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Adventurers' Club #1
Conquistar a un seductor
Tras pasar tres años en África, el capitán Bennet Wolfe regresa a Londres y descubre que todos le creían muerto y que, además, su socio lo ha traicionado.
Mientras trata de restablecer su reputación, el rudo aventurero se convierte en el blanco preferido de las jóvenes casaderas. Pero él sólo tiene ojos para la enigmática Lady Phillipa Eddison, una dama muy poco convencional.
Phillipa es más aficionada a leer que a coquetear. Sin embargo, conoce al dedillo todas las normas del cortejo y sabe bien que ciertos modales y comportamientos son impropios de un caballero.
Bennet la escandaliza, pero al mismo tiempo se siente tan atraída por él que le resultará imposible no sucumbir a una tentación tan salvaje como el hombre que la provoca.
Mientras trata de restablecer su reputación, el rudo aventurero se convierte en el blanco preferido de las jóvenes casaderas. Pero él sólo tiene ojos para la enigmática Lady Phillipa Eddison, una dama muy poco convencional.
Phillipa es más aficionada a leer que a coquetear. Sin embargo, conoce al dedillo todas las normas del cortejo y sabe bien que ciertos modales y comportamientos son impropios de un caballero.
Bennet la escandaliza, pero al mismo tiempo se siente tan atraída por él que le resultará imposible no sucumbir a una tentación tan salvaje como el hombre que la provoca.
373 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2009
145 people are currently reading
2684 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Enoch
99 books2,631 followersSuzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
December 1, 2009
Suzanne Enoch’s latest stand alone is a pretty solid read overall. The hero couldn’t have been better and the heroine is alright for the most part if a little full of herself. The story keeps you turning the pages mostly because of the what’s-he-going-to-do-next attitude of the hero.
The hero, Captain Bennet Wolfe is a big name explorer who was presumed dead but wasn’t really. This is cleared up within the first 5 pages of the novel and thankfully not dragged out. He hates society and its rules but he’s itching to get his hands on Lady Phillipa Eddison who he met by accident at his friend’s. Phillipa is a rather plain bluestocking who’s very much aware of society’s do’s and don’ts and tries to “encourage” Bennet to follow along if he wants to court her. Here’s where she got on my nerves a bit because she seems to flaunt society’s rules about what women should do and how they should behave on the one hand but then on the other hand she adheres to its courting traditions because that’s what’s done. She also puts herself down too much and keeps questioning why Bennet would want her, eligible bachelor that he is. Bennet couldn’t give a crap about any of that and basically tells her and shows her what he’d like to do with her –some swoon-worthy scenes from the dear Captain here ;)
The relationship between the two builds slowly and smolders until finally the good stuff happens and quite out of the blue too. Not as original as some of Enoch’s other left-field hot scenes but good nonetheless. You could certainly feel the thirst that needed to be quenched. Some of the steam scenes I thought needed to be somewhat longer and sometimes there was more focus given to the sub-story about Bennet’s colleague plagiarizing his journals and gaining fame and notoriety because of them. This story line was consistent throughout the book which was good so that you didn’t feel like the suddenly silly caper filler pops up to try to get a problem in there now that the h/h are together. The action/adventure was generally good and didn’t take away too much from the love story.
There are some secondary characters that were annoying like Phillipa’s flighty know it all sister Olivia and Bennet’s borderline pompous friends the Duke of Sommerset (reminded me of the Duke of Melbourne in her Griffin family series –sort of wanna smack him one and say “will you shut the h--- up already buddy!”) and Lord John Clancy. For once in a romance novel there was actually a pet that wasn’t cutesy. Bennet has a monkey that he brought over with him from his travels in Africa. The monkey isn’t a pain in the butt, doesn’t try to steal the show and complements the hero’s character. Oh and the heroine doesn’t fall all over the thing with gagging love either.
Each chapter is introduced with a blurb from Bennet’s journals and if you read them carefully enough they give information about what to expect in the chapter. I thought that was very creative on the author’s part because it wasn’t just some line of poetry that had little or no relevance thrown in there like some authors do.
I’d have liked more of a tug of war between the h/h, I thought that Phillipa acquiesced too easily but Bennet is a good 5 star stick-it hero who knows what he wants and takes it without ‘dicking around’. He’s in league with Enoch’s Valentine Corbett and his ilk –ie the best of the keeper shelf heroes ;)
The hero, Captain Bennet Wolfe is a big name explorer who was presumed dead but wasn’t really. This is cleared up within the first 5 pages of the novel and thankfully not dragged out. He hates society and its rules but he’s itching to get his hands on Lady Phillipa Eddison who he met by accident at his friend’s. Phillipa is a rather plain bluestocking who’s very much aware of society’s do’s and don’ts and tries to “encourage” Bennet to follow along if he wants to court her. Here’s where she got on my nerves a bit because she seems to flaunt society’s rules about what women should do and how they should behave on the one hand but then on the other hand she adheres to its courting traditions because that’s what’s done. She also puts herself down too much and keeps questioning why Bennet would want her, eligible bachelor that he is. Bennet couldn’t give a crap about any of that and basically tells her and shows her what he’d like to do with her –some swoon-worthy scenes from the dear Captain here ;)
The relationship between the two builds slowly and smolders until finally the good stuff happens and quite out of the blue too. Not as original as some of Enoch’s other left-field hot scenes but good nonetheless. You could certainly feel the thirst that needed to be quenched. Some of the steam scenes I thought needed to be somewhat longer and sometimes there was more focus given to the sub-story about Bennet’s colleague plagiarizing his journals and gaining fame and notoriety because of them. This story line was consistent throughout the book which was good so that you didn’t feel like the suddenly silly caper filler pops up to try to get a problem in there now that the h/h are together. The action/adventure was generally good and didn’t take away too much from the love story.
There are some secondary characters that were annoying like Phillipa’s flighty know it all sister Olivia and Bennet’s borderline pompous friends the Duke of Sommerset (reminded me of the Duke of Melbourne in her Griffin family series –sort of wanna smack him one and say “will you shut the h--- up already buddy!”) and Lord John Clancy. For once in a romance novel there was actually a pet that wasn’t cutesy. Bennet has a monkey that he brought over with him from his travels in Africa. The monkey isn’t a pain in the butt, doesn’t try to steal the show and complements the hero’s character. Oh and the heroine doesn’t fall all over the thing with gagging love either.
Each chapter is introduced with a blurb from Bennet’s journals and if you read them carefully enough they give information about what to expect in the chapter. I thought that was very creative on the author’s part because it wasn’t just some line of poetry that had little or no relevance thrown in there like some authors do.
