What he wanted was a plain and meek wife to take care of his children and stay out of his bedroom. What he got was a fiery temptress who, despite her plain appearance, was far more desirable than he could handle.
Patrick Ramsey, Viscount Drakely, is used to having everything go according to his plans. And usually, it does, except when it comes to his three young daughters who are in desperate need of mother and governess. In an attempt to find a suitable woman, he stumbles upon the perfect woman for the post: Miss Juliet Hughes. Juliet, a local village girl, has been educated at London's most highly respect school for young ladies, and better yet, her plain features will make it easy for him to keep his hands off of her.
But what Patrick doesn't realize is this plain young lady from a humble background is anything but the docile, biddable young lady he bargained for, and if he's not careful, he'll lose his heavily guarded heart a little more with each encounter they have. With unshakable confidence and a strong determination, Juliet has no intentions of letting this lofty lord run roughshod over her and will stop at nothing to remind him that they may have been born at unequal stations, but where it counts, they're matched perfectly.
USA Today Bestselling Author and writer of eight unusually unusual historical romances that have been known to include scarred heroes, feisty heroines, marriage-producing scandals, far too much scheming, naughty literature and always a sweet happily-ever-after.
When not escaping to another world via reading or writing a book, she spends her time chasing two young boys around the house, being hunted by wild animals, or sitting on the swing in the backyard where she has to use her arms as shields to deflect projectiles AKA: balls, water balloons, sticks, pinecones, and anything else one of them picks up to hurl at his brother who just happens to be hiding behind her.
Rose Gordan with her vivid imagination and beautiful writing has enchanted me into loving her Groom series this October.
For once I could genuinely understand the emotional tension between the two leads,caused by the character's past,when you take account the hero's first marriage,his children and his knotted fear caused by his first wife's death.
The main characters Drake and Juliet were absolutely cute together :) Unlike most of the frictional couples who fall in love at first sight...It was charming to watch these two break down each others wall and hinge towards each other slowly but surly.
I wont rated the whole series this highly but I truly found HER SECOND-HANDED GROOM to be an enjoyable exception..
Hope my next one's just as good this and hope your next one is as well.
Oh god, a man more clueless than Alex when it comes to women. Legit, clueless. Even when it comes to sex, which I'll give him sounded like he hadn't had that much sex with his first wife so he's still practically in virgin territory. Especially when his first wife didn't allow any foreplay and hated sex because of it. I'm unsure if she was a prude, which is likely, or if she was just not attracted to him or even men in general. We'd never know but he was moony eyed over her for no goddamn reason, probably her looks, and he acts like a dick to Juliette 93% of the time. I felt lots of emotions reading this, and to me that's a sign of a super fantastic book.
This one was really weird, not in the least because I read Her Sudden Groom and enjoyed it. It's been a while since I read that one and I haven't read the second, but I hated that all these characters we are supposed to know get thrown at us. Especially as the heroine in this book was mostly meeting people for the first time, a line or two describing them would not have been out of place. The hero went from not wanting a real marriage to being attracted to his wife and ashamed of his behavior in mere moments, mostly from seeing her naked I guess. The horrible female character of other books makes an appearance just to be taken down some more pegs and it really left a bad taste in my mouth. This woman is described naked and in labor and all the 'sympathetic' characters feel is disgust. They also alternate saying she has actual mental problems and should be cared for with saying she was spoiled as a child and that's all. While I hated her in Caroline's book because she was delightfully awful, I ended up feeling sorry for her and honestly grossed out by all the female protagonists being mean and horrid now. I also found it odd that the hero started off grieving the loss of his wife but aware he needs to move on, talking about how he loved her but his girls need a mother etc in a pretty healthy way and then BAM
I didn't really dislike this book, there was just so much ...weirdness... about it that I can't quite put my finger on.
Viscount Drakely needs a motherness (he can't decide if they need a mother or a governess more) for his three daughters and thanks to a misunderstanding he marries Julia, a plain daughter of one of his tenants. He still has a deep fear of losing people he loves since his wife died at childbirth. What follows is Drakely's clumsy path to healing. And who better to help him with that than a stubborn Julia. I loved her. Even during sad moments in the story, she was not pathetic.
