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The Lady Risks All
Neville Roscoe, notorious and enigmatic, lives resolutely outside society, bound only by his own code of honor - until challenged by his desire for the one woman he cannot have.
Miranda Clifford is a lady imprisoned by rigid respectability - until tempted by a passion beyond her power to deny.
Flung together in peril, through danger and intrigue, they discover a love impossible to ignore ... or keep.
Miranda Clifford is a lady imprisoned by rigid respectability - until tempted by a passion beyond her power to deny.
Flung together in peril, through danger and intrigue, they discover a love impossible to ignore ... or keep.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
189 people are currently reading
1975 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
206 books5,585 followersStephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Stephanie and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
March 25, 2015
"As for the way he moved, and that drawl . . . quite what manner of man he was she wasn’t sure, but a single glance into that chiseled face, at those well-set dark eyes steadily regarding her, at his patriarchal nose and sharply cut jaw, was enough to assure her that he wasn’t manageable. More, that he was dangerous, on multiple levels and in complex ways."
This was a wonderful romance, and I have to say I really enjoyed it :)
It's pretty slow with the story and the romance part too, but it still made me sigh and love it all, mostly because the writing is really wonderful :)
The story
After the disappearance of her brother Roderick, Miranda Clifford goes to ask for help from London's gambling king, and her neighbor, Neville Roscoe.
He is a dangerous man, but one with connections in the underground, and she is prepared to face scandal if it could help her brother.
After getting a lead on the kidnappers, Neville and Miranda start on a pursuit across England, one that will bring them closer to Roderick, and closer to each other.
Well, since I've read practically everything by this author, I'm pretty much used to her writing style, and in this one it seems even better than in her older books :)
The story really was slow, and if you're used to something more dynamic, you'll probably find this boring :D but if you like to read just for enjoying the era and the romance, you'll probably like it like I did :))
The mystery was really good, it kept me wondering for a long time, and I'm glad they weren't too stupid to figure out who the bad guy was :D
"She’d taken up residence in his heart—at times it felt as if she WAS his heart, the way that organ responded to her, especially to her being in danger. Protecting her wasn’t a duty, it was a compulsion, one he knew would never leave him."
Miranda and Roscoe
They are a lovely couple, and of course, an impossible one, because a gambling king couldn't possibly have anything to do with a lady :D
Roscoe has a secret that he's hiding from the world, one that he shows to Miranda on their journey, and I was happy when that happened, because it showed what kind of person he was and everything he's prepared to do to protect the ones he loves :))
Miranda is a good character, even though sometimes she got on my nerves with some of the things she did LOL but overall she's pretty great, and I just loved what she did in the end, perfect :))))))
If you like a slow-building story and romance, I totally recommend this one :)
Read
April 15, 2013The Lady Risks All Drinking Game!!!
Take a drink if...
*Someone says "thank you"
*A word is given, then a synonym is given just after
(ex. "their liaison, their affair" or "joy, pleasure, happiness"
*You confuse the names Roscoe & Roderick
Take a shot if....
*The heroine's age is told or surmised
*The phrase "gambling king" is used
Take a drink if...
*Someone says "thank you"
*A word is given, then a synonym is given just after
(ex. "their liaison, their affair" or "joy, pleasure, happiness"
*You confuse the names Roscoe & Roderick
Take a shot if....
*The heroine's age is told or surmised
*The phrase "gambling king" is used
June 27, 2013
The Lady Risks All is an exciting mystery, one filled with enough twists and turns to keep me wondering who the villain is right ‘til the very end. It's also a lovely, historical romance, that was sweet, passionate, and very sensual.
Neville Roscoe, notorious and enigmatic, lives resolutely outside society, bound only by his own code of honor - until challenged by his desire for the one woman he cannot have.This story is my first taste of Stephanie Laurens’ writing and, despite some minor flaws, I was quite pleased! Her way of telling a story is sweet and flowing… full of emotion and, as I said, sensuality. The characters, Miranda and Neville, are such complex people that I couldn’t help but fall hard for them both and hope to see them attain the happily ever after they so rightfully deserved.
Miranda Clifford is a lady imprisoned by rigid respectability - until tempted by a passion beyond her power to deny.
Flung together in peril, through danger and intrigue, they discover a love impossible to ignore ... or keep.
The bottom line: In this colorful world Ms. Laurens has created we are given a glimpse of both the shady and the sophisticated side of life in historical England, a world I look forward to visiting again, one day soon.
3.5/5 stars
My thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins/Avon Romance Publishing for providing me with an ecopy of this book for review.
May 12, 2022
I swear she thinks her readers are dumb beyond measure. She repeats the same thing every chapter and explains motivation and character's thoughts in excruciating detail as if we have short term memory problems and an inability to infer anything.
Rambling and histrionic work as all her latest books have been. I have vague memories of when she used to be good. She needs an editor who has a firm hand with a thick black marker to fix her work.
As usual there is a good underlying plot.
Rambling and histrionic work as all her latest books have been. I have vague memories of when she used to be good. She needs an editor who has a firm hand with a thick black marker to fix her work.
As usual there is a good underlying plot.
October 25, 2012
This book is killing me. I usually like Stephanie Laurens but geez she is going on FOREVER about every emotion and sex scene. I am skimming and just keep going so I can be done (can't have an unfinished book!). Decent story but much too wordy.
September 29, 2018
Se me hizo eterno, repetitivo, me salté un montón de páginas por el aburrimiento y eso que me encantaron los dos, pero no pude. Este es un ejemplo de lo que pudo haber sido un muy buen libro y no fue...
October 13, 2012
I have to say first of all that this is the first of Ms Laurens’ books that I’ve read. I thought the story was good, and the characterisation was generally strong – although I admit that Miranda’s tendency to remind us at regular intervals that she’s 29 and practically on the shelf every few pages became annoying quite quickly.
Roscoe is a wonderful hero. Beginning the story as somewhat of a Jack-the-Lad with the luck of the devil, he abandons his carefree existence in order to save his family from disgrace and ruin following the suicide of his elder brother. He has a great head for business and when we meet him again twelve years later, has built up an empire of gambling establishments, and it’s clear that he’s honest and fair, yet will go a long way in order to protect what’s his.
I did think that the latter part of the book was overly drawn out. I enjoyed the detective story element when Miranda and Roscoe were searching for Roderick, and then later, when they were trying to find out who was behind the plot against him, and the events and discoveries that lead up to the eventual unmasking of the real villain. What I don’t think worked so well were the reasons that kept Miranda and Roscoe apart. They were obviously in love, obviously very well-suited and while I know there were strict social conventions of the time, that seemed a very flimsy way of keeping them apart. Roscoe might have been London’s “gambling king”, but he also operated within the law and was incredibly rich – and even at that time, money talked. There are plenty of novels in which one of the protagonists had made their fortune in trade (or inheritied it) and I didn’t quite buy the idea that a rich and honourable man would make a social outcast of any woman he chose to marry.
That’s not my main problem with the book, though. No, that lies not with the story, but with the writing style. I have no idea if these are techniques employed by the author in her other books, but I found her way of breaking sentences; of chopping them up with copious semi-colons to be very irritating. Annoying. Grating. And then there’s the way she not only makes a point, but hammers it in and then smacks it with a sledgehammer for effect. Impact . Force. I know it’s all done to create certain effects (or I assume that to be the case), but it’s just not to my taste; I found it to be stilted and contrived.
And speaking of things not to my taste brings me to the sex scenes. There is plenty of romantic tension between the hero and heroine and I have no complaints about that. But I’m not one for too much purple prose, and some of the prose in this was so purple as to be almost black!
For example:
Or this:
I just… have no idea what’s going on! I know it’s not meant to be taken literally (otherwise it'd be pretty painful!), but that sort of language – to my mind, anyway – conveys next to nothing about what these people are feeling. And in a sex scene, I think that’s pretty important.
It’s not that I wanted out-and-out porn. Not that I’ve anything against out-and-out porn – it has its place. But I found the sex scenes in this book were making me giggle rather than want to loosen my collar and open the windows! In the end, I found myself skimming through them so I could get to the next bit of action or dialogue.
I know Ms Laurens is a best-selling author of dozens of books, and I’m just a pleb who’s never read any of her novels before. As I’ve said, there were things I liked about the story, but the overall style just isn’t to my taste.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Roscoe is a wonderful hero. Beginning the story as somewhat of a Jack-the-Lad with the luck of the devil, he abandons his carefree existence in order to save his family from disgrace and ruin following the suicide of his elder brother. He has a great head for business and when we meet him again twelve years later, has built up an empire of gambling establishments, and it’s clear that he’s honest and fair, yet will go a long way in order to protect what’s his.
I did think that the latter part of the book was overly drawn out. I enjoyed the detective story element when Miranda and Roscoe were searching for Roderick, and then later, when they were trying to find out who was behind the plot against him, and the events and discoveries that lead up to the eventual unmasking of the real villain. What I don’t think worked so well were the reasons that kept Miranda and Roscoe apart. They were obviously in love, obviously very well-suited and while I know there were strict social conventions of the time, that seemed a very flimsy way of keeping them apart. Roscoe might have been London’s “gambling king”, but he also operated within the law and was incredibly rich – and even at that time, money talked. There are plenty of novels in which one of the protagonists had made their fortune in trade (or inheritied it) and I didn’t quite buy the idea that a rich and honourable man would make a social outcast of any woman he chose to marry.
That’s not my main problem with the book, though. No, that lies not with the story, but with the writing style. I have no idea if these are techniques employed by the author in her other books, but I found her way of breaking sentences; of chopping them up with copious semi-colons to be very irritating. Annoying. Grating. And then there’s the way she not only makes a point, but hammers it in and then smacks it with a sledgehammer for effect. Impact . Force. I know it’s all done to create certain effects (or I assume that to be the case), but it’s just not to my taste; I found it to be stilted and contrived.
And speaking of things not to my taste brings me to the sex scenes. There is plenty of romantic tension between the hero and heroine and I have no complaints about that. But I’m not one for too much purple prose, and some of the prose in this was so purple as to be almost black!
For example:
Into a dance to end all dances, into the heat of their raging fire.
And she was with him, gasping and clinging, riding and racing as, bodies plunging, they let passion whip them up the last peak.
To where ecstacy waited, brighter, more brilliant, than ever before.
To where their hearts collided, shattered and re-formed, transformed and became one as they fell through the glory.
Or this:
He wanted, clear and simple, and let his need show, let the maelstrom of it manifest and infuse him, flow to her and bind them – let it blend with her much more openly declared passion to create … something more.