I’d have liked more of a tug of war between the h/h, I thought that Phillipa acquiesced too easily but Bennet is a good 5 star stick-it hero who knows what he wants and takes it without ‘dicking around’. He’s in league with Enoch’s Valentine Corbett and his ilk –ie the best of the keeper shelf heroes ;)
November 3, 2009
After loving Enoch's "Always a Scoundrel" I was disappointed I didn't like this book more. In an earlier review, Audball mentioned that she didn't like Enoch's anachronistic heroines (correct me if I'm mistaken please, Audball). This isn't a problem for me. I thought Phillipa was pretty much like all of Enoch's heroines and I tend to like most of them pretty well. I actually thought she was pretty amusing sometimes, and the times I didn't get her were the times when I thought the story wasn't following the plot as well as it could have.
My problem was with the execution of the premise. An adventurer comes home after being declared dead to find that his journals have been stolen and published as someone else's work. The moment he walks in his friend's door (not the thief), he meets Lady Phillipa aka "Flip" and becomes obsessed with her.
Bennett Wolfe is not a civilized man. From the age of eleven he was pretty much on his own in the world and raised in boarding schools. He joined the army and eventually got involved in exploration, ending up in the Congo with a scoundrel named David Somethingorother. David is the thief who left our hero to die in a mud hut, stealing his work and publishing it as his own.
Frankly, I don't think David would have gotten away with it, especially after Bennett returns. Bennett has all the specimens from the trip. He has the monkey as his constant companion that David supposedly loved. One only has to speak to him for five minutes to know he's the one who's smart enough to write the book in the first place. But it's not so easy. I just didn't buy how not so easy it was.
Bennett is also an irrational hot head. I don't care how he's been made to look foolish (in David's version of the text), the real problem with him is he tends to lash out when he gets peeved. I wouldn't be anxious for him to be courting my daughter, either. And I didn't like the monkey around so much either. It was annoying.
I guess the whole thing might have worked, but I just didn't see enough organic chemistry between Flip and Bennett. Their courtship felt jerky, if that makes sense. And some things were left hanging or completely dropped that I wanted to know more about. Such as, Bennett's cousin Geoffrey.
This seems to be the first book of a new series. We were introduced to a couple of characters, particularly the Duke of Somerset, in such a way that they seem like they're in line for books. The first book of The Notorious Gentlemen trilogy didn't thrill me either, and I ended up liking that series, so I'll be on board for the next book with hopes that it will be better.
This one was just kind of blah, sadly.
My problem was with the execution of the premise. An adventurer comes home after being declared dead to find that his journals have been stolen and published as someone else's work. The moment he walks in his friend's door (not the thief), he meets Lady Phillipa aka "Flip" and becomes obsessed with her.
Bennett Wolfe is not a civilized man. From the age of eleven he was pretty much on his own in the world and raised in boarding schools. He joined the army and eventually got involved in exploration, ending up in the Congo with a scoundrel named David Somethingorother. David is the thief who left our hero to die in a mud hut, stealing his work and publishing it as his own.
Frankly, I don't think David would have gotten away with it, especially after Bennett returns. Bennett has all the specimens from the trip. He has the monkey as his constant companion that David supposedly loved. One only has to speak to him for five minutes to know he's the one who's smart enough to write the book in the first place. But it's not so easy. I just didn't buy how not so easy it was.
Bennett is also an irrational hot head. I don't care how he's been made to look foolish (in David's version of the text), the real problem with him is he tends to lash out when he gets peeved. I wouldn't be anxious for him to be courting my daughter, either. And I didn't like the monkey around so much either. It was annoying.
I guess the whole thing might have worked, but I just didn't see enough organic chemistry between Flip and Bennett. Their courtship felt jerky, if that makes sense. And some things were left hanging or completely dropped that I wanted to know more about. Such as, Bennett's cousin Geoffrey.
This seems to be the first book of a new series. We were introduced to a couple of characters, particularly the Duke of Somerset, in such a way that they seem like they're in line for books. The first book of The Notorious Gentlemen trilogy didn't thrill me either, and I ended up liking that series, so I'll be on board for the next book with hopes that it will be better.
This one was just kind of blah, sadly.
December 14, 2018
Una historia simple, que entretiene pero no pasa de allí. Lo mejor de todo Kero...
June 23, 2019
Can't believe I'm saying this about an Enoch book ... but it wasn't that great
Suzanne Enoch is a fabulous writer and some of my absolute favorite historical romances have been written by her, namely London's Perfect Scoundrel and Always a Scoundrel, with close second favorites being England's Perfect Hero, By Love Undone, and After the Kiss. Needless to say, I was ecstatic about this book coming out and expected it to join my "all-time favorite" bookshelf - it won't, and frankly, I'm considering whether to post it on PaperBack Swap right away, because I doubt that I will want to reread this.
The Care and Taming of a Rogue (The Adventurers Club, Book 1) wasn't bad in the sense that I didn't actively dislike it, but in almost every aspect it either fell short or just didn't click; it was boring and I was at times somewhat tempted to just put it down and forget about it. The premise was an interesting one and quite original, and I'm always a huge fan of books where the heroine is overlooked, shy, bookish, unusual, whatever. Plus, taking into account it's written by Enoch, it should be a natural five-star book, right? Wrong: The Care and Taming of a Rogue did not live up to my expectations. Both of the main characters were pretty forgettable, their relationship is not compelling and I never really understood how they got together or why they felt (or even THAT they felt) so strongly about one another, and the chemistry just wasn't there (which starkly contrasts with some of Enoch's other books).
SPECIFIC CRITICISMS
Both Bennett (29) and Phillipa (20) felt somewhat flat and one-dimensional. Bennett is supposed to be this "uncivilized explorer" who won't obey any of London society's "rules" and wants to drag his woman back to his cave ... and although we're told this repeatedly and other characters constantly describe him this way, it didn't really ring true. Yes, he was blustery and aggressive, but it ended up just being annoying and not at all endearing, adventurous, bad-boy-attractive, or any other positive thing; he wasn't as unconventional as he was made out to be (an example of where that type of unconventional adventurer-hero was well done and *did* work is Christina Dodd's Rules of Surrender).
Phillipa is a nice heroine, but nothing to write home about. We're told that she's practical and logical ... but I didn't see that emphasized very much (there was no resemblance to someone like Dr. Brennan from the TV show "Bones," who is definitely an extreme of those two adjectives). She's also supposed to be unconventional in her own way - embracing her "bluestocking" tendencies, completely bookish and somewhat anti-social (though friendly) - yet she insists on Bennett courting her according to the rules and keeps placing emphasis on teaching him how to behave in London society (no such teaching really occurs) ... while then going in broad daylight to the house he's staying in and making love for the first time with him in a kitchen larder (umm, can you say unromantic?).
