protecting, can’t think her way out of a paper bag and is shocked and aroused when she does anything more placid than fold her hands demurely in her lap and look at him adoringly. He redeems himself quickly when he hears her uncle trained her and that she’s amazing with swords and when he has to acknowledge her brains and wit with her conversational skills. He had a fun dynamic with Anais as they dueled for control of the mission and played their roles in public. Their private moments were well done and unusual – in historicals it’s not often that the hero is the one who keeps calling a halt to things while the heroine keeps trying to convince him that it’s okay to go ahead.

I really had a problem with Bessett’s paranormal ability. He’d been suppressing it for a long time, generally because he hadn’t been taught how to use it well – there is a very long and tortured explanation about why that makes only a small amount of sense. His ability is so out of proportion in size and violence with every other character’s ability in the book that I questioned its inclusion. I really felt like I was reading two books when it finally manifested itself. It’s like eating cereal for breakfast and someone throws a Thanksgiving turkey on the table.

At this point the book is hanging on to a low C rating by the tips of its fingernails but Anais came along and dragged it up by sheer will. I adored her. If I got to be a character in a book for a day – and I couldn’t be Eve Dallas - I’d probably want to be just like her. She’s brilliant, as sleek and agile as a cat, wickedly sharp-witted and murderously talented with a blade. Her paranormal ability of reading tarot cards was inherited from her nonna and she also has the gift of sixth sense. When she was a child and her nonna continually read the cards for her that predicted she would train for the St. James Society they also foretold of the man she would marry – and it didn’t look like it was Bessett. She wasn’t opposed to a fling though and I loved that her sexual assertiveness with him matched the way she was with everything. Anais’ personality and the way she moved through the action kept me in the story.

The villain was suitably creepy and the situation with the child’s mother was sad but not anything particularly new. The child didn’t play as much of a role as I wanted but the story was Anais and Bessett’s so I wasn’t as bothered by it as I could have been.

My Summary: There were pieces in the beginning that I had a feeling referenced the earlier book that didn’t bother me so I think this works fine as a standalone. When Bessett’s ability first manifested itself, I knew immediately I was going to have a problem with it because up until that point everyone else’s abilities had been rather contained. It felt like a fairly tight and fun historical romance with some little paranormal touches got derailed by one big unfocused, unfinished and unnecessary phenomenon. The characters were too good to have to saddle with it.

My Rating: A very close B-
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Jul 31, 2011 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: liz-carlyle, 2011-read, romance-paranormal, romance-historical, reviewed

I love the direction that Liz Carlyle is going with this new series. I know some won't like the mystical/paranormal element that the series has, but I love it. It isn't just a typical regency romance. Anais has been trained for the last 10 years to be one of the Brotherhood, there is only one problem....there is no room for a sister in the hood and they reject her most handily. Geoff Bessett scoots her out of the room quickly and proceeds to turn her world upside down. Eventually, they make her...more

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Apr 06, 2013 MarcellineCazz rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Bride Wore Scarlet is another wonderful love story in the St. James Society series. This time with another unconventional heroine. The most unconventional of the series so far. This time Anais is young, but not the blushing virgin seen in many historical romances. She is extremely independent with unusual skills and abilities. Our hero this time is Geoffrey, Lord Bessett. The two embark on a foreign adventure for the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis, the ancient and secret brotherhood operating und...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Suzi rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was okay. I liked the plot even with the supernatural elements (currently, I'm not in the mood for paranormal stuff). I like Anais, the heroine. I like Geoff, the hero. And I like the other characters. Well, maybe except for Lady Anisha. She rubs me the wrong way. The ending, for the mystery(?), is expected. Same with the romance. In the end, I was hooked more by the secret society than the romance.

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Apr 17, 2013 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. Now if I had any sense I would have seen this was #2 and read it before I read The Bride Wore Pearls, but it was kind of nice knowing what was going to happen - I felt like an insider. Anais de Rohan is my kind of heroine - strong and willing to take chances in the right situation. I admit I had wanted to know more about Lord Bessett since I had "met" him in Pearls, but didn't have a good sense of him. A wonderful beach read - go for it.

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Jul 22, 2012 Krissy P (Kris) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Too Bored to Finish:

For the most part, I do not read historical-type romances, it's just not my cuppa. I thought I would enjoy this one because of the paranormal aspect of the book. I love paranormal romance. After several tries, I just could not get into this book. I'm giving it 1.5 stars because I was unable to finish.

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Feb 03, 2012 steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

This was actually really good. What I liked so much about it, other then the interesting plot, was that Anaiis realized she had to let go of her childish fantasies of THE PERFECT MAN or otherwise she was going to lose out on Geoffrey. And by doing that she realized he was her perfect man. I really liked that alot. That sometimes we have to let go of our dreams to see and appreciate what is standing right in front of us.

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Sep 13, 2011 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, historical-romance, paranormal-romance

The heroine has been trained to take the traditional place of her family in a brotherhood that protects people with special gifts. The hero is a member, and also has one of those gifts--a strong one--and a past that echoes in a little girl who is under threat of having her gift exploited by a wicked man. The hero & heroine unite to save the girl, and fall for each other as well. This story weaves in characters from other Carlyle books--and since Carlyle is an autobuy for me, I rather enjoyed...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Gloriavirtutisumbra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fuzzy-fluffly-romance-girly-yeah

Liked the characters, disappointed in just about everything else. This could have been really good, but loses itself in wishy washyness. I wouldnt normally say this about a romance novel, but i would actually recommend that the author try again with these characters in a later book. Take more time, and nail the thing solid.

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Mar 11, 2013 Barbi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-19th-century-england, just-for-fun, trashy-romance

The female protagonists in this series have all been quite interesting and not at all like most 19th century female protagonists that I've read. I liked Anaïs; she was nice and feisty. But Besset was decidedly meh and the plot felt a little flat to me. But overall, the novel is a fun light read.

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Aug 19, 2011 Juliem rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fun, adventurous romance with appealing lead characters. I like that the paranormal in this series does not overwhelm the romance. I especially enjoyed seeing Geoff get his own happy ending. Liz Carlyle's writing is rich, as always. I'm never disappointed in her books.

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The Bride Wore Scarlet (Fraternitas Aureae Crucis #2)

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