I just… have no idea what’s going on! I know it’s not meant to be taken literally (otherwise it'd be pretty painful!), but that sort of language – to my mind, anyway – conveys next to nothing about what these people are feeling. And in a sex scene, I think that’s pretty important.
It’s not that I wanted out-and-out porn. Not that I’ve anything against out-and-out porn – it has its place. But I found the sex scenes in this book were making me giggle rather than want to loosen my collar and open the windows! In the end, I found myself skimming through them so I could get to the next bit of action or dialogue.
I know Ms Laurens is a best-selling author of dozens of books, and I’m just a pleb who’s never read any of her novels before. As I’ve said, there were things I liked about the story, but the overall style just isn’t to my taste.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
September 13, 2018
Un gusto leer una auténtica novela de época. Tiene de todo.
October 19, 2019
Esta historia nos cuenta porque Julian Delbraith, un personaje de la alta sociedad, renuncia a su cómoda vida y estatus social para salvar a su familia de la ruina, todo originado por las malas decisiones del supuesto hijo modelo y hermano mayor, es así que lo veremos convertido en Neville Roscoe, el rey de las casas de juegos de Londres, luego conocemos a Miranda una dama madura, educada por sus tías bajo estrictas normas de respetabilidad, abocada al cuidado del hermano menor y el cual ella cree anda en malos pasos, por lo tanto guiada por su sentido de protección, sigue a su hermano hasta la casa vecina que resulta ser el club de Roscoe, el romance se va dando poco, lo cual esta muy bien, lamentablemente la historia se alarga demasiado, y se vuelve repetitiva, con menos páginas hubiera quedado la historia perfecta, aún con todo me ha encantado esta pareja.
November 5, 2012
I am very late to the Stephanie Laurens party. My first exposure to her writing was the recent Cynster Sisters trilogy, but I was immediately hooked by her vivid storytelling and compelling characters. While I haven’t had the courage to tackle her entire back catalog of books, I was quite anxious to read her latest story. I must say that The Lady Risks All was worth all the anticipation as I was rewarded with a great story and two very strong, vibrant lead characters.
Because my exposure to the extended Laurens universe is limited I went into this book with no information of who Neville Roscoe is. I’ve since learned he was a minor recurring character in the Black Cobra Quartet series of books, but even within those pages he was a mystery to the lead characters. As The Lady Risks All opens we are introduced to a younger version of Roscoe, originally known as Lord Julian Delbraith, younger brother to the sitting Duke of Ridgware. When a tragedy rocks the foundations of his family and a potential scandal jeopardizes the title, Julian immediately steps into the role of patriarch, sacrificing his own wealth and position within society so that the rest of his family might survive. The next time we see Julian it has been twelve years since that fateful night and he has reinvented himself as Neville Roscoe, gambling king of London and a man who straddles the line between the respectable and the disreputable.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
Because my exposure to the extended Laurens universe is limited I went into this book with no information of who Neville Roscoe is. I’ve since learned he was a minor recurring character in the Black Cobra Quartet series of books, but even within those pages he was a mystery to the lead characters. As The Lady Risks All opens we are introduced to a younger version of Roscoe, originally known as Lord Julian Delbraith, younger brother to the sitting Duke of Ridgware. When a tragedy rocks the foundations of his family and a potential scandal jeopardizes the title, Julian immediately steps into the role of patriarch, sacrificing his own wealth and position within society so that the rest of his family might survive. The next time we see Julian it has been twelve years since that fateful night and he has reinvented himself as Neville Roscoe, gambling king of London and a man who straddles the line between the respectable and the disreputable.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
October 24, 2012
First of all, contrary to the title I'm not sure what the lady in question was risking.
Now, as to the book itself ... meh. I got about 1/4 of the way through before I remembered why I stopped reading Laurens in the first place: that woman couldn't string a cohesive sentence together if her paycheck demanded it. So many broken sentences and non-sensical descriptions - especially the sex scenes. Goodness, there is nothing at all titillating about the same poorly written sexcapade popping up again and again. We get it: they were on fire, they reached another plane, they crashed back to earth. Not only were the scenes not titillating, but they were also redundant. Finally the dialogue, or lack thereof. I'm not sure why Roscoe and Miranda would have fallen in love when the bulk of their conversations revolved around her thanking him. There was nothing emotional or cerebral between these two.
I must remember not to read any more of this author.
Now, as to the book itself ... meh. I got about 1/4 of the way through before I remembered why I stopped reading Laurens in the first place: that woman couldn't string a cohesive sentence together if her paycheck demanded it. So many broken sentences and non-sensical descriptions - especially the sex scenes. Goodness, there is nothing at all titillating about the same poorly written sexcapade popping up again and again. We get it: they were on fire, they reached another plane, they crashed back to earth. Not only were the scenes not titillating, but they were also redundant. Finally the dialogue, or lack thereof. I'm not sure why Roscoe and Miranda would have fallen in love when the bulk of their conversations revolved around her thanking him. There was nothing emotional or cerebral between these two.
I must remember not to read any more of this author.
October 4, 2012
Boring and sex scenes were riduculous. If I read "cataclysmic" one more time I was going to throw the book against the wall.
September 28, 2012
Roscoe and Miranda
Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
Stephanie Laurens is a prolific writer of historical romance. Her Cynster series is one of my favorite long-running romance series so I was happy to get my hands on The Lady Risks All, Ms. Laurens’ latest book.
The Lady Risks All with our hero, Lord Julian Delbraith, giving up his current life to save the family. The family has a special curse that keeps them from being able to resist gambling. One family member per generation is actually good at gambling but the rest of the members are not. Julian happens to be the one good at gambling. For many years it seemed his brother had escaped the curse until one day he committed suicide. In order to save his mother, sisters and nephew he passes them his money and he disappears from society. A couple of years later Neville Roscoe appears and opens several gambling halls. Lord Julian is no more and Neville Roscoe has taken his place.
Several doors down from Neville Roscoe’s London residence lives Miranda Clifford. Miranda has been taking care of her brother for most of her life and now that he is almost a man she is at loose ends. They live with their aunt who is an overwhelmingly strict observer of the rules. When Roderick goes missing one day their aunt will not even allow Miranda to go to the authorities for fear of scandal. Miranda has nowhere to turn but to Roscoe.
Most of Ms. Laurens book are incredibly sensual. The Lady Risks All was the same but it took forever for our couple to get anywhere. When they finally had their first kiss I looked at my kindle to see 25%. Normally that wouldn’t be too bad but in a 500 page book that is a long time to wait for some payoff. Once the deed is done there is scene after scene of lovemaking. It was all so very repetitive. I think you could have cut about 50 pages of sex alone out and there still would have been a good bit to read.
The main conflict of Roscoe and Miranda finding her brother was also kind of drawn out. The rushed through towns and along country sides for a long time before anything was resolved. When they find Roderick he is injured and there is nothing to do but take everyone off to Roscoe’s home. Roscoe’s sisters are at home planning a wedding for the youngest so he is able to spend time with his family something he never does because of his secret identity. This also allows Miranda to learn the secret of who and what he is.
Once they leave the family home, their relationship is in limbo. While he is Roscoe, he is not at the social stature to be around Miranda but if he were to become Julian he would be above her social reach. This creates quite an issue that the couple must work through. I think once the conflict of saving Roderick was past there were many, too many, pages of extra stuff that was not needed. I didn’t need to rehash the same social issue six times before I got that it stood between Roscoe and Miranda being together.
Overall, I was let down by the book. When I read the blurb I was thinking I would get a Derek Craven like book. You know the Lisa Kleypas hero that was too yummy for words? The book could have gone so many ways with a gambling hall owner but it didn’t. It was flat. There were parts that reminded me of the Cynster series but it was too long and too drawn out. I was hoping Ms. Laurens would be starting a new series I could get behind but if they books are going to be like this I am not sure I can make it through the next one. Final grade- C-
Favorite Quote:
“To secure happiness in her life, it is imperative for a lady to know her own mind.”
Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
Stephanie Laurens is a prolific writer of historical romance. Her Cynster series is one of my favorite long-running romance series so I was happy to get my hands on The Lady Risks All, Ms. Laurens’ latest book.
The Lady Risks All with our hero, Lord Julian Delbraith, giving up his current life to save the family. The family has a special curse that keeps them from being able to resist gambling. One family member per generation is actually good at gambling but the rest of the members are not. Julian happens to be the one good at gambling. For many years it seemed his brother had escaped the curse until one day he committed suicide. In order to save his mother, sisters and nephew he passes them his money and he disappears from society. A couple of years later Neville Roscoe appears and opens several gambling halls. Lord Julian is no more and Neville Roscoe has taken his place.
Several doors down from Neville Roscoe’s London residence lives Miranda Clifford. Miranda has been taking care of her brother for most of her life and now that he is almost a man she is at loose ends. They live with their aunt who is an overwhelmingly strict observer of the rules. When Roderick goes missing one day their aunt will not even allow Miranda to go to the authorities for fear of scandal. Miranda has nowhere to turn but to Roscoe.
Most of Ms. Laurens book are incredibly sensual. The Lady Risks All was the same but it took forever for our couple to get anywhere. When they finally had their first kiss I looked at my kindle to see 25%. Normally that wouldn’t be too bad but in a 500 page book that is a long time to wait for some payoff. Once the deed is done there is scene after scene of lovemaking. It was all so very repetitive. I think you could have cut about 50 pages of sex alone out and there still would have been a good bit to read.
The main conflict of Roscoe and Miranda finding her brother was also kind of drawn out. The rushed through towns and along country sides for a long time before anything was resolved. When they find Roderick he is injured and there is nothing to do but take everyone off to Roscoe’s home. Roscoe’s sisters are at home planning a wedding for the youngest so he is able to spend time with his family something he never does because of his secret identity. This also allows Miranda to learn the secret of who and what he is.
Once they leave the family home, their relationship is in limbo. While he is Roscoe, he is not at the social stature to be around Miranda but if he were to become Julian he would be above her social reach. This creates quite an issue that the couple must work through. I think once the conflict of saving Roderick was past there were many, too many, pages of extra stuff that was not needed. I didn’t need to rehash the same social issue six times before I got that it stood between Roscoe and Miranda being together.
Overall, I was let down by the book. When I read the blurb I was thinking I would get a Derek Craven like book. You know the Lisa Kleypas hero that was too yummy for words? The book could have gone so many ways with a gambling hall owner but it didn’t. It was flat. There were parts that reminded me of the Cynster series but it was too long and too drawn out. I was hoping Ms. Laurens would be starting a new series I could get behind but if they books are going to be like this I am not sure I can make it through the next one. Final grade- C-
Favorite Quote:
“To secure happiness in her life, it is imperative for a lady to know her own mind.”