Then there is their relationship, which seemed completely unsubstantiated to me and so was hard to believe. Basically he hears her voice - is attracted to her, sees her face - likes how she looks, remarks on her smelling of lemons - oh how nice, and bam! they're off. We know that Phillipa already has a little thing for Bennett in that she has been an admirer of his travel/adventure books, but why this romantic interest in Phillipa in particular? We're never really shown why he is THE ONE for her and she is THE ONE for him. [Sidenote: Why is it that aside from our heroines (and whatever friends they may have) almost all the other women in these novels are nitwit chits who only giggle, simper, and are catty when it comes to men??? Even Flip's sister, Olivia, kind of falls into this category - at least for the first two adjectives.] Bennett and Phillipa are both nice people, sure, but I just don't see why their relationship takes off so quickly, with no trouble going from hello to kisses to making love to declaring love to talking about marriage (though actually that happens before some of those other ones) ... which brings me to another point ...
There are no obstacles in their romantic relationship!!! Well save one, to be fair, which was in fact a good one: she likes to stay at home and read, he's Mr. Adventure, so how is a real, lasting relationship (i.e. marriage) going to work for them? This was an interesting twist because it was a real consideration that is similar to the problems that nowaday long-distance relationships face. However during the book it isn't really dissected, just mentioned repeatedly and put aside; then in the end, it's resolved very nicely and quickly (TOO nicely and quickly). Other than that though, which wasn't even fully explored, any hurdles placed by themselves or other characters were either completely missing or not very substantial. I *HATE* books that have those big misunderstandings or throw obstacle after obstacle in front of the main characters for no apparent reason, but can't there be a happy balance between those two extremes??
Finally, the whole "Adventurers' Club" was a little ridiculous and when that's first introduced in the beginning of the book my reaction was "What? This seems very contrived ... Maybe it's going to be made into a series?" ... Which I then discovered it is. I don't understand the purpose of the club, don't see it's use or understand how it works or why it exists, etc. - basically it's all a huge contrivance.
BOTTOM LINE
I feel very bad about giving such a negative review for a Suzanne Enoch book, but I was so disappointed! She has such talent and has written other novels that literally have me going to sleep with a smile on my face and waking up the next morning wanting to read the book all over again; The Care and Taming of a Rogue in no way compares to those books. There were some funny moments, some sweet ones, Kero (Bennett's pet monkey) was a great addition, but check it out from the library if you're set on reading it, don't buy it.
Suzanne Enoch is a fabulous writer and some of my absolute favorite historical romances have been written by her, namely London's Perfect Scoundrel and Always a Scoundrel, with close second favorites being England's Perfect Hero, By Love Undone, and After the Kiss. Needless to say, I was ecstatic about this book coming out and expected it to join my "all-time favorite" bookshelf - it won't, and frankly, I'm considering whether to post it on PaperBack Swap right away, because I doubt that I will want to reread this.
The Care and Taming of a Rogue (The Adventurers Club, Book 1) wasn't bad in the sense that I didn't actively dislike it, but in almost every aspect it either fell short or just didn't click; it was boring and I was at times somewhat tempted to just put it down and forget about it. The premise was an interesting one and quite original, and I'm always a huge fan of books where the heroine is overlooked, shy, bookish, unusual, whatever. Plus, taking into account it's written by Enoch, it should be a natural five-star book, right? Wrong: The Care and Taming of a Rogue did not live up to my expectations. Both of the main characters were pretty forgettable, their relationship is not compelling and I never really understood how they got together or why they felt (or even THAT they felt) so strongly about one another, and the chemistry just wasn't there (which starkly contrasts with some of Enoch's other books).
SPECIFIC CRITICISMS
Both Bennett (29) and Phillipa (20) felt somewhat flat and one-dimensional. Bennett is supposed to be this "uncivilized explorer" who won't obey any of London society's "rules" and wants to drag his woman back to his cave ... and although we're told this repeatedly and other characters constantly describe him this way, it didn't really ring true. Yes, he was blustery and aggressive, but it ended up just being annoying and not at all endearing, adventurous, bad-boy-attractive, or any other positive thing; he wasn't as unconventional as he was made out to be (an example of where that type of unconventional adventurer-hero was well done and *did* work is Christina Dodd's Rules of Surrender).
Phillipa is a nice heroine, but nothing to write home about. We're told that she's practical and logical ... but I didn't see that emphasized very much (there was no resemblance to someone like Dr. Brennan from the TV show "Bones," who is definitely an extreme of those two adjectives). She's also supposed to be unconventional in her own way - embracing her "bluestocking" tendencies, completely bookish and somewhat anti-social (though friendly) - yet she insists on Bennett courting her according to the rules and keeps placing emphasis on teaching him how to behave in London society (no such teaching really occurs) ... while then going in broad daylight to the house he's staying in and making love for the first time with him in a kitchen larder (umm, can you say unromantic?).
Then there is their relationship, which seemed completely unsubstantiated to me and so was hard to believe. Basically he hears her voice - is attracted to her, sees her face - likes how she looks, remarks on her smelling of lemons - oh how nice, and bam! they're off. We know that Phillipa already has a little thing for Bennett in that she has been an admirer of his travel/adventure books, but why this romantic interest in Phillipa in particular? We're never really shown why he is THE ONE for her and she is THE ONE for him. [Sidenote: Why is it that aside from our heroines (and whatever friends they may have) almost all the other women in these novels are nitwit chits who only giggle, simper, and are catty when it comes to men??? Even Flip's sister, Olivia, kind of falls into this category - at least for the first two adjectives.] Bennett and Phillipa are both nice people, sure, but I just don't see why their relationship takes off so quickly, with no trouble going from hello to kisses to making love to declaring love to talking about marriage (though actually that happens before some of those other ones) ... which brings me to another point ...
There are no obstacles in their romantic relationship!!! Well save one, to be fair, which was in fact a good one: she likes to stay at home and read, he's Mr. Adventure, so how is a real, lasting relationship (i.e. marriage) going to work for them? This was an interesting twist because it was a real consideration that is similar to the problems that nowaday long-distance relationships face. However during the book it isn't really dissected, just mentioned repeatedly and put aside; then in the end, it's resolved very nicely and quickly (TOO nicely and quickly). Other than that though, which wasn't even fully explored, any hurdles placed by themselves or other characters were either completely missing or not very substantial. I *HATE* books that have those big misunderstandings or throw obstacle after obstacle in front of the main characters for no apparent reason, but can't there be a happy balance between those two extremes??
Finally, the whole "Adventurers' Club" was a little ridiculous and when that's first introduced in the beginning of the book my reaction was "What? This seems very contrived ... Maybe it's going to be made into a series?" ... Which I then discovered it is. I don't understand the purpose of the club, don't see it's use or understand how it works or why it exists, etc. - basically it's all a huge contrivance.