I'm not going to say I didn't like this book, because i did, for the most part. But for some reason I like Rose Gordon's hero's a whole lot more than her heroines. I know her heroines are suppose to be strong and independent and we are suppose to cheer for them, but they often come across as too prideful, too arrogant, and unbendable. It often feels like the heros are the ones that have to give, bend and change much more than the heroines(though the heroes do make a good amount of mistakes, Gordon makes them really lovable and therefore the heroines (which I don't like as well) anger me).
p.s. this is the second time reading this and I still felt the same
So I gave this book two stars only because the one i read before it 'the prince she had to marry - christine rimmer' was infinitely worse. The book description said the viscount wanted somebody to stay out of his bed but from the start was the one making all the effort. The sexual tension was zero and infinitely made worse when it was revealed that she was only the second person he had made love to( err, no thanks ) and the way sex between he and his late wife eas described made me want to gag so bad. All in all i quite disliked this book and promptly deleted it from my ibooks along with the aforementioned novel. After writing this i'm tempted to go back and reduce the score.
This was a difficult book to start with. I disliked Juliet in the beginning and her spiteful behavior really tested my inclination to finish the book. Patrick's outrage prior to learning his mistake was also rather off-putting. In a nutshell, it's difficult to be interested in a book when you dislike the main characters at first.
The rest of the story was fine, with a very sweet husband widower who learns to love again and grow out of his initial hang-ups. It does not however, carry as much emotional pull to me. But I also don't dislike the book overall.
Started reading it, but could not finish past chapter 3. The characters are unlikable. He is especially terrible. He encounters a person who was ok with his kids for a few hours and wants to marry her asap, and she is in such a debt to him (and her family), has fat spectacles that she simply can't get used to and speaks to him like they are equals.
I really enjoyed this book! In fact, I read it in one sitting. I ended up liking Drake and Juliet more than I thought I would. I did find his relationship with his first wife odd. I felt his feelings about her at the end were so vastly different from the rest of the book that it felt out of place and exaggerated. That's what kept me from giving it 5 stars. Otherwise, it was a sweet story!
An honorable, decent man used to ruling everyone around him with his word as law, yet ruling with fairness and kindness. Unused to not having everything his way, he founders and stumbles his way through this book. I loved his new, mistakenly married, opinionated wife and his children and laughed as he got his comeuppance as his kingdom came tumbling down to earth and he joined the rest of those around him. This is my favorite in this series so far.
I'm confused. It's a nice plot but I don't think this author has ever read a historical novel cause this was not historical, at all. The H was likable but the h was ungrateful. Her family was broke and they still borrowed money( that they can't pay back) from the H to send her to school. The H marries her so his daughters get mother that is also a governess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Patrick Ramsay, Viscount Drakely, needed a mother for his three daughters. He just didn’t know who, or where he’d find her.
He meets Juliet Hughes when his coach breaks down and he’s forced to help the driver fix the wheel and in doing so, his three daughters are practically left unsupervised. Juliet comes across them, with her brothers and sisters in tow and has a few words with Lord Drakely about the girls being unsupervised and she ends up looking after them, along with her own brothers and sisters.
Well, one thing leads to another and Drakely, thinks he has found the perfect solution to his predicament. Marry Juliet, she and her family would be taken care of,his daughters would have a mother who could also be a governess to them. Juliet on the other hand, has other ideas, especially since she knew, that what he really wanted was her beautiful sister Henrietta, and not her.
The viscount specifically requests Juliet’s hand in marriage. She was going to, originally tell him of his mistake before the vows, but it didn’t quite work out that way, and Patrick wasn’t too thrilled when he found out about the mistake.
Patrick learns that Juliet is not at all, like his first wife who passed away in childbirth,who had made it known that she didn’t like her wifely duties and didn’t want the last child she had. So, he didn’t have the heart, to put Juliet through that type of pain. Juliet on the other hand had other ideas.
What his first wife didn’t like, Juliet did. What she didn’t want, Juliet did. He eventually learns this lesson and they have a very quiet, happy and productive life together. The first month of marriage, they only live like strangers in the same house and the kids eventually, become attached to Juliet. They find a governess mother in Juliet and eventually an actual governess and they live a quiet happy life.
Her Secondhand Groom has tender moments, funny moments and is a joy to read. It’s the third book in the series and It’s just as warm hearted and funny as the first two books in the series.
I’m definitely going to read the whole series, as well as the scandalous sister series and beyond. Rose Gordon is definitely an author who’s a treat to read and one of my very favorite historical regency writers.