June 4, 2019
Good beginning and good ending. Kind of dragged in the middle. Final rating 3 strong stars
January 15, 2019
Me gusta como escribe. Pero se me ha hecho un poco largo y redundante.
Al final casi te da igual saber quien secuestró al hermano y el motivo.
De todos modos es un libro recomendable.
Aunque la leo de vez en cuando porque me inicié en esto de la romántica histórica con Diablo, de los Cynster,ya no es de mis favoritas.
Al final casi te da igual saber quien secuestró al hermano y el motivo.
De todos modos es un libro recomendable.
Aunque la leo de vez en cuando porque me inicié en esto de la romántica histórica con Diablo, de los Cynster,ya no es de mis favoritas.
February 26, 2020
A tie-in with the Black Cobra Quartet (The Reckless Bride) & The Bastion Club (The Edge Of Desire).
A sensual story about a rakish young man who gives up his right to have a happy marriage & a good life to save his family's good name & retore their fortune.
In enters a well respected young lady who needs his help to save her kidnapped brother & risks her reputation to rescue him. Along the way, they fall in love. But now it is her turn to risk everything to claim her true love.
An elegantly written story. Superb.
A sensual story about a rakish young man who gives up his right to have a happy marriage & a good life to save his family's good name & retore their fortune.
In enters a well respected young lady who needs his help to save her kidnapped brother & risks her reputation to rescue him. Along the way, they fall in love. But now it is her turn to risk everything to claim her true love.
An elegantly written story. Superb.
February 3, 2022
The Lady Risks All
4 Stars
For reasons of his own, the notorious and enigmatic Neville Roscoe lives according to his own moral code and is satisfied with the life he has chosen to lead. That is until the prim and proper Miss Miranda Clifford appears on his doorstep with a request for his help. Tempted by her honesty, loyalty and passion, Roscoe is suddenly faced with the reality of all he has sacrificed and must decide whether he is able to continue living without the love and happiness he needs.
Series note: While not officially connected to either the Bastion Club or Black Cobra Quartet, the hero, Neville Roscoe, does appear in book #7 of the former and book #4 of the latter. Moreover, book #1 in the Adventurer Quartet focuses on Roscoe's sister. As such, this can be considered book #0.5 of that series.
Readers are finally rewarded with the details concerning the mysterious Neville Roscoe. Not only do the events of his past explain his current occupation and choices, but they highlight the true nobility of his nature as well as the lengths to which he will go to protect those he loves.
Miranda is also a delightful heroine and the absolute perfect match for Roscoe in every way. She is fiercely loyal and unfailingly honest, and her respectable facade conceals a passionate nature. Moreover, like Roscoe, she is also lonely with a strong desire for love and a family of her own. Thus, Roscoe and Miranda's have an intense and tangible connection, and their romance is wonderful.
The mystery surrounding the kidnapping of Miranda's brother is intriguing, and it is fun following along as Roscoe and Miranda search for him and fall in love in the process. That said, the eventual explanation for the crime seems more like an afterthought, and there is very little foundation in the storyline for the revelations at the end. Also, the final section is unnecessarily drawn out and overly angsty.
Overall, Lauren's historical romantic suspense style becomes more appealing with each of her books and I look forward to continuing with the next spin-off series - the Adventurers Quartet.
4 Stars
For reasons of his own, the notorious and enigmatic Neville Roscoe lives according to his own moral code and is satisfied with the life he has chosen to lead. That is until the prim and proper Miss Miranda Clifford appears on his doorstep with a request for his help. Tempted by her honesty, loyalty and passion, Roscoe is suddenly faced with the reality of all he has sacrificed and must decide whether he is able to continue living without the love and happiness he needs.
Series note: While not officially connected to either the Bastion Club or Black Cobra Quartet, the hero, Neville Roscoe, does appear in book #7 of the former and book #4 of the latter. Moreover, book #1 in the Adventurer Quartet focuses on Roscoe's sister. As such, this can be considered book #0.5 of that series.
Readers are finally rewarded with the details concerning the mysterious Neville Roscoe. Not only do the events of his past explain his current occupation and choices, but they highlight the true nobility of his nature as well as the lengths to which he will go to protect those he loves.
Miranda is also a delightful heroine and the absolute perfect match for Roscoe in every way. She is fiercely loyal and unfailingly honest, and her respectable facade conceals a passionate nature. Moreover, like Roscoe, she is also lonely with a strong desire for love and a family of her own. Thus, Roscoe and Miranda's have an intense and tangible connection, and their romance is wonderful.
The mystery surrounding the kidnapping of Miranda's brother is intriguing, and it is fun following along as Roscoe and Miranda search for him and fall in love in the process. That said, the eventual explanation for the crime seems more like an afterthought, and there is very little foundation in the storyline for the revelations at the end. Also, the final section is unnecessarily drawn out and overly angsty.
Overall, Lauren's historical romantic suspense style becomes more appealing with each of her books and I look forward to continuing with the next spin-off series - the Adventurers Quartet.
August 30, 2012
Rating: C ... Heat: Warm
Miranda Clifford has spent most of her life ruled by societies expectations. Raised with the belief that scandal must be avoided at all costs, Miranda’s guardians—two elder aunts—have managed to quell her fiery, independent nature. Having spent most of her adult life in the role of caregiver and, essentially, mother to her brother Roderick, she has always focused all her time and energy on him. But now that he’s reached his majority, she realizes she needs to let him go. Let him be his own person. As Miranda struggles to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life, her brother abruptly disappears. Fearing the worst, Miranda seeks help from her disreputable neighbor, and Gambling King, Neville Roscoe.
Neville Roscoe, born Lord Julian Delbraith, gave up his life as he knew it to become the man his family needed him to be. In doing so, he lost bits of himself over time and evolved into someone markedly different. In cultivating his reputation, Roscoe has built up a hard outer shell. He doesn’t let people get close to him, and he doesn’t get close to others. When Miranda shows up asking for help, his honorable nature comes to the fore and he simply can’t refuse her. And when she keeps showing up every day, needing to be involved in the effort to find her brother, it becomes clear she may be the one woman who can open him up.
The Lady Risks All has so much going for it. A hero who, though an aristocrat, lives outside their rules and pretty much thumbs his nose at the ton. A heroine who, though she has always held firm to her respectability, isn’t afraid to let go and make her own way. It also has an intriguing mystery that is weaved throughout and takes the characters, as well as the reader, on an exciting adventure. All of the characters, even the most minor of side characters, are fleshed out and evolve as the story progresses. The Lady Risks All has romance, adventure, mystery, and substance… nearly 500 pages of it.
When I saw the page count, I was excited for a lengthy romance I could really sink my teeth into. Publishers usually cap romance novels closer to 400 or less pages. At first, those extra pages paid off. It felt almost like reading a complete season of Downton Abby. You know, where you really get to see every detail of the characters lives. Even those that could be considered mundane. It gives you an intricate and well-rounded view of their lives and, sometimes, the little things can be the most interesting. Which proved true... till a bit past the halfway mark.
Then I started to skip paragraphs. Sometimes whole pages. It grew to feel... bloated. Bogged down by prosy and lyrical descriptions. It seems sacrilegious for me to even write this, but I even skipped the love scenes. They were simply too... wordy. Drawn out and out and out.
Perhaps I just have an extreme dislike of run-on sentences. An apparent pet peeve of mine I wasn’t unaware of until this book, where they were myriad and plentiful. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But that goes on for pages and pages. Prosy descriptions of their kissing, followed by paragraphs dedicated to removing her clothes and then his clothes... I couldn’t help thinking at one point, ‘Alright already, get her darn laces untied. It’s not that difficult. And, please, quit analyzing every single thing.’
Well. Now that you are forewarned on that score... moving on...
The journey, the evolution, that takes places between Miranda and Roscoe as they traverse the country side to find her brother… that’s what motivated me to keep reading. Watching them fall slowly in like and then in love was heartwarming. It captivated me to see Miranda grow stronger and more sure of herself. Discover what it means to be a woman. And, equally captivating, I enjoyed seeing Roscoe loosen up and gradually open up. The fact that it all happens while they’re moving from town to town, chasing leads and dodging bad guys, well, it added fun and high jinks to the plot.
Once her brother is saved, however, the pace takes a real hit. And it’s between then and the end that the story would have greatly benefited from a whole lot of red pen. It would’ve been a more tight and concise novel if that portion had been cut down. It was riddled with multiple rehashings of events that had just taken place. Even going so far as to have one continuous dialogue rehashing that filled my entire kindle screen. Roscoe must’ve been very out of breath by the time he finished speaking.
The Lady Risks All is energetic and fun. An engrossing historical romance filled with adventure. It has a great premise, excellent character development, and a mystery that keeps you guessing. Unfortunately, it is all but lost in the sheer volume of you have to wade through.
Favorite Quote:
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
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Miranda Clifford has spent most of her life ruled by societies expectations. Raised with the belief that scandal must be avoided at all costs, Miranda’s guardians—two elder aunts—have managed to quell her fiery, independent nature. Having spent most of her adult life in the role of caregiver and, essentially, mother to her brother Roderick, she has always focused all her time and energy on him. But now that he’s reached his majority, she realizes she needs to let him go. Let him be his own person. As Miranda struggles to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life, her brother abruptly disappears. Fearing the worst, Miranda seeks help from her disreputable neighbor, and Gambling King, Neville Roscoe.
Neville Roscoe, born Lord Julian Delbraith, gave up his life as he knew it to become the man his family needed him to be. In doing so, he lost bits of himself over time and evolved into someone markedly different. In cultivating his reputation, Roscoe has built up a hard outer shell. He doesn’t let people get close to him, and he doesn’t get close to others. When Miranda shows up asking for help, his honorable nature comes to the fore and he simply can’t refuse her. And when she keeps showing up every day, needing to be involved in the effort to find her brother, it becomes clear she may be the one woman who can open him up.
The Lady Risks All has so much going for it. A hero who, though an aristocrat, lives outside their rules and pretty much thumbs his nose at the ton. A heroine who, though she has always held firm to her respectability, isn’t afraid to let go and make her own way. It also has an intriguing mystery that is weaved throughout and takes the characters, as well as the reader, on an exciting adventure. All of the characters, even the most minor of side characters, are fleshed out and evolve as the story progresses. The Lady Risks All has romance, adventure, mystery, and substance… nearly 500 pages of it.
When I saw the page count, I was excited for a lengthy romance I could really sink my teeth into. Publishers usually cap romance novels closer to 400 or less pages. At first, those extra pages paid off. It felt almost like reading a complete season of Downton Abby. You know, where you really get to see every detail of the characters lives. Even those that could be considered mundane. It gives you an intricate and well-rounded view of their lives and, sometimes, the little things can be the most interesting. Which proved true... till a bit past the halfway mark.