BOTTOM LINE
I feel very bad about giving such a negative review for a Suzanne Enoch book, but I was so disappointed! She has such talent and has written other novels that literally have me going to sleep with a smile on my face and waking up the next morning wanting to read the book all over again; The Care and Taming of a Rogue in no way compares to those books. There were some funny moments, some sweet ones, Kero (Bennett's pet monkey) was a great addition, but check it out from the library if you're set on reading it, don't buy it.
October 1, 2013
The beginning of the book was a little strange and it took me awhile to get into a rhythm of reading the story. But once I was able to get into the book I really did enjoy the beginning. This story and the tone seems different from anything I have read before. (or less dramatically in a while)
Oh my gosh the repertoire between Bennett and Phillipa during the picnic is awesome. I love when she blurts out "I bathe in lemon water." and then Bennett answers back "Do you now. Tasty." Ah, little interactions like this puts a smile on my face.
Love how the book unfolds. Personalities, backgrounds are not given in two long paragraphs but revealed as the book goes on. Great pacing with getting to know the characters.
The sex scene comes a tad earlier than I would have liked. Phillipa worried about propriety and then bam she sleeps with Bennett happened out of nowhere for me and was out of character. She loses her shyness and uncertainty very quickly.
The book held promise at the beginning but towards the middle it fizzled out and it definitely seemed like the author phoned in the last part of the book. The ending adventure was rushed too. David the villain was cartoony. I liked the characters just didn't love them towards the end. I was disappointed because at the beginning I felt Bennett and Phillipa had real potential, the author just didn't end up delivering. Definitely a solid B but lacked a certain spark to make it an A and a keeper.
Oh and it is clear this book is going to be the start of a new series, I'm guessing called the "Adventure Club" or something. Setting up the series detracted from this book's storyline and quite frankly I find the storyline of the Adventure Club a little weird, but we'll see and my money's on the next book being about the Duke of Sommerset.
Solid B
Oh my gosh the repertoire between Bennett and Phillipa during the picnic is awesome. I love when she blurts out "I bathe in lemon water." and then Bennett answers back "Do you now. Tasty." Ah, little interactions like this puts a smile on my face.
Love how the book unfolds. Personalities, backgrounds are not given in two long paragraphs but revealed as the book goes on. Great pacing with getting to know the characters.
The sex scene comes a tad earlier than I would have liked. Phillipa worried about propriety and then bam she sleeps with Bennett happened out of nowhere for me and was out of character. She loses her shyness and uncertainty very quickly.
The book held promise at the beginning but towards the middle it fizzled out and it definitely seemed like the author phoned in the last part of the book. The ending adventure was rushed too. David the villain was cartoony. I liked the characters just didn't love them towards the end. I was disappointed because at the beginning I felt Bennett and Phillipa had real potential, the author just didn't end up delivering. Definitely a solid B but lacked a certain spark to make it an A and a keeper.
Oh and it is clear this book is going to be the start of a new series, I'm guessing called the "Adventure Club" or something. Setting up the series detracted from this book's storyline and quite frankly I find the storyline of the Adventure Club a little weird, but we'll see and my money's on the next book being about the Duke of Sommerset.
Solid B
July 9, 2023
Grappig verhaal in een klucht stijl geschreven . De romantiek was niet overtuigend en wanneer het allemaal historisch correct moet zijn moet je niet bij S.E. zijn .
Ooh voor ik het vergeet .. ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Zucht naar avontuur - Candlelight Historische roman 886
Ooh voor ik het vergeet .. ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Zucht naar avontuur - Candlelight Historische roman 886
May 23, 2011
I really liked this book and was wavering between giving it 4 or 5 stars. I ultimately went with 4 because some of the plot points dragged in the middle.
***Possible spoilers in this paragraph***I also gave it a 4 and not a 5 because I thought they jumped into intercourse pretty quickly. Personally, I like a little more foreplay or, in the words of our heroine (taken out of context), "steps" between passionate kisses at a ball and doing the deed. Maybe this is partly characterization (in that Bennett is not one to beat around the bush, instead preferring to meet challenges, and his desires, straight on).***end spoilers***
Nonetheless, this was a great read with my favorite theme - a hero who knows what (or, in this case, who) he wants and determinedly pursues her. Some of the tension emerges because Bennett has been out of "civilized" society for so long that he doesn't know how to go about pursuing Phillipa in a way that doesn't shock said society. He's blunt, brash, but always with good intentions. Oh, and he has a pet monkey named Kero.
Bennett's quite ready to kick ass and take names whenever Phillipa is in danger and in defense of his (unjustly) sullied professional reputation. When Phillipa tells him there are "rules" to follow for societal behavior and courtship (even as she is already intrigued and drawn in by this tall, handsome adventurer), Bennett does his best to follow whatever these "rules" are in an effort to please her and with his ultimate goal of having Phillipa for himself...with some hilarious results.
Don't get me wrong - Phillipa is far from a stuffy society miss who is obsessed with rules. She's actually quite practical and bookish, which means she is totally flummoxed that this famous and charismatic man would want to pursue her.
***Possible spoilers in this paragraph***She also has an independent streak. I was cheering when she took it upon herself to rescue herself at the book's big climax.***end spoilers***
A lighthearted and fluffy wallpaper read, this book left me feeling satisfied and a little intrigued by the Adventurer's Club's other members, particularly the Duke of Sommerset.
***Possible spoilers in this paragraph***I also gave it a 4 and not a 5 because I thought they jumped into intercourse pretty quickly. Personally, I like a little more foreplay or, in the words of our heroine (taken out of context), "steps" between passionate kisses at a ball and doing the deed. Maybe this is partly characterization (in that Bennett is not one to beat around the bush, instead preferring to meet challenges, and his desires, straight on).***end spoilers***
Nonetheless, this was a great read with my favorite theme - a hero who knows what (or, in this case, who) he wants and determinedly pursues her. Some of the tension emerges because Bennett has been out of "civilized" society for so long that he doesn't know how to go about pursuing Phillipa in a way that doesn't shock said society. He's blunt, brash, but always with good intentions. Oh, and he has a pet monkey named Kero.
Bennett's quite ready to kick ass and take names whenever Phillipa is in danger and in defense of his (unjustly) sullied professional reputation. When Phillipa tells him there are "rules" to follow for societal behavior and courtship (even as she is already intrigued and drawn in by this tall, handsome adventurer), Bennett does his best to follow whatever these "rules" are in an effort to please her and with his ultimate goal of having Phillipa for himself...with some hilarious results.
Don't get me wrong - Phillipa is far from a stuffy society miss who is obsessed with rules. She's actually quite practical and bookish, which means she is totally flummoxed that this famous and charismatic man would want to pursue her.