Secondhand Groom by Rose Gordon Book 3 in the Grooms Series Rose continues her excellent story telling in this third book of the Grooms Series. Patrick Ramsey, Lord Drakely, had married a beautiful girl named Abigail when he was eighteen. She died in childbirth with their third daughter, Kate. To the outside world it looked as it was such a deep and devoted love that he could not move past it, but was all as it seemed? Now Drake feels the need to find a mother and governess for his three daughters, Celia, Helena and Kate. When he comes across the Hughes family, who were indebted to him for sending their daughter to school and a season, he decides he'll marry the beautiful Juliet Hughes and she can be the girls motherness. Drake plans everything out to perfection, so what if he did not include his bride to be in his decisions.
Juliet Hughes had failed. Her parents were in debt because they had hopes on her finding a good and wealthy husband when they sent her to school and a season. If only her sister Henrietta would have been the recipient of such a gift. Henrietta was beautiful and would have succeeded. Juliet was plain and had awkward looking eyeglasses as well. At least she could school her younger siblings. After a negative run in with Lord Drakely, she dubbed him Lord Presumptuous as he presumed to always be right and worthy to be obeyed. When she overheard him asking to be affianced to her she was angry. Only he presumed wrong this time, he thought Henrietta was Juliet. She tried to explain but he brushed her off. She was going to give him a scare before the wedding but it backfired and she ended up married to the beast.
We get to meet many of our past friends and characters once again in this book, even the beastly Olivia and the endearing Sir Wallace. Marcus has his turn to give Drake advice on love and life while Emma and Caroline befriend Juliet.
I was not sure if Rose Gordon would be able to top Her Sudden Groom but with Her Secondhand Groom she did. When I finished the book I just had the biggest grin on my face because it was such a good story.
Drake has 3 daughters who are in desperate need of both a mother and a governess. When his carrage gets stuck one day he happens to meet Juliet out with her younger siblings. Juliet delivers a set down to him for letting his girls run wild while he tries to get his carrage unstuck so he has her watch his girls for him. After he picks up his daughters he decides that the perfect solution is to marry so he can have both a mother and governess or "motherness" for his girls. The only problem is he does not inform the bride of this plan.
Drake running with an idea without both thinking it through and talking about it with Juliet causes them to have many arguments in which Juliet will put Drake in his place. Drake must figure out how to make up all his stupid comments and plans to Juliet and also come to terms with his 1st wife.
As with the rest of Rose Gordon's book this one has lots of witty dialoge, a strong heroine, a hero who is not a Rake. I'm very much looking foward to the conclusion of Groom seires and to see what Rose has next for her readers.
What I liked: The hero is not a rake. In fact, he's only been with his first wife (deceased) and his second wife, whom he married to be 'motherness' (mother + governess) to his 3 daughters.
What I disliked: The hero going on about how much he loved Abigail (first wife). Even though he admits at the end to Juliet that Abigail had been a manipulative shrew (his words), I find it hard to accept that someone like him would hold on to the memories of his first wife and treat a great catch like Juliet as badly as he did.
Also, he thought he'd be marrying the prettier sister, so he comes off as pretty shallow and presumptuous (that's Juliet cognomen for him- Lord Presumptuous).
I couldn't stand the shrieking of Olivia (secondary/tertiary character - Marcus's sister), and people with sociopathic tendencies like hers are not 'crazy' enough to be locked up like she was destined to be... Anything to do with mental illness really puts my back up since so many people used to be condemned to terrible facilities based on flimsy evidence of mental illness... still are in many parts of the world...
The main story between Patrick and Juliet and the three girls is likeable for the most part.
As always Rose Gordon's talent knows no bounds. Her secondhand Groom is wonderful. The story line flows with great ease, the characters are so easy to understand. This is a book full to the rim with adventure, romance, and even a bit of misunderstandings.
Patrick Ramsey, Viscount Drakely, is in a pinch, his three girls need a new governess and if it weren't for the one person that his girls love being with getting married he would have had the best governess he could think of, however things change and so must he. When suddenly Viscount Drakely finds himself in the middle of the road with a possible broken wheel the last thing he find a woman who can keep his girls in order.
Juliet Hughes, is not the prettiest woman there is out there but she is still a woman and one that is very well at getting children to do what they are supposed to do. When she suddenly finds herself to be married to Viscount Drakely she isn't surprised to find out that he thought she was not who he was expecting. However Patrick's girls seem to love her and can't get enough of her.