Then I started to skip paragraphs. Sometimes whole pages. It grew to feel... bloated. Bogged down by prosy and lyrical descriptions. It seems sacrilegious for me to even write this, but I even skipped the love scenes. They were simply too... wordy. Drawn out and out and out.
He kissed her and wondered, then drew a deeper breath and plunged into her mouth, claimed and sought, and she kissed him back with building urgency until between them the flames ignited and rose.
Heat spread, insidiously urgent, beneath their skins. Desire rode, hungry and needy, in its wake.
So many questions and the answers... some of the answers, surely, lay here, between them. In what flared between them.
Perhaps I just have an extreme dislike of run-on sentences. An apparent pet peeve of mine I wasn’t unaware of until this book, where they were myriad and plentiful. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But that goes on for pages and pages. Prosy descriptions of their kissing, followed by paragraphs dedicated to removing her clothes and then his clothes... I couldn’t help thinking at one point, ‘Alright already, get her darn laces untied. It’s not that difficult. And, please, quit analyzing every single thing.’
Well. Now that you are forewarned on that score... moving on...
The journey, the evolution, that takes places between Miranda and Roscoe as they traverse the country side to find her brother… that’s what motivated me to keep reading. Watching them fall slowly in like and then in love was heartwarming. It captivated me to see Miranda grow stronger and more sure of herself. Discover what it means to be a woman. And, equally captivating, I enjoyed seeing Roscoe loosen up and gradually open up. The fact that it all happens while they’re moving from town to town, chasing leads and dodging bad guys, well, it added fun and high jinks to the plot.
Once her brother is saved, however, the pace takes a real hit. And it’s between then and the end that the story would have greatly benefited from a whole lot of red pen. It would’ve been a more tight and concise novel if that portion had been cut down. It was riddled with multiple rehashings of events that had just taken place. Even going so far as to have one continuous dialogue rehashing that filled my entire kindle screen. Roscoe must’ve been very out of breath by the time he finished speaking.
The Lady Risks All is energetic and fun. An engrossing historical romance filled with adventure. It has a great premise, excellent character development, and a mystery that keeps you guessing. Unfortunately, it is all but lost in the sheer volume of you have to wade through.
Favorite Quote:
They both froze. For an instant, for a fraction of a heartbeat.
Lids lowered, her gaze had locked on his lips. His gaze was on her face.
Then he moved. She moved.
And their lips touched again.
This time they clung.
Hers softened; his firmed.
And the connection became real.
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
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May 9, 2016
I was absolutely thrilled when I found out that this was Roscoe Neville's book. It was like Christmas for me. I love it when I want somebody's story and I don't have to wait for it. It is not too often that a character pops up that demands their own story as hard as Roscoe did when we met him the first time. It also isn't too often that a author does a good job of filling in a backstory for the character. When I say that, I mean to the point that it is believable, IMO. But SL did an awesome job of bring Roscoe's story to life for us. He willingly sacrificed his posh life so that his entire family wouldn't face the consequences of one selfish act of his brother. Once he enters the world of vice and sin, he knows that he will never be able to see his family again. He accepts his fate and moves on until he meets on the shelf spinster Miranda. Miranda is looking for her brother at Neville's house. She is sure that Roscoe is corrupting her brother with his den of evilness and she sets out to rescue him from peril. Of course when the truth comes out Miranda has to eat crow. But she will happily do so once her brother is kidnapped and the only man who can save the day is Roscoe himself.
The book was wonderful and completely put me in my happy place. I gave a big ole shuddering sigh of happiness when I read the last word. I was so happy for Roscoe and the way the Miranda helped him find his way back to his family that he loved so very much. The End. ;-)
The book was wonderful and completely put me in my happy place. I gave a big ole shuddering sigh of happiness when I read the last word. I was so happy for Roscoe and the way the Miranda helped him find his way back to his family that he loved so very much. The End. ;-)
October 9, 2012
Notes: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My synopsis:
Gambling. It is a game of chance, luck, skill, and risk. For a small percentage of the populous the game becomes addictive, an obsession they cannot resist. The stakes are high and the games have been the ruin of many a man and family. It was also a known danger or curse, as the family looked upon it, for the men of the Delbraith family. One that seemed to have a habit of taking hold of just about every male member. But what surprised most of the family twelve years ago, was that the man with ironically the better poker face, the man who had more to lose and had been groomed to be the more responsible of the two Delbraith brothers was the one who had succumbed to the obsession and lost it all. No one had had a clue until the day he took a pistol to his head and let loose a tidal wave of chaos. He could no longer hide nor live with the choices he had made and had taken the coward's way out.
Besides the gambling curse it was also known that once every few generations or so the family would birth a son with more than enough luck or skill that even if the curse took hold they would somehow always manage to come out of the games on the plus side. Perhaps they were born under a lucky star, or it was fates way of keeping balance and order in the world. And so Twelve years ago, in an effort to save the family, Julian decided to risk it all and has never taken a look back. For on that day, Lord Julian Roscoe Neville Delbraiths ceased to exist and Neville Roscoe was born.
Miranda Clifford knew all about family curses. It was known in her family that those who strayed from the straight and narrow would meet with disaster and/or death. So she'd lived her life accordingly, and when she thought her brother, Roderick, might be straying into dark territories she followed him one night to see what kind of trouble he might be getting into. What she never expected was to follow him right into the dwelling of Neville Roscoe, "the most celebrated--as in infamous and notorious--denizen of the neighborhood. He was London's acknowledged gambling king, the owner of a vast array of hells, dens, and clubs catering to the wealthy, the affluent, the aristocratic."
Miranda is about to learn that just like you can't judge a book by its cover, neither can you always judge a person by their persona.
My Thoughts:
This was such a delightful tale that had me swooning over the the hero. Roscoe was first introduced by Ms. Laurens in her novel The Edge of Desire (Bastion Club, #7) then again in The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra Quartet, #4) . So if you haven't read the two series you may wish to do so now. I always love it when an author ties their books together via a character mentioned in another.
Roscoe is like two people spliced into one. His Roscoe persona is one of a dangerous man who you don't cross if you want to live, but his Julian persona, which is his true self, is much different from his alter ego. With all his wealth and involvement in London's darker and seedier side, you'd think he would have succumbed to his own vices and be tainted by it all. Yet he never strayed far from his aristocratic roots and upbringing. As you can probably surmise from my synopsis, Julian created his alter ego as a way to support his family and get them out of ruin. To do so, however, he had to separate himself from them so they wouldn't be tainted through association.
Roscoe is sort of a sheep in wolf's clothing. Upon becoming a rich and notorious gambling king, Roscoe decided to lend a helping hand to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to better themselves or their situations. He doesn't just hand out money to the poor and less fortunate, he makes sure the money is used to teach skills so they may better themselves. It's a bit of the "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime." type of philosophy. He does all this in secret and only a chosen few know. Ms. Laurens described Roscoe in an interview she did with USA Today as an inverted Batman. To see the whole article CLICK HERE.
Miranda is in some ways is very like Roscoe. They share a common loyalty toward family and feel responsible for them. When her brother doesn't come home after a late night meeting with Roscoe, Miranda seeks out his help in finding him.Curse or no curse, Miranda throws caution to the wind and does what no proper lady would do--she accompanies Roscoe as they follow the trail to find her brother and that is when the real fun begins. While their first encounter sparked an awareness of the other, it's not until later, while on the path to finding Miranda's kidnapped brother, that the two realize those first sparks have ignited something more heated between them.
Overall, I adored this book and gave it 5 out of 5 roses. I loved the character Ms. Laurens created in Roscoe. I thought he was refreshingly unique from the other heroes I've read in historical romance novels. I loved how Miranda at one point has to take the reigns of the relationship into her own hands and the way the two worked together to figure out the who, what, and where of her brother's kidnapping. I also enjoyed how the two had to figure out how to redefine their relationship once back within the bounds of London society. On the Lisarenee romance rating scale, this one gets a FAN rating--the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice.
My synopsis:
Gambling. It is a game of chance, luck, skill, and risk. For a small percentage of the populous the game becomes addictive, an obsession they cannot resist. The stakes are high and the games have been the ruin of many a man and family. It was also a known danger or curse, as the family looked upon it, for the men of the Delbraith family. One that seemed to have a habit of taking hold of just about every male member. But what surprised most of the family twelve years ago, was that the man with ironically the better poker face, the man who had more to lose and had been groomed to be the more responsible of the two Delbraith brothers was the one who had succumbed to the obsession and lost it all. No one had had a clue until the day he took a pistol to his head and let loose a tidal wave of chaos. He could no longer hide nor live with the choices he had made and had taken the coward's way out.
Besides the gambling curse it was also known that once every few generations or so the family would birth a son with more than enough luck or skill that even if the curse took hold they would somehow always manage to come out of the games on the plus side. Perhaps they were born under a lucky star, or it was fates way of keeping balance and order in the world. And so Twelve years ago, in an effort to save the family, Julian decided to risk it all and has never taken a look back. For on that day, Lord Julian Roscoe Neville Delbraiths ceased to exist and Neville Roscoe was born.
Miranda Clifford knew all about family curses. It was known in her family that those who strayed from the straight and narrow would meet with disaster and/or death. So she'd lived her life accordingly, and when she thought her brother, Roderick, might be straying into dark territories she followed him one night to see what kind of trouble he might be getting into. What she never expected was to follow him right into the dwelling of Neville Roscoe, "the most celebrated--as in infamous and notorious--denizen of the neighborhood. He was London's acknowledged gambling king, the owner of a vast array of hells, dens, and clubs catering to the wealthy, the affluent, the aristocratic."
Miranda is about to learn that just like you can't judge a book by its cover, neither can you always judge a person by their persona.
My Thoughts:
This was such a delightful tale that had me swooning over the the hero. Roscoe was first introduced by Ms. Laurens in her novel The Edge of Desire (Bastion Club, #7) then again in The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra Quartet, #4) . So if you haven't read the two series you may wish to do so now. I always love it when an author ties their books together via a character mentioned in another.
Roscoe is like two people spliced into one. His Roscoe persona is one of a dangerous man who you don't cross if you want to live, but his Julian persona, which is his true self, is much different from his alter ego. With all his wealth and involvement in London's darker and seedier side, you'd think he would have succumbed to his own vices and be tainted by it all. Yet he never strayed far from his aristocratic roots and upbringing. As you can probably surmise from my synopsis, Julian created his alter ego as a way to support his family and get them out of ruin. To do so, however, he had to separate himself from them so they wouldn't be tainted through association.