***Possible spoilers in this paragraph***She also has an independent streak. I was cheering when she took it upon herself to rescue herself at the book's big climax.***end spoilers***
A lighthearted and fluffy wallpaper read, this book left me feeling satisfied and a little intrigued by the Adventurer's Club's other members, particularly the Duke of Sommerset.
August 14, 2015
Well, hello, Suzanne Enoch. Where have you been all my historical romance bender life? The Care and Taming of a Rogue was delightful in so many ways.
You see, I went into this a little apprehensive because the synopsis makes it sound like there's little more to this story than Bennett's courtship of Phillipa, and while I'm sure you're like, "Duh, Amanda, it's a romance," I like it when there's something ELSE driving the story.
Which there is. And I liked it. A LOT. Because Bennett wasn't just presumed dead, his was falsely presumed dead by someone on his team who stole Bennett's journals, then published them under his only name. And so while Bennett attempts to restore his good name, he's ALSO caught in Phillipa's spell.
And it was fun. And gorgeous. And MONKEY!
That last one really is in context, I swear. I adored Phillipa because she was smart, practical, and a book lover. No one sees her because they don't understand her, and I get that.
Bennett swoops back into London and all he sees is Phillipa, wants her, and knows he has to have her. All those years spent in Africa has changed him, though, and he doesn't like RULES, but he's determined to have Phillipa, and so he says, "TEACH ME YOUR WAYS" and then proceeds to win her and step all over the rules anyway.
I liked that there was little angst around the romance in the sense that neither Bennett nor Phillipa really fought their feelings for each other. What prevents them from coming together is a mixture of society rules, Bennett's troubles, and Phillipa's insecurities (which are not overdone and highly HIGHLY believable).
I liked Phillipa's relationship with her sister Livi, and that this book is the first in a series (which I suspected while reading by YAY to have my suspicions confirmed). I adored how the ending plays out and and and I JUST LIKED THIS BOOK, OKAY?
Definitely have to find myself some more Suzanne Enoch books. Her writing style drew me in and made me forget I was reading a book because I was experiencing the story, and that is the best compliment I can give.
You see, I went into this a little apprehensive because the synopsis makes it sound like there's little more to this story than Bennett's courtship of Phillipa, and while I'm sure you're like, "Duh, Amanda, it's a romance," I like it when there's something ELSE driving the story.
Which there is. And I liked it. A LOT. Because Bennett wasn't just presumed dead, his was falsely presumed dead by someone on his team who stole Bennett's journals, then published them under his only name. And so while Bennett attempts to restore his good name, he's ALSO caught in Phillipa's spell.
And it was fun. And gorgeous. And MONKEY!
That last one really is in context, I swear. I adored Phillipa because she was smart, practical, and a book lover. No one sees her because they don't understand her, and I get that.
Bennett swoops back into London and all he sees is Phillipa, wants her, and knows he has to have her. All those years spent in Africa has changed him, though, and he doesn't like RULES, but he's determined to have Phillipa, and so he says, "TEACH ME YOUR WAYS" and then proceeds to win her and step all over the rules anyway.
I liked that there was little angst around the romance in the sense that neither Bennett nor Phillipa really fought their feelings for each other. What prevents them from coming together is a mixture of society rules, Bennett's troubles, and Phillipa's insecurities (which are not overdone and highly HIGHLY believable).
I liked Phillipa's relationship with her sister Livi, and that this book is the first in a series (which I suspected while reading by YAY to have my suspicions confirmed). I adored how the ending plays out and and and I JUST LIKED THIS BOOK, OKAY?
Definitely have to find myself some more Suzanne Enoch books. Her writing style drew me in and made me forget I was reading a book because I was experiencing the story, and that is the best compliment I can give.
February 16, 2015
Me ha encantado. Cautivador y con personajes poco convencionales, como me gustan a mi. Además todos actúan acorde con su personalidad (lo menciono porque en muchos libros son del todo incoherentes). Phillipa Eddison no es una heroína, ni una femme fatale, ni una seductora ni nada de eso. Es una rata de biblioteca que no tiene pretendientes. Por eso me ha gustado tanto. Además, es una historia romántica pero que tiene sus dosis de aventuras y emoción. El final es totalmente adictivo y los dos últimos capítulos han sido de una tirada.
Muy recomendable. No puedo esperar a terminar la serie de "El club de los aventureros".
Muy recomendable. No puedo esperar a terminar la serie de "El club de los aventureros".
September 27, 2017
For Hugh Jackman,
whom I find very inspiring.
Very. Inspiring.
when a book starts like this, you know, just know that it is going to be interesting.
the book on the whole was a lot of laughs, witty words and a good plot.
enjoyed it!!!
The natives say
there is nothing more placid than a pond with a crocodile just beneath the surface—
until it strikes,
at which moment nothing is more horrifying.
THE JOURNAL OF CAPTAIN BENNETT WOLFE
October 26, 2015
Suzanne Enoch is my go-to for a fun, light romance with a caper plot. This book fits that category, but Enoch has spoiled me with so many good stories, that this one just didn't quite measure up.
The dialogue at the beginning of this book was positively brilliant. It was quintessential Enoch and I loved it. What made the book lose stars for me was the characterization. Bennett was an adventurer who barely survived an expedition to Africa, only to have his assistant steal his journals, shame him, and pass his work off as his own. Phillippa, or Flip, is bookish and introverted, living in the shadow of her outgoing sister Olivia. When Bennett returns, he is immediately drawn to Phillippa and pursues her while he also tries to regain his reputation.
Phillippa and Bennett have great chemistry and I enjoyed that they didn't fight their attraction to each other. My quibbles about this were that the characters seemed very modern to me. Philippa becomes intimate with Bennett out of nowhere (although aside from this lapse in character, I really liked her). Bennett is a major hothead and despite growing up in this society, he acts like a complete barbarian at times. In my opinion, he came onto Phillippa a bit strong and if I was Phillippa and didn't know his thoughts (as I did as a reader), I would have been a bit creeped out. Due to their modernity and stupidity at times, I liked the characters in this book less than some of her others.
The secondary characters were still delightful and the caper was entertaining, but my favorites are still Something Sinful and England's Greatest Hero.
This book was 3.5 stars. I will be continuing with the series.
The dialogue at the beginning of this book was positively brilliant. It was quintessential Enoch and I loved it. What made the book lose stars for me was the characterization. Bennett was an adventurer who barely survived an expedition to Africa, only to have his assistant steal his journals, shame him, and pass his work off as his own. Phillippa, or Flip, is bookish and introverted, living in the shadow of her outgoing sister Olivia. When Bennett returns, he is immediately drawn to Phillippa and pursues her while he also tries to regain his reputation.