Can love really conquer over even the most stubborn of males? Or is this love story destined to be a sad one?
5++Stars! I really really liked it! It was fast and interesting and completely devoid of nonsensical,unwanted drama. I loved both H/h. Juliet, with her ginormous spectacles and quick rebuttals that stunned her husband at every given opportunity, made for a very refreshing character. She was the best looking woman in town and she was aware of it but that didn't stop her from saying what she must. K(irk)Patrick was an equally entertaining character, what with his constant foot-in-his-mouth events and terrible sense of wit(which, btw, did put a smile on my face). The story, while not completely unheard of,definitely had a way of keeping my interest. I found the children so adorable and I even liked the other characters so much that I'm am going to go ahead and add all the other 3 books to my TBR list. I'm also definitely going to raid Rose Gordon's book list and cross my fingers so that I find more books like this one. I LOVED IT! I TRULY DID!
This is the third book in the groom series and it was a wonderful read. I was laughing at Viscount Deakely at some pretty hefty mistakes he made. Sometimes I think that he thought things through but really didn't. I liked how Juliet can hold her own. I liked the banter between the two. Viscount Drakely's girls are fun kids and some of the things they say, will have you laughing out loud. I liked how Drakely had to over come some issues he had and once he learned to communicate things smoothed out. I did feel towards the middle of the book that the kids needed to be mentioned more. The book does have a sex after marriage. I am looking forward to the fourth and last book in the series. I do know that Ms. Gordan does have plans to write more. Thanks for another story. I feel that this book stands alone nicely.
Audiobook narrated by Louisa Murray. I never really connected with this book. After reading the synopsis and reviews, I was expecting a different kind of story line. I'm not sure if it was the narration by Ms Murray or the story itself but I was expecting something more light and funny. The mix up of who he was suppose to marry was the best part but even that was just ok. Once that part was over the book just kinda fell flat for me.
I'm not a big fan of Louisa Murray's narration. It sounded like she was simply reading the book paragraph by paragraph without any emotions. I personally prefer the narrators who make the story come to life like Kirsten Potter, Marian Hussey, Nicholas Boulton and Rosalyn Landor.
I liked the characters- and their play with one another- the story was interesting- can someone really will themselves to die? I have to wonder about that- when he thinks his first wife gave up. I found the give and take between Juliet and Drake to be fun and a challenge to keep up with their strong wills. The thing that I found most clever was the times when Drake assumed something and then found he had made the wrong assumption. I liked Juliet- Just beware- this has explicit details in the bedroom- not fond of that- I would have given this more stars if those passages could be left out.
It took fully 80% of this book before it became believable or interesting. Amazon requires one star and I usually give 2 stars to books I finish whether I liked them or not. Her Secondhand groom gets 3 stars for the last 20% in which the characters become someone that I was interested in reading about.
Th premise that brings the H/h together is ridiculous, but the angst-ridden conflict that drove them apart is not unrealistic given the time period. I don't know that I can recommend this book, but if you happen to end up reading it, know that it may be a testimony to your perseverance.
Juliet is one of my favorite heroines. So strong willed, stubborn,and can cut you down quick with her words. So glad I read this. And the hero was a true Alpha and an ass sometimes. Loved him though. And the pair of them together amazing. The arguments that would erupt were so delicious with sexual tension, it was just good foreplay. Haha!!;)
Patrick is a widower with 3 wild little girls who desperately need a mother as well as a governess. Juliet's father borrowed a large sum from Patrick in order to send his eldest daughter to the finest girl's school and provide her with a season in which to capture a rich and titled husband such as Patrick. She failed. And that's when Patrick comes up with his "brilliant" plan to provide his daughters with a "motherness." With the humor one can expect from a Rose Gordon novel, we see them fall in love and find their Happily Ever After.
Juliet's family borrowed money so she could go to Sloan school and catch a husband and when that didn't work she start to teach her sibling one day on a walk they meet Lord Drake and his daughter and he has her watch them. Drake has been widowed for many years and sees his girls need a mother and a governess. Then he decides to propose a trade he gets to marry Juliet in which he think is her beautiful sister, and he will forgive her fathers debt. Through twist and turn will Drake and Jukiet find love?..... I really enjoy this series by Rose Gordan and I will be reading more in the future.