Roscoe is sort of a sheep in wolf's clothing. Upon becoming a rich and notorious gambling king, Roscoe decided to lend a helping hand to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to better themselves or their situations. He doesn't just hand out money to the poor and less fortunate, he makes sure the money is used to teach skills so they may better themselves. It's a bit of the "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime." type of philosophy. He does all this in secret and only a chosen few know. Ms. Laurens described Roscoe in an interview she did with USA Today as an inverted Batman. To see the whole article CLICK HERE.
Miranda is in some ways is very like Roscoe. They share a common loyalty toward family and feel responsible for them. When her brother doesn't come home after a late night meeting with Roscoe, Miranda seeks out his help in finding him.Curse or no curse, Miranda throws caution to the wind and does what no proper lady would do--she accompanies Roscoe as they follow the trail to find her brother and that is when the real fun begins. While their first encounter sparked an awareness of the other, it's not until later, while on the path to finding Miranda's kidnapped brother, that the two realize those first sparks have ignited something more heated between them.
Overall, I adored this book and gave it 5 out of 5 roses. I loved the character Ms. Laurens created in Roscoe. I thought he was refreshingly unique from the other heroes I've read in historical romance novels. I loved how Miranda at one point has to take the reigns of the relationship into her own hands and the way the two worked together to figure out the who, what, and where of her brother's kidnapping. I also enjoyed how the two had to figure out how to redefine their relationship once back within the bounds of London society. On the Lisarenee romance rating scale, this one gets a FAN rating--the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice.
November 8, 2020
Okay read. Very much fire spicy.
Bad boy falls for good girl.
Roscoe has a mysterious past but his present is all about running his gambling house. Meeting one of his friends sister Miranda it first starts off innocent until they become closer.
They soon work together to find her brother. It becomes a mystery on the side but it helps these two to just get closer to one another.
Even if their relationship is forbidden they can't get enough of each other.
Nice I enjoyed.
Bad boy falls for good girl.
Roscoe has a mysterious past but his present is all about running his gambling house. Meeting one of his friends sister Miranda it first starts off innocent until they become closer.
They soon work together to find her brother. It becomes a mystery on the side but it helps these two to just get closer to one another.
Even if their relationship is forbidden they can't get enough of each other.
Nice I enjoyed.
August 27, 2012
It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to rate Stephanie Laurens at a full 5 stars, though her last three novels were at 4.5. Her stories are always solid and exciting, well-plotted and fun to read, but occasionally, I was frustrated because her characters remained the same. She seemed to be varying that with the Cynster sisters trilogy, and with The Lady Risks All she steps out of her mold with her leads. Miranda Clifford and Roscoe Neville have shades of similarity, but have qualities that set them apart and put this novel a cut above the rest. Bravo, Ms. Laurens, you’ve got me firmly back in your camp.
The Lady Risks All begins with the back story of how Lord Julian Delbraith became Roscoe Neville, the king of the gambling underworld–he sacrificed his comfortable life to save his family after his brother ruined the duchy and killed himself. He runs his life family and seeks to control everything in his purview to detriment of himself. When the story begins properly, he is facing the wedding of his last sister, the fact that his nephew is almost grown and the estate has righted itself–he has no one left to protect. He is very nearly alone.
Miranda Clifford is not like Stephanie Laurens’ usual heroines. She is quiet, wedded to respectability–on the verge of accepting an offer to marry a man she isn’t sure she likes because she is twenty-nine and will likely not have another one. She has been raised in fear of stepping of out line because there is a taint of trade in her past. She, too, looks to protect her younger sibling, and is very nearly at the end of her responsibilities as Roderick is twenty-three and ready to set out on her own.
The story sets out when Roderick, a member of Roscoe’s Philanthropy Guild, is kidnapped off the street one night. This leads Miranda to throw off the cloak of responsibility and approach Roscoe for help in locating him. They are attracting to one another because they sense each value family and loyalty–and both are about to be very alone in the world. But Roscoe knows that as a gambling king, he’s not appropriate for Miranda.
Laurens takes the reader on a trip through England as Miranda and Roscoe track Roderick’s kidnappers and attempt to rescue them, and Miranda convinces Roscoe to take a chance on their relationship. It’s really a fun, involving and wonderful read. For once, Miranda pursues Roscoe–and it’s not the hero pursuing the heroine as it so often is in Laurens’ novels. (With the exception of the Elusive Bride, but I really didn’t like Emily much in that. The leads decided too early they were in love.)
Stephanie Laurens has always been enjoyable, and though I truly enjoyed all the Cynster sisters trilogy, there was something about this book that put it a cut above the rest. Her books are good for 4 stars, the last three were 4.5. This one? Five stars all the year. Brilliant move, can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next.
The Lady Risks All begins with the back story of how Lord Julian Delbraith became Roscoe Neville, the king of the gambling underworld–he sacrificed his comfortable life to save his family after his brother ruined the duchy and killed himself. He runs his life family and seeks to control everything in his purview to detriment of himself. When the story begins properly, he is facing the wedding of his last sister, the fact that his nephew is almost grown and the estate has righted itself–he has no one left to protect. He is very nearly alone.
Miranda Clifford is not like Stephanie Laurens’ usual heroines. She is quiet, wedded to respectability–on the verge of accepting an offer to marry a man she isn’t sure she likes because she is twenty-nine and will likely not have another one. She has been raised in fear of stepping of out line because there is a taint of trade in her past. She, too, looks to protect her younger sibling, and is very nearly at the end of her responsibilities as Roderick is twenty-three and ready to set out on her own.
The story sets out when Roderick, a member of Roscoe’s Philanthropy Guild, is kidnapped off the street one night. This leads Miranda to throw off the cloak of responsibility and approach Roscoe for help in locating him. They are attracting to one another because they sense each value family and loyalty–and both are about to be very alone in the world. But Roscoe knows that as a gambling king, he’s not appropriate for Miranda.
Laurens takes the reader on a trip through England as Miranda and Roscoe track Roderick’s kidnappers and attempt to rescue them, and Miranda convinces Roscoe to take a chance on their relationship. It’s really a fun, involving and wonderful read. For once, Miranda pursues Roscoe–and it’s not the hero pursuing the heroine as it so often is in Laurens’ novels. (With the exception of the Elusive Bride, but I really didn’t like Emily much in that. The leads decided too early they were in love.)
Stephanie Laurens has always been enjoyable, and though I truly enjoyed all the Cynster sisters trilogy, there was something about this book that put it a cut above the rest. Her books are good for 4 stars, the last three were 4.5. This one? Five stars all the year. Brilliant move, can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next.
September 25, 2012
Neville Roscoe was not always Neville Roscoe, he was born Lord Julian Delbraith, Males in his family are susceptible to a gambling addiction, only Lord Julian was the exception, he was actually a good gambler. His older brother commits suicide and leaves the family in imminent financial ruin, Lord Julian gives up his life to save his siblings and nephew from ruin and secretly becomes Neville Roscoe the successful gambling kingpin
Lady Miranda Clifford also has a family “curse”, members of her family who have given into impropriety have lost their lives. Upon the death of her mother she and her younger brother Roderick lived with her two spinster Aunts, who constantly remind her of her need to remain untarnished and proper.
Miranda has spent most of her life taking care of Roderick and just when she thinks he is of an age to not need her constant mothering, he disappears. With no other choice she turns to her neighbor the illustrious Roscoe to help her find her brother. Roscoe agrees to help Miranda find her brother and along the way he finds it harder and harder to hide his true identity. Will he open up to her? Will she give up her fear of impropriety for a chance at real love?
This book was another Laurens masterpiece for me. Her characterizations are wonderful and descriptions are so detailed, she paints a beautiful picture in your mind. There are several characters in the book that I hope to see again, in particular- Jordan (please write his story for us Mrs. Laurens). This book is one of the longer books I have read of hers (496 pages), if you enjoy a great period romance that you can really sink your teeth into this is the book for you.
Lady Miranda Clifford also has a family “curse”, members of her family who have given into impropriety have lost their lives. Upon the death of her mother she and her younger brother Roderick lived with her two spinster Aunts, who constantly remind her of her need to remain untarnished and proper.
Miranda has spent most of her life taking care of Roderick and just when she thinks he is of an age to not need her constant mothering, he disappears. With no other choice she turns to her neighbor the illustrious Roscoe to help her find her brother. Roscoe agrees to help Miranda find her brother and along the way he finds it harder and harder to hide his true identity. Will he open up to her? Will she give up her fear of impropriety for a chance at real love?
This book was another Laurens masterpiece for me. Her characterizations are wonderful and descriptions are so detailed, she paints a beautiful picture in your mind. There are several characters in the book that I hope to see again, in particular- Jordan (please write his story for us Mrs. Laurens). This book is one of the longer books I have read of hers (496 pages), if you enjoy a great period romance that you can really sink your teeth into this is the book for you.
August 5, 2012
If you can get past the redundancy of wording and the overwrought tone of 3/4 of the book, there is a pretty good story in there, one for which I wasn't sure there would be a suitable resolution. But resolved, it was, and Lord Julian/Neville Roscoe and Miranda Clifford found their happy ending.
Ironically, the best written part of this book was the Epilogue. Not a synonym to be found. Now if Ms. Laurens can extend that writing style backwards to the beginning of her books, I may read another one sometime in the near future.
Ironically, the best written part of this book was the Epilogue. Not a synonym to be found. Now if Ms. Laurens can extend that writing style backwards to the beginning of her books, I may read another one sometime in the near future.
September 27, 2012
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2012/09/review-...
Favorite Quote: “This wasn’t some passing connection. This power and glory wasn’t something that would fade and die- “
Neville Roscoe is the notorious, scandalous owner of several gambling dens. A private man, he exists on the fringes of society and is given wide berth by everyone. We learn early on that Neville is really Lord Julian Delbraith and his decline into society’s more dark ventures is forced by family circumstances. He chooses to sacrifice himself in order to save his family from ruin. This has caused Neville to isolate himself, not only from his family, but from society in general. While not a heartless man, he is aloof and removed, in order to not only protect his family, but also himself. It’s only when he meets Miranda Clifford does his protective instincts come roaring forefront and he begins to wish that things were different.
Lady Miranda Clifford is locked in the rigid confines of society, made to pay for her mother’s fall from grace by her two spinster aunts. Her aunts have quashed almost all of her independence and spirit and Miranda has spent a majority of her life raising her younger brother and looking to making a respectable marriage. When her brother Roderick begins to buck against her yoke, Miranda knows it’s time to let him go but she finds herself following him one night to see what he is up to. He leads her to one of Neville’s gambling dens and she sneaks in to spy on her brother. Neville catches her and instead of ejecting her, he allows her to hide and see her what her brother is doing. Miranda appeals to Neville for help when a series of attacks befall her brother and before he knows it, Neville finds himself opening up to a woman who for all intents and purposes would be shunned should their association be discovered.