Phillippa and Bennett have great chemistry and I enjoyed that they didn't fight their attraction to each other. My quibbles about this were that the characters seemed very modern to me. Philippa becomes intimate with Bennett out of nowhere (although aside from this lapse in character, I really liked her). Bennett is a major hothead and despite growing up in this society, he acts like a complete barbarian at times. In my opinion, he came onto Phillippa a bit strong and if I was Phillippa and didn't know his thoughts (as I did as a reader), I would have been a bit creeped out. Due to their modernity and stupidity at times, I liked the characters in this book less than some of her others.
The secondary characters were still delightful and the caper was entertaining, but my favorites are still Something Sinful and England's Greatest Hero.
This book was 3.5 stars. I will be continuing with the series.
January 19, 2016
This was a fun read. Captain Bennett Wolfe has just come back from Africa after being gone from England for over 3 years. Funny thing is, is that everybody thought he was dead. Even worse the man that was his second in command is the one that reported him dead and wrote a book about his exploits and made the his own.
Now Bennett must figure out somehow he can gain his reputation back and expose David's lies. In the process he meets sweet Phillipa Eddison...you know the bookish, plain one, not the other gorgeous sister...yes that one.
Phillipa can't understand what Bennett sees in her. But she is willing to play along, because he is handsome as all get out. Of course he is rough around the edges, but you stroke a rock enough, it will smooth out. Then there's the monkey. Who doesn't love a man that has mothered a monkey?
While over the story was cute, but a few things that bugged me. Phillipa's inability to believe that anyone could like/love her. Her parents and sister, just seemed to back that up. Then she wanted adventure and then when Bennett provided that, she was all about the rules. Then she was..I don't care about the rules, but for goodness sake you have given me the wrong flower at the wrong time. I would have gone to that 4th start had the ending been a bit more drawn out. I wanted to know what happened to David and more of how society reacted to the truth or even a bit more of Bennett and Phillipa after they had been married for awhile
Now Bennett must figure out somehow he can gain his reputation back and expose David's lies. In the process he meets sweet Phillipa Eddison...you know the bookish, plain one, not the other gorgeous sister...yes that one.
Phillipa can't understand what Bennett sees in her. But she is willing to play along, because he is handsome as all get out. Of course he is rough around the edges, but you stroke a rock enough, it will smooth out. Then there's the monkey. Who doesn't love a man that has mothered a monkey?
While over the story was cute, but a few things that bugged me. Phillipa's inability to believe that anyone could like/love her. Her parents and sister, just seemed to back that up. Then she wanted adventure and then when Bennett provided that, she was all about the rules. Then she was..I don't care about the rules, but for goodness sake you have given me the wrong flower at the wrong time. I would have gone to that 4th start had the ending been a bit more drawn out. I wanted to know what happened to David and more of how society reacted to the truth or even a bit more of Bennett and Phillipa after they had been married for awhile
November 5, 2016
2,5 stars. Well written, but I didn't believe much in the chemistry between main characters (they are taking it slow because the lady is shy and secluded but then suddenly they have sex because the book passed the 50% mark) and whole story didn't get to me.
April 7, 2010
I wanted to like this more than I did, and I'm honestly not sure why I didn't like it more. It's your basic historical romance novel--strapping dark roguish adventurer type + sassy brunette book-ish type (always unappreciated by London society!) meet, try to resist each other (well, SHE tries to resist him, he basically pursues her like a jungle cat), fail miserably. The story is somewhat unique in that the hero is an African explorer who's presumed dead and who returns to London finding out his journals were stolen and turned into a bestselling book by his dastardly, cowardly exploring partner. That was unique. And the fact that he carried Kero, his vervet monkey everywhere. Which...was a little weird. But the leads had chemistry, and there were some fairly good sex scenes. I think it was more my mood than anything.
I had particular issues with the repeated use by male characters of the word "chit", which means young girl, but it seemed so derogatory. That and repeated cries of "She'll be RUINED!" if there's any sniff of impropriety between the two leads. I get it. SHE'LL BE RUINED without proper courting (and, you know...the sex). Zip it already.
Anyway...it was cute.
I had particular issues with the repeated use by male characters of the word "chit", which means young girl, but it seemed so derogatory. That and repeated cries of "She'll be RUINED!" if there's any sniff of impropriety between the two leads. I get it. SHE'LL BE RUINED without proper courting (and, you know...the sex). Zip it already.
Anyway...it was cute.
December 27, 2010
That's it Suzanne Enoch. I officially wash my hands with you. I gave you a second chance because I really enjoyed Reforming a Rake, inspite of its cringe-inducing cover. But after enduring Meet Me at Midnight, I'm done. This book started off on a good note, and I really liked the relationship between Phillipa and her sister, which is pretty much the only reason I kept reading after things started going down hill. I just don't understand how someone with such a good premise for a book can make such a hash of it, turning it into a yawn-inducing bore.
June 7, 2010
This book had potential but fell flat. Our hero was just too absurd for my tastes and our heroine...well, I can't remember anything about her so I suppose that says something. I usually enjoy Enoch but was disappointed.
October 27, 2015
Actual Rating: 1.5
Zero chemistry between the hero and heroine, a dash of unearned insta-love/lust/obession, and too many anachronisms to ignore. I can't believe this is an Enoch book!
At least there was a pet monkey?
Zero chemistry between the hero and heroine, a dash of unearned insta-love/lust/obession, and too many anachronisms to ignore. I can't believe this is an Enoch book!
At least there was a pet monkey?
November 30, 2021
This man’s entire personality is really just having been to Africa and an uncontrollable temper 🙄
November 13, 2024
Cute story about Flip and Bennett. I absolutely hate the villain though. I wish he had a bit more humiliating comeuppance.
April 18, 2018
I am re-reading all my 5 star rated romance novels. There are 60 on my shelf. This is book 2 on that list.
(Tropes: Spinster/wallflower) (Is asshat a trope?)
This is how my 2nd re-read held up.
Major let down. Why in the world did I give this 5 stars the first time I read it?? I am a huge fan of Suzanne Enoch, but this did NOT hold up.
************
Assumed dead adventurer Bennet Wolf returns to London, and while trying to reclaim his lost (stolen) travel diaries he sets his sights on wallflower Phillippa.
Why? I don’t know. We are repeatedly told he is into her. Never, ever shown why.
- He wanted to talk with only one of the chits, and she was sitting behind him, reading. He knew that, because he knew everything that she’d done, everything that she’d said, everything that she’d eaten, since the moment he’d arrived at the picnic. Including her advice on where he might go to find some whores to satisfy himself. Plural. Apparently she sensed his appetite.
- “But you don’t even know me! How do you know you want to woo me? I don’t like the idea that I’m so simple and easily decipherable that after five days—your first five days back in London after three years—you could point at me and say, ‘Yes, I’ll take that one.’”
- He was forward, direct, disdained most of the niceties of polite society, and seemed to be infatuated with her.
- Before she could move, he had both her hands in his, their faces inches apart. “Don’t put me off, Phillipa. I’ve given you my one warning; I am after you. If you wish me to proceed your way, I will. To a point. But if you continue throwing up that damned—blasted—‘you can’t do that’ protest and still look at me with that same…passion in your eyes, I will put you back in that phaeton and not stop driving until we reach Gretna Green. Is that clear?”
- As she shivered, he leaned in, replacing his fingers with his lips, brushing lightly along her temple. She kept still. If she protested, he would stop. If she continued to push him away, he might stop looking for other ways to pursue her, and then she truly would have accomplished the stupidest action in the history of stupid actions. If they didn’t suit, it should be because they’d found they weren’t compatible, and not because she was foolish.
- As he held open the door for her, though, he put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I hope you appreciate that I am being very, very patient,” he whispered, delivering a soft, slow kiss. “And that I am not a patient man. Not where you and propriety are concerned.”
- For Phillipa, she read to herself, I hope adding yellow daisies isn’t too forward. I asked Lady Fennington for their meaning, and she said white means “purity,” while yellow means “slighted.” I’m taking them to mean “frustrated.” Because I am frustrated that you are still pure. Bennett.
The first time he makes loves to her?
- “Why are we in the kitchen larder?”
(Tropes: Spinster/wallflower) (Is asshat a trope?)
This is how my 2nd re-read held up.
Major let down. Why in the world did I give this 5 stars the first time I read it?? I am a huge fan of Suzanne Enoch, but this did NOT hold up.
************
Assumed dead adventurer Bennet Wolf returns to London, and while trying to reclaim his lost (stolen) travel diaries he sets his sights on wallflower Phillippa.
Why? I don’t know. We are repeatedly told he is into her. Never, ever shown why.
- He wanted to talk with only one of the chits, and she was sitting behind him, reading. He knew that, because he knew everything that she’d done, everything that she’d said, everything that she’d eaten, since the moment he’d arrived at the picnic. Including her advice on where he might go to find some whores to satisfy himself. Plural. Apparently she sensed his appetite.
- “But you don’t even know me! How do you know you want to woo me? I don’t like the idea that I’m so simple and easily decipherable that after five days—your first five days back in London after three years—you could point at me and say, ‘Yes, I’ll take that one.’”
- He was forward, direct, disdained most of the niceties of polite society, and seemed to be infatuated with her.
- Before she could move, he had both her hands in his, their faces inches apart. “Don’t put me off, Phillipa. I’ve given you my one warning; I am after you. If you wish me to proceed your way, I will. To a point. But if you continue throwing up that damned—blasted—‘you can’t do that’ protest and still look at me with that same…passion in your eyes, I will put you back in that phaeton and not stop driving until we reach Gretna Green. Is that clear?”
- As she shivered, he leaned in, replacing his fingers with his lips, brushing lightly along her temple. She kept still. If she protested, he would stop. If she continued to push him away, he might stop looking for other ways to pursue her, and then she truly would have accomplished the stupidest action in the history of stupid actions. If they didn’t suit, it should be because they’d found they weren’t compatible, and not because she was foolish.
- As he held open the door for her, though, he put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I hope you appreciate that I am being very, very patient,” he whispered, delivering a soft, slow kiss. “And that I am not a patient man. Not where you and propriety are concerned.”
- For Phillipa, she read to herself, I hope adding yellow daisies isn’t too forward. I asked Lady Fennington for their meaning, and she said white means “purity,” while yellow means “slighted.” I’m taking them to mean “frustrated.” Because I am frustrated that you are still pure. Bennett.
The first time he makes loves to her?
- “Why are we in the kitchen larder?”
January 17, 2024
4.5 While I IMMENSELY enjoyed this. I have to take away a little bit of the points because only one small portion of the romance didn't feel quite right. While I WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe in their love. She suddenly accepted the sex in a way that didn't feel true to character.
Here's some things some may issues with:
The hero was a bit aggressive--I enjoyed that and felt it was more realistic but it CAN come off coercive.
The heroine's family were not supportive at all. And it came off as jealousy.
Not a lot of plot until the climax, which again, I enjoyed.
Our hero, Bennette Wolfe. HOT. I enjoyed him. Now he's not my usual type, but he had his way about him. I liked that he ONLY had eyes for our heroine, nothing could sway him. His monkey Kero was just as adorable and they make me smile. And he was actually pissed off that no one believed he could like the heroine.
Our heroine, Phillipa "Flip". She was great too. Only liked our hero but not in an over obsessive fangirl way. Her plans were a little stupid but she meant well. Her family was weird about her. She had to live in her sister's shadow all her life and then when she finally gets attention they basically tell her to not accept it. One comment her mom made REALLLLLy pissed me off. So the sister "likes (in a shallow way) the lead male too and the mom says "dont let a man come between you and your sister." when she finds out the male lead is interested in Philippa. And that made a *record scratch* noise in my head because I doubt she would have said that to the sister. Finally Phillipa is getting attention and you want her to turn it away if the sister has a fit about it?? What kind of mother?
Olivia (the sister) and John.... so? What's there? They don't really get an ending.
Anyway, like most Enoch books this one reads slow so I felt like I really know the characters. I cared about them and thought they were so adorable.
The big question with stories like this is : Does the hero really make a believable claim that he's okay with not constantly moving? For this story the answer isn't super clear. I like to believe that he did, but really depending on how you feel about him that answer could go the other way.
Quotes:
None of my passages are short enough to list because they're more feeling and you'd have to know the story to understand. But just know. I adore them.
Here's some things some may issues with:
The hero was a bit aggressive--I enjoyed that and felt it was more realistic but it CAN come off coercive.
The heroine's family were not supportive at all. And it came off as jealousy.
Not a lot of plot until the climax, which again, I enjoyed.
Our hero, Bennette Wolfe. HOT. I enjoyed him. Now he's not my usual type, but he had his way about him. I liked that he ONLY had eyes for our heroine, nothing could sway him. His monkey Kero was just as adorable and they make me smile. And he was actually pissed off that no one believed he could like the heroine.
Our heroine, Phillipa "Flip". She was great too. Only liked our hero but not in an over obsessive fangirl way. Her plans were a little stupid but she meant well. Her family was weird about her. She had to live in her sister's shadow all her life and then when she finally gets attention they basically tell her to not accept it. One comment her mom made REALLLLLy pissed me off. So the sister "likes (in a shallow way) the lead male too and the mom says "dont let a man come between you and your sister." when she finds out the male lead is interested in Philippa. And that made a *record scratch* noise in my head because I doubt she would have said that to the sister. Finally Phillipa is getting attention and you want her to turn it away if the sister has a fit about it?? What kind of mother?
Olivia (the sister) and John.... so? What's there? They don't really get an ending.