As their attraction to one another grows, Miranda makes a daring proposition and Neville, caught between his honor and passion for Miranda, agrees. Soon their affair blossoms into a love so deep and commanding, Neville fears that only death will release them.
The Lady Risks All is the story of Neville Roscoe who was seen in both The Edge Of Desire and The Reckless Bride. I would like to point out this is a stand alone and you do not have to read the others in order to appreciate this story. I found myself instantly smitten by the hero and heroine in here. Neville, an alpha with a dark commanding presence, is complex in his ability to disregard society so completely but falls back upon age old honor when dealing with Miranda. Miranda seems very uptight, wrapped in her respectability and need for rules, in the beginning yet you see a spark of spirit that grows brighter and stronger each time she is with Neville. Their romance begins slowly; our hero and heroine fighting against the chemistry that blazes as soon as they meet. We are privy to their every thought which makes for interesting insight into this particular era.
I liked watching Miranda grow, not only in her sexuality but as a person. With Neville at her side, she is able to accomplish anything. Neville’s past is tragic and he has kept his feelings buried for so long. Miranda helps to break down his walls and watching him acknowledge his love for her, to himself, is emotionally gratifying. His constant struggle between what he wants and what he feels he should do is a never ending battle that extends through much of the story. The physical scenes are very passionate, emotional wise, though Ms. Laurens seems to spend an inordinate amount of time examining each and every detail through lyrical prose until you find yourself skimming pages to get to the actual scene.
The secondary characters are all well developed and add to the depth and emotional evolution of the story. The merging of their lives stays constant through the entire story and Ms. Laurens does well in slowly revealing their back stories and reasons in order to allow us better understanding of our protagonists. I enjoyed seeing some old faces that I fell in love with from previous books. Rafe Carstairs -The Reckless Bride -YUM! There is a sweet small secondary romance that reveals itself gently. The ending comes at you fast and wraps up the storyline and subsequent sub plots in a clear and concise manner that answers all our questions and concerns. There is even a sweet epilogue (and you all know how much I love epilogues) that leave us secure in Miranda’s and Neville’s future.
My main problem with this romance is the length. Ms. Laurens could have easily cut out about 200 pages of overused prose, descriptive details, and repetitive scenes that bog the story down drastically. I honestly felt that the prologue was one of the best written sections of the book and wished Laurens could have continued the entire story in that fashion. I enjoyed The Lady Risks All, as it has a very old school feel to it that reminds me of why I fell in love with historical romances in the first place, but I will admit the filler you have to wade through to get to the HEA is daunting and I found myself challenged to finish on more than one occasion.
Overall Rating: C+
Favorite Quote: “This wasn’t some passing connection. This power and glory wasn’t something that would fade and die- “
Neville Roscoe is the notorious, scandalous owner of several gambling dens. A private man, he exists on the fringes of society and is given wide berth by everyone. We learn early on that Neville is really Lord Julian Delbraith and his decline into society’s more dark ventures is forced by family circumstances. He chooses to sacrifice himself in order to save his family from ruin. This has caused Neville to isolate himself, not only from his family, but from society in general. While not a heartless man, he is aloof and removed, in order to not only protect his family, but also himself. It’s only when he meets Miranda Clifford does his protective instincts come roaring forefront and he begins to wish that things were different.
Lady Miranda Clifford is locked in the rigid confines of society, made to pay for her mother’s fall from grace by her two spinster aunts. Her aunts have quashed almost all of her independence and spirit and Miranda has spent a majority of her life raising her younger brother and looking to making a respectable marriage. When her brother Roderick begins to buck against her yoke, Miranda knows it’s time to let him go but she finds herself following him one night to see what he is up to. He leads her to one of Neville’s gambling dens and she sneaks in to spy on her brother. Neville catches her and instead of ejecting her, he allows her to hide and see her what her brother is doing. Miranda appeals to Neville for help when a series of attacks befall her brother and before he knows it, Neville finds himself opening up to a woman who for all intents and purposes would be shunned should their association be discovered.
As their attraction to one another grows, Miranda makes a daring proposition and Neville, caught between his honor and passion for Miranda, agrees. Soon their affair blossoms into a love so deep and commanding, Neville fears that only death will release them.
The Lady Risks All is the story of Neville Roscoe who was seen in both The Edge Of Desire and The Reckless Bride. I would like to point out this is a stand alone and you do not have to read the others in order to appreciate this story. I found myself instantly smitten by the hero and heroine in here. Neville, an alpha with a dark commanding presence, is complex in his ability to disregard society so completely but falls back upon age old honor when dealing with Miranda. Miranda seems very uptight, wrapped in her respectability and need for rules, in the beginning yet you see a spark of spirit that grows brighter and stronger each time she is with Neville. Their romance begins slowly; our hero and heroine fighting against the chemistry that blazes as soon as they meet. We are privy to their every thought which makes for interesting insight into this particular era.
I liked watching Miranda grow, not only in her sexuality but as a person. With Neville at her side, she is able to accomplish anything. Neville’s past is tragic and he has kept his feelings buried for so long. Miranda helps to break down his walls and watching him acknowledge his love for her, to himself, is emotionally gratifying. His constant struggle between what he wants and what he feels he should do is a never ending battle that extends through much of the story. The physical scenes are very passionate, emotional wise, though Ms. Laurens seems to spend an inordinate amount of time examining each and every detail through lyrical prose until you find yourself skimming pages to get to the actual scene.
The secondary characters are all well developed and add to the depth and emotional evolution of the story. The merging of their lives stays constant through the entire story and Ms. Laurens does well in slowly revealing their back stories and reasons in order to allow us better understanding of our protagonists. I enjoyed seeing some old faces that I fell in love with from previous books. Rafe Carstairs -The Reckless Bride -YUM! There is a sweet small secondary romance that reveals itself gently. The ending comes at you fast and wraps up the storyline and subsequent sub plots in a clear and concise manner that answers all our questions and concerns. There is even a sweet epilogue (and you all know how much I love epilogues) that leave us secure in Miranda’s and Neville’s future.
My main problem with this romance is the length. Ms. Laurens could have easily cut out about 200 pages of overused prose, descriptive details, and repetitive scenes that bog the story down drastically. I honestly felt that the prologue was one of the best written sections of the book and wished Laurens could have continued the entire story in that fashion. I enjoyed The Lady Risks All, as it has a very old school feel to it that reminds me of why I fell in love with historical romances in the first place, but I will admit the filler you have to wade through to get to the HEA is daunting and I found myself challenged to finish on more than one occasion.
Overall Rating: C+
January 2, 2015
Loved the book. Miranda is twenty nine and unmarried. She and her brother live with their aunt who has raised them under strict rules of respectability. Miranda has always watched out for her brother and follows him one night when she is worried about his activities. She is caught by the owner of the house, Neville Roscoe, the gambling king of London. He shows her that she doesn't need to worry about Roderick's presence there and escorts her home. A few nights later, Roderick goes missing and she goes to Roscoe for help. In spite of his reputation, Miranda insists on accompanying him on his search. It takes several days and some danger, but they find him and take him to Roscoe's family's home to recover. From there it's back to London to try to find out who is behind the attack on Roderick. I loved both Miranda and Roscoe. He is a nobleman who left his life behind and became to gambling king in order to save his family from ruin. He has spent twelve years keeping himself separate from them, with only occasional furtive visits. He knows that if his identity were known his family would suffer the disgrace. He has also accepted the fact that no respectable woman would marry him. From the beginning Miranda has something that calls to him. He can't stop wanting to be with her, and even lets her in on his daily life while they wait for information on what has happened to her brother. He likes the way that she stands up to him even as it frustrates him. He is attracted to her but refuses to start anything with her, until she comes to him with her needs. When he takes her and Roderick to his family's home it is one more step in breaking down the walls that have kept his life apart from his family's. He is determined to protect her from danger, but also from being affected by his reputation, and tries to end their relationship on their return to London. I loved his protectiveness to his family and to Miranda. He was so willing to give her up for her own good that it hurt to see. I loved the way he came to the rescue at the end. Miranda was a woman who started out as kind of uptight, but that was due to her aunt's influence. When she made the decision to help with the search her inner strength came out. I loved the way that she simply refused to take no for an answer when dealing with Roscoe. Her appearances at his house enabled her to learn more about him and I loved the way that her opinions and feelings began to change right from the beginning. She also had no problem speaking up for herself when she had an idea that would help and kept after Roscoe until he had to admit that it would work. I loved the way that she decided that she would give in to her attraction and take the opportunity that she felt would never come again. I also enjoyed the way she was so readily accepted by Roscoe's family and the way that they showed her another side of him. I loved seeing her interactions with them and how they gave her a new perspective on society. When they returned to London she wanted to continue seeing him and was upset when he refused. She tried to move on with her life, but things kept happening that would bring them back together. I really enjoyed the time that she lost her temper with him and the effect it had on him. I really liked the way she went to him at the end and fought for what she wanted. Though there were a few times the story dragged a little bit, the rest of the book made up for it. I was glad that Roscoe got his own story since his appearances in The Reckless Bride and The Edge of Desire were very intriguing.
September 10, 2012
I've read many Stephanie Laurens books and they usually are either hit or miss for me. There will be a book where I really enjoyed the characters or one that I couldn't connect to them at all. The Lady Risks All was different; I really enjoyed parts of the story and its characters and some of the parts I had issues with.
Born of a union between local gentry and the son of a mill owner, spinster Miranda was raised to always be conscious of her tenuous place in society. She spent her days taking care of her elderly (and very proper) aunt and her younger brother. However, when her brother disappears, she threw propriety out the window and enlisted the help of neighbor and notorious gambling kingpin, Neville Roscoe, to help her find him.
It was at this point that I developed issues. After hearing Miranda chastised daily (either by her aunt or herself), it was hard to believe she could forget twenty years of "conditioning" after only a couple of days of worrying about her brother. I've only heard of one instance that causes a personality change overnight: severe head trauma. Which did not happen here; Miranda was mental, but not like that.
Whatever the cause, Miranda developed a backbone in the middle of the story and embark with Roscoe on a journey across England to find her brother. There were moments when Miranda fell back into the criticizing mindset of before, but eventually she got herself in order.
Here is where I felt the best part of the book emerged. Miranda blossoms as a character during this section. She became independent; she took responsibility for her actions and acknowledged that she was attracted to a man who did not fit the notion of what was acceptable in a proper mate.
You might ask why I don't mention Roscoe's character and the changes he underwent. I did not feel he grew or changed overall as much in character as Miranda did. He did not need to change. He stayed relatively true to himself, no matter his name. Plus, he didn't personally bother me as much as Miranda did.
After they rescued her brother and she discovered Roscoe's secret, Miranda reverted to the old self-doubting and societally concerned Miranda. It was a struggle to watch her back slide after coming so far in the middle. I wanted to slap her and tell her to get her shit together and stop wavering!
The last part of the story was Roscoe and Miranda trying to figure out who wanted to harm her brother. I won't say exactly how it ends, but will say I had a hard time believing it. I think my notes read something like "Really?" or "Srsly now?!" and "Hmm". I had more notes, but they were all variations of the previous words.
For the most part, I did enjoy this story. Roscoe's family was fun and Roscoe himself was definitely worth reading about. The parts where Miranda showed her independent side and stood up for herself were wonderful, but the points where she was wishy-washy made me quickly tap my reader to for the next page.
In a way, The Lady Risks All reminded me of the old Signet Romances and Barbara Cartlands I read back in the day. Definitely the descriptions of the sex scenes were flowery in their terminology and tended to be skim over the good bits. If you enjoy those types of stories, then you will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
Born of a union between local gentry and the son of a mill owner, spinster Miranda was raised to always be conscious of her tenuous place in society. She spent her days taking care of her elderly (and very proper) aunt and her younger brother. However, when her brother disappears, she threw propriety out the window and enlisted the help of neighbor and notorious gambling kingpin, Neville Roscoe, to help her find him.
It was at this point that I developed issues. After hearing Miranda chastised daily (either by her aunt or herself), it was hard to believe she could forget twenty years of "conditioning" after only a couple of days of worrying about her brother. I've only heard of one instance that causes a personality change overnight: severe head trauma. Which did not happen here; Miranda was mental, but not like that.
Whatever the cause, Miranda developed a backbone in the middle of the story and embark with Roscoe on a journey across England to find her brother. There were moments when Miranda fell back into the criticizing mindset of before, but eventually she got herself in order.
Here is where I felt the best part of the book emerged. Miranda blossoms as a character during this section. She became independent; she took responsibility for her actions and acknowledged that she was attracted to a man who did not fit the notion of what was acceptable in a proper mate.
You might ask why I don't mention Roscoe's character and the changes he underwent. I did not feel he grew or changed overall as much in character as Miranda did. He did not need to change. He stayed relatively true to himself, no matter his name. Plus, he didn't personally bother me as much as Miranda did.
After they rescued her brother and she discovered Roscoe's secret, Miranda reverted to the old self-doubting and societally concerned Miranda. It was a struggle to watch her back slide after coming so far in the middle. I wanted to slap her and tell her to get her shit together and stop wavering!
The last part of the story was Roscoe and Miranda trying to figure out who wanted to harm her brother. I won't say exactly how it ends, but will say I had a hard time believing it. I think my notes read something like "Really?" or "Srsly now?!" and "Hmm". I had more notes, but they were all variations of the previous words.
For the most part, I did enjoy this story. Roscoe's family was fun and Roscoe himself was definitely worth reading about. The parts where Miranda showed her independent side and stood up for herself were wonderful, but the points where she was wishy-washy made me quickly tap my reader to for the next page.
In a way, The Lady Risks All reminded me of the old Signet Romances and Barbara Cartlands I read back in the day. Definitely the descriptions of the sex scenes were flowery in their terminology and tended to be skim over the good bits. If you enjoy those types of stories, then you will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
September 24, 2012
Review originally posted on TBQ's Book Palace
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I've been a fan of Stephanie Laurens since I picked up “Devil's Bride” years ago (back when I was still a teenager and had to sneak my romance novels...). I quickly devoured most of her books, and while I liked some more than others, overall I really enjoyed her books.
I haven't read one of her books in a few years now; I'm behind on many of her series. And so I was looking forward to reading The Lady Risks All. But, after a few chapters, I found myself losing interest in the book. Oh don't get me wrong—it wasn't a bad book, but it simply wasn't one that I loved. In the end, I was flipping pages, as the story seemed to drag on and I just wanted to move on to a new book.
I think reading The Lady Risks All showed me that a reader can love an author without necessarily loving every book that she was writes. Despite the fact that this particular book was just “okay”, I'll still come back to read Laurens' other books in the future, as well as reread her previous books. But, for me at least, The Lady Risks All was missing something—whether it was in the writing, the plot or the characters, it's hard for me to say. Instead of diving into the book and not wishing to come out of it, I found myself just skimming this one, waiting for it to change, hoping that by the end I'd be in love. Sadly, this didn't happen.
3 STARS! Here's the thing: if you are already a fan of Laurens' novels, you may like this one, perhaps even more than I did. If you have yet to read any of her books, this is not the one I would personally recommend for you to start with—many of her previous novels are, I feel, much better than this one. Start with her backlist; leave this one for a later date.
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I've been a fan of Stephanie Laurens since I picked up “Devil's Bride” years ago (back when I was still a teenager and had to sneak my romance novels...). I quickly devoured most of her books, and while I liked some more than others, overall I really enjoyed her books.
I haven't read one of her books in a few years now; I'm behind on many of her series. And so I was looking forward to reading The Lady Risks All. But, after a few chapters, I found myself losing interest in the book. Oh don't get me wrong—it wasn't a bad book, but it simply wasn't one that I loved. In the end, I was flipping pages, as the story seemed to drag on and I just wanted to move on to a new book.
I think reading The Lady Risks All showed me that a reader can love an author without necessarily loving every book that she was writes. Despite the fact that this particular book was just “okay”, I'll still come back to read Laurens' other books in the future, as well as reread her previous books. But, for me at least, The Lady Risks All was missing something—whether it was in the writing, the plot or the characters, it's hard for me to say. Instead of diving into the book and not wishing to come out of it, I found myself just skimming this one, waiting for it to change, hoping that by the end I'd be in love. Sadly, this didn't happen.
3 STARS! Here's the thing: if you are already a fan of Laurens' novels, you may like this one, perhaps even more than I did. If you have yet to read any of her books, this is not the one I would personally recommend for you to start with—many of her previous novels are, I feel, much better than this one. Start with her backlist; leave this one for a later date.
November 21, 2018
"Lionel Jeffers era un gentiluomo del Cheshire, molto più vecchio di lei, ma ai suoi ingenui occhi di ventenne questo rendeva le sue attenzioni ancora più speciali. Per un breve periodo Miranda aveva sperato di trovare il tipo di felicità a cui avevano aspirato la madre e la sorella, fino a quando una pietosa signora le aveva rivelato la verità. Jeffers non era interessato a lei, ma alla sua fortuna. Quando, umiliata e sconvolta, lo aveva riferito alle zie, loro non avevano reagito come sperava. Era venuto fuori che conoscevano il vero motivo del suo interesse per lei e sapevano della costosa amante che manteneva da anni. Miranda rabbrividiva ancora al ricordo dei litigi e delle recriminazioni seguiti al suo rifiuto di sposare Jeffers."
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È stato durante la lettura del libro Missione per due che mi sono imbattuta nuovamente in Neville, (lo avevamo già incontrato nella serie Black Cobra) e ho scoperto qualcosa di più su di lui, rimanendone molto colpita. Neville Roscoe ha decine di case da gioco sparse per Londra ed è uno degli uomini più ricchi dell’Inghilterra, ma, pur essendo conosciutissimo, è riuscito a mantenere il suo più grande segreto. Il demone del gioco è da sempre nella sua famiglia e più volte questo li ha portati alla rovina, però, al contrario di molti suoi antenati, Neville vince. E in questo modo ha garantito alle persone che dipendono da lui una vita agiata.
Oltre a essere un uomo di successo è anche molto generoso. Con alcuni gentiluomini ricchi e titolati ha fondato una società che costruisce scuole, istituti per indigenti, e ospedali, ed è grazie a una delle loro riunioni che fa la conoscenza di Miranda. La giovane donna, preoccupata per il fratello, una sera lo segue fino alla grande villa che Neville si è costruito nel quartiere residenziale, dove vive anche lei con le zie. Tutti conoscono la fama dell’inquilino più noto della zona, e Miranda teme che il fratello sia caduto vittima delle carte e dei dadi. Decisa a salvarlo, entra anche lei, pur non essendo stata invitata, e subito si imbatte nel padrone di casa che, per rassicurarla, le permette di assistere, non vista, a una riunione di filantropi. Dopo che Neville la riaccompagna a casa, Miranda sa che deve dimenticarlo, perché Roscoe è proprio il genere d’uomo da cui le sue zie la mettono in guardia da tutta la vita: il tipo che ha condotto sua madre alla rovina sociale. Per quanto sia affascinante, lei deve rimanergli lontano, decidendo chi accettare tra i suoi noiosi corteggiatori, così come le zie la esortano a fare da tempo. Ma quando il fratello scompare, e le zie non intendono denunciare il fatto per paura dello scandalo, a Miranda rimane solo un uomo a cui chiedere aiuto. E intraprende così un’avventura che le farà capire che essere liberi può essere più appagante di essere accettate nel ton.
Chi ha letto Missione per due è già a conoscenza dei trascorsi del protagonista, un uomo che ha compiuto un grande sacrificio, stravolgendo tutta la sua vita per aiutare le persone che ama. Nonostante l’ambiente in cui opera, Neville è un uomo di grande onore, assume donne nei suoi club in posti di responsabilità, e le protegge con un sistema di guardie del corpo. Nessuno molesta le sue dipendenti e nessuna di esse è costretta a prostituirsi: chiunque tenti di far loro del male viene allontanato e bandito da ogni suo club, senza distinzione di titolo e di ricchezza. Si preoccupa inoltre che ogni suo dipendente abbia uno stipendio adeguato a sostentare le famiglie, e nei suoi club il gioco è sempre pulito. È un uomo pieno di qualità, ricchissimo e con amici potenti, però svuota i forzieri di molte nobili casate, e per questo è tenuto al margine della società.
Ora che molti dei doveri che riempivano la sua vita non ci sono più, si rende conto di cominciare a sentirsi solo, e quando incontra Miranda rimane affascinato da lei. Nel desiderio della donna di proteggere il fratello, nonostante questi sia ormai un uomo fatto, rivede un po’ se stesso. Ma sa anche che lei aspira a una vita decorosa e priva di scandali, e lui, pur con la sua grande ricchezza, non sarà mai in grado di darle niente di simile. Eppure, è immediatamente pronto ad aiutarla, con tutti i mezzi a sua disposizione, non appena chiede il suo aiuto. E, nonostante intenda farlo senza mettere in pericolo la sua reputazione, si deve arrendere al fatto che Miranda non lascerà che lui vada alla ricerca del giovane senza di lei. La forzata vicinanza del viaggio non fa che acuire l’attrazione che sentono l’uno per l’altra.
Ma mentre lui intende resistere a ogni costo, Miranda, al contrario, non intende perdere la possibilità di assaporare per un momento la libertà e quella passione che ha sempre attirato le donne della sua famiglia. Il loro tempo insieme ha una scadenza, eppure, man mano che conosce tutti i retroscena della sua vita e i suoi segreti, Miranda si rende conto che non troverà mai un altro uomo come lui, ed è fermamente intenzionata a combattere per la loro relazione. Ma Neville è convinto che lei meriti di più.
Come sempre la Laurens riesce a regalarmi ore molto piacevoli in compagnia dei suoi personaggi: Neville è un protagonista maschile difficile da dimenticare. Un uomo che ha dovuto fare una scelta e che da quel momento ha continuato a sacrificarsi. Ama Miranda, ma pensa che lei meriti un uomo che la possa portare in società, che le dia un titolo e una famiglia, e intende fare in modo che lo abbia. Peccato, però, che le donne dell’autrice raramente si comportino in modo prevedibile, sono dame che non si arrendono, che sanno perfettamente quello che vogliono e come ottenerlo. Miranda non fa certo eccezione, visto che semplicemente lo metterà davanti al fatto compiuto, e tanti saluti al decoro.
È un libro piacevole, anche se la trama non presenta particolare originalità, vi troverete infatti, come molte altre volte, qualcuno che intende con ogni mezzo di impossessarsi di una fortuna, ma vi sono anche inseguimenti, intrighi, segreti e belle scene passionali. Il tutto è molto ben confezionato e tutto sommato si rivela una lettura più che piacevole, anche se qualche piccolo dubbio permane nella mia mente. Un esempio: per diventare Roscoe, il giovane è stato via molti anni dall’Inghilterra, e una volta tornato ha assunto la sua nuova identità, ma nonostante il cambiamento operato dal tempo, come è mai possibile che nessuno delle sue vecchie conoscenze lo riconosca? Nonostante il ton si regga in gran parte sull’ipocrisia, e sul non vedere le cose che possono dare fastidio, sembra davvero difficile crederlo, ma come sempre questa è una mia considerazione personale.
Amo molto quest’autrice bravissima e mi sono goduta la storia raccontata, ma sicuramente non posso dire che è uno dei suoi libri migliori, resta però da vedere come abbia influito il taglio di pagine, non indifferente, fatto. Amazon infatti mi dà l’ebook in lingua originale lungo settecento tre pagine e il libro cartaceo di cinquecento. Allora come si spiega che nell’edizione I grandi Romanzi Storici Seduction le pagine effettive siano poco più di trecento?
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Lucia63-per RFS
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È stato durante la lettura del libro Missione per due che mi sono imbattuta nuovamente in Neville, (lo avevamo già incontrato nella serie Black Cobra) e ho scoperto qualcosa di più su di lui, rimanendone molto colpita. Neville Roscoe ha decine di case da gioco sparse per Londra ed è uno degli uomini più ricchi dell’Inghilterra, ma, pur essendo conosciutissimo, è riuscito a mantenere il suo più grande segreto. Il demone del gioco è da sempre nella sua famiglia e più volte questo li ha portati alla rovina, però, al contrario di molti suoi antenati, Neville vince. E in questo modo ha garantito alle persone che dipendono da lui una vita agiata.
Oltre a essere un uomo di successo è anche molto generoso. Con alcuni gentiluomini ricchi e titolati ha fondato una società che costruisce scuole, istituti per indigenti, e ospedali, ed è grazie a una delle loro riunioni che fa la conoscenza di Miranda. La giovane donna, preoccupata per il fratello, una sera lo segue fino alla grande villa che Neville si è costruito nel quartiere residenziale, dove vive anche lei con le zie. Tutti conoscono la fama dell’inquilino più noto della zona, e Miranda teme che il fratello sia caduto vittima delle carte e dei dadi. Decisa a salvarlo, entra anche lei, pur non essendo stata invitata, e subito si imbatte nel padrone di casa che, per rassicurarla, le permette di assistere, non vista, a una riunione di filantropi. Dopo che Neville la riaccompagna a casa, Miranda sa che deve dimenticarlo, perché Roscoe è proprio il genere d’uomo da cui le sue zie la mettono in guardia da tutta la vita: il tipo che ha condotto sua madre alla rovina sociale. Per quanto sia affascinante, lei deve rimanergli lontano, decidendo chi accettare tra i suoi noiosi corteggiatori, così come le zie la esortano a fare da tempo. Ma quando il fratello scompare, e le zie non intendono denunciare il fatto per paura dello scandalo, a Miranda rimane solo un uomo a cui chiedere aiuto. E intraprende così un’avventura che le farà capire che essere liberi può essere più appagante di essere accettate nel ton.
Chi ha letto Missione per due è già a conoscenza dei trascorsi del protagonista, un uomo che ha compiuto un grande sacrificio, stravolgendo tutta la sua vita per aiutare le persone che ama. Nonostante l’ambiente in cui opera, Neville è un uomo di grande onore, assume donne nei suoi club in posti di responsabilità, e le protegge con un sistema di guardie del corpo. Nessuno molesta le sue dipendenti e nessuna di esse è costretta a prostituirsi: chiunque tenti di far loro del male viene allontanato e bandito da ogni suo club, senza distinzione di titolo e di ricchezza. Si preoccupa inoltre che ogni suo dipendente abbia uno stipendio adeguato a sostentare le famiglie, e nei suoi club il gioco è sempre pulito. È un uomo pieno di qualità, ricchissimo e con amici potenti, però svuota i forzieri di molte nobili casate, e per questo è tenuto al margine della società.
Ora che molti dei doveri che riempivano la sua vita non ci sono più, si rende conto di cominciare a sentirsi solo, e quando incontra Miranda rimane affascinato da lei. Nel desiderio della donna di proteggere il fratello, nonostante questi sia ormai un uomo fatto, rivede un po’ se stesso. Ma sa anche che lei aspira a una vita decorosa e priva di scandali, e lui, pur con la sua grande ricchezza, non sarà mai in grado di darle niente di simile. Eppure, è immediatamente pronto ad aiutarla, con tutti i mezzi a sua disposizione, non appena chiede il suo aiuto. E, nonostante intenda farlo senza mettere in pericolo la sua reputazione, si deve arrendere al fatto che Miranda non lascerà che lui vada alla ricerca del giovane senza di lei. La forzata vicinanza del viaggio non fa che acuire l’attrazione che sentono l’uno per l’altra.
Ma mentre lui intende resistere a ogni costo, Miranda, al contrario, non intende perdere la possibilità di assaporare per un momento la libertà e quella passione che ha sempre attirato le donne della sua famiglia. Il loro tempo insieme ha una scadenza, eppure, man mano che conosce tutti i retroscena della sua vita e i suoi segreti, Miranda si rende conto che non troverà mai un altro uomo come lui, ed è fermamente intenzionata a combattere per la loro relazione. Ma Neville è convinto che lei meriti di più.
Come sempre la Laurens riesce a regalarmi ore molto piacevoli in compagnia dei suoi personaggi: Neville è un protagonista maschile difficile da dimenticare. Un uomo che ha dovuto fare una scelta e che da quel momento ha continuato a sacrificarsi. Ama Miranda, ma pensa che lei meriti un uomo che la possa portare in società, che le dia un titolo e una famiglia, e intende fare in modo che lo abbia. Peccato, però, che le donne dell’autrice raramente si comportino in modo prevedibile, sono dame che non si arrendono, che sanno perfettamente quello che vogliono e come ottenerlo. Miranda non fa certo eccezione, visto che semplicemente lo metterà davanti al fatto compiuto, e tanti saluti al decoro.
È un libro piacevole, anche se la trama non presenta particolare originalità, vi troverete infatti, come molte altre volte, qualcuno che intende con ogni mezzo di impossessarsi di una fortuna, ma vi sono anche inseguimenti, intrighi, segreti e belle scene passionali. Il tutto è molto ben confezionato e tutto sommato si rivela una lettura più che piacevole, anche se qualche piccolo dubbio permane nella mia mente. Un esempio: per diventare Roscoe, il giovane è stato via molti anni dall’Inghilterra, e una volta tornato ha assunto la sua nuova identità, ma nonostante il cambiamento operato dal tempo, come è mai possibile che nessuno delle sue vecchie conoscenze lo riconosca? Nonostante il ton si regga in gran parte sull’ipocrisia, e sul non vedere le cose che possono dare fastidio, sembra davvero difficile crederlo, ma come sempre questa è una mia considerazione personale.
Amo molto quest’autrice bravissima e mi sono goduta la storia raccontata, ma sicuramente non posso dire che è uno dei suoi libri migliori, resta però da vedere come abbia influito il taglio di pagine, non indifferente, fatto. Amazon infatti mi dà l’ebook in lingua originale lungo settecento tre pagine e il libro cartaceo di cinquecento. Allora come si spiega che nell’edizione I grandi Romanzi Storici Seduction le pagine effettive siano poco più di trecento?
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Lucia63-per RFS
August 29, 2016
Stephanie Laurens is always good at describing two stages of love affairs - the slow dance that is the beginning (glances, touches, glints in the eye), and the assured joy of a regular relationship (lots of her couples manage to sleep together as a matter of course, ignoring incidentals like gossip, pregnancy etc). This book is no exception. The plot is really irrelevant because it's all designed to get H & h together so that they can conduct a long affair before She persuades Him that they really ought to marry, and He then confesses he's in love with Her but hasn't liked to mention it so far.
But she has become, I think, a lazy writer, with stock epithets for her characters standing in for detailed analysis - if Roscoe had been described just once more as "London's gambling king" I would have screamed. Miranda is always 29 and on the shelf. Laurens is lazy in other ways too - there's a very restricted range of emotions available to her characters (no angst, very few raised voices), which all leads to a formulaic read. It used to be a decent formula, but maybe I've just outgrown it a bit.
But she has become, I think, a lazy writer, with stock epithets for her characters standing in for detailed analysis - if Roscoe had been described just once more as "London's gambling king" I would have screamed. Miranda is always 29 and on the shelf. Laurens is lazy in other ways too - there's a very restricted range of emotions available to her characters (no angst, very few raised voices), which all leads to a formulaic read. It used to be a decent formula, but maybe I've just outgrown it a bit.
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