Anyway, like most Enoch books this one reads slow so I felt like I really know the characters. I cared about them and thought they were so adorable.
The big question with stories like this is : Does the hero really make a believable claim that he's okay with not constantly moving? For this story the answer isn't super clear. I like to believe that he did, but really depending on how you feel about him that answer could go the other way.
Quotes:
None of my passages are short enough to list because they're more feeling and you'd have to know the story to understand. But just know. I adore them.
April 15, 2017
Adorável leitura entre um mocinho aventureiro e explorador que volta a Londres em busca de seus diários roubados por outro nobre explorador. Bennet sempre foi solitário e jamais teve um lar depois que o pai morreu quando tinha 9 anos de idade. Por passar muito tempo nas matas do Congo, atuava de forma selvagem e não seguia ao corrente cavalheirismo imposto pela sociedade londrina. Londres o vê como um tolo porque seus diários alterados e publicados o mostram como alguém torpe. E para completar, além de agir de rompante, sem pensar e disposto a brigar, carrega sempre com ele um macaco no ombro por todo lugar que vai. As moças ficam alvoroçadas, porque é um homem belo e atraente. Mas ele, só em ouvir a voz dela, já sente uma poderosa atração e quando a conhece se encanta com ela, mesmo não tendo beleza...
Phillipa que preferia os livros aos bailes e conversas fúteis, era mais improvável de chamar a atenção dele, e de cara, ele caiu de amores por ela e saltava todas as regras para poder consegui-la.
E ele tenta fazer as coisas certas, porém sempre algo acontece para impedi-lo de atuar direito.
Phillipa é inteligente, esperta e nunca imaginou que ele poderia ter interesse nela. E também cai de amores por ele...
É um romance apaixonante com boas cenas e diálogos provocativos e hilários.
Cinco estrela porque me fez rir e passar bons momentos divertidos.
Phillipa que preferia os livros aos bailes e conversas fúteis, era mais improvável de chamar a atenção dele, e de cara, ele caiu de amores por ela e saltava todas as regras para poder consegui-la.
E ele tenta fazer as coisas certas, porém sempre algo acontece para impedi-lo de atuar direito.
Phillipa é inteligente, esperta e nunca imaginou que ele poderia ter interesse nela. E também cai de amores por ele...
É um romance apaixonante com boas cenas e diálogos provocativos e hilários.
Cinco estrela porque me fez rir e passar bons momentos divertidos.
March 9, 2014
Es un libro entretenido, pero espero mucho más de este autora.
La historia me ha parecido absurda, los personajes muy poco creíbles y ni he visto amor, ni pasión.
De todas formas es tan absurda que resulta original, tiene algunas escenas graciosas.
Pero no pasa de entretenido..
Bueno terminado ya la relectura, poco cambio.
Sigo pensando lo mismo, le falta desarrollo a la parte en la que se enamoran, porque tanto él como ella parecen hacerlo de repente.
Eso sí, me encantan las protagonistas arrojadas como ella, decididas, y poco "acordes con la época" per la historia no acaba de tener coherencia... le personaje de él, lo encuentro algo exagerado. Pero tiene escenas divertidas.
El final es algo brusco.... tienen Jack y Olivia historia propia???
Yo sigo queriendo la historia del duque, pero no sé si la autora está por la labor
La historia me ha parecido absurda, los personajes muy poco creíbles y ni he visto amor, ni pasión.
De todas formas es tan absurda que resulta original, tiene algunas escenas graciosas.
Pero no pasa de entretenido..
Bueno terminado ya la relectura, poco cambio.
Sigo pensando lo mismo, le falta desarrollo a la parte en la que se enamoran, porque tanto él como ella parecen hacerlo de repente.
Eso sí, me encantan las protagonistas arrojadas como ella, decididas, y poco "acordes con la época" per la historia no acaba de tener coherencia... le personaje de él, lo encuentro algo exagerado. Pero tiene escenas divertidas.
El final es algo brusco.... tienen Jack y Olivia historia propia???
Yo sigo queriendo la historia del duque, pero no sé si la autora está por la labor
July 24, 2011
The first book that I read from Suzzane Enoch. I liked the book from the start to the finish. It gave me a sense of adventure for myself also. It is some different from the other books I read. There are witty and smart conversions between the h/h that I loved. It is so funny, that the heroine fainted when the hero gave her 2 dozens of red roses. It maybe a simple story, but I liked the flow of the story and each characters brought the best of it.
October 7, 2015
3 and a half stars.
There is nothing much to complain about this book. It has all the elements for a good romance novel. The protagonist of the book are likeable with strong characters. However, the were was a lack of something particularly the chemistry. Phillipa and Bennett did not convince of their love or that fact they couldn't keep their hands of each other. Read it when you're bored with nothing else to do.
There is nothing much to complain about this book. It has all the elements for a good romance novel. The protagonist of the book are likeable with strong characters. However, the were was a lack of something particularly the chemistry. Phillipa and Bennett did not convince of their love or that fact they couldn't keep their hands of each other. Read it when you're bored with nothing else to do.
April 16, 2014
Excellent historical romance, interwoven with danger and intrigue. Bold, powerful characters are wonderfully meshed with the strict protocols surrounding courting in Victorian England. It's delightful to see just how far each character is willing to give as love inspires them to risk it all for a chance at happiness.
July 30, 2015
I know its a cheesy romance but I enjoyed this one. It had an adventurous side along with a respectable heroine. They had an odd couple dynamic that was fun.
June 19, 2022
An interesting premise, a little bit of cheesiness, and overall very readable. If you’re looking for a book where the shy and nerdy wallflower gets the (slightly unhinged) adventurer, then here it is 😆
Adventurer and author Captain Bennett Wolfe is presumed dead during an expedition in the Congo and has his book manuscript stolen and published under his second-in-command’s name as if that guy wrote it. When the not-dead Bennett returns to London, he walks in on a book club meeting about that book and runs into our heroine, Phillipa—obsessed pursuer mode, engaged.
Bennett was a really interesting character. His wanderlust and inability to fit in felt relatable. And it was fun that the duality of his adventurer/author nature meant that I couldn’t decide if he was hot or awkward. For example, he brings his monkey on his shoulder wherever he goes—was it something a sexy pirate would do? Or something Ross from Friends would do? He was definitely a vibe 😆 And definitely one of the most pursue-y historical romance heroes I’ve read.
Our bluestocking heroine Phillipa was fun too. She was practical, logical, and completely unflappable. I really enjoyed her character arc. And, although the romance plot leaned towards insta-love, they were really compatible. Also, I really loved the lighthearted banter between all the friends and family members of this book 🥰
But the plagiarism storyline! It’s what stopped this from being a lighthearted romp, for me. Yup, here’s where I reveal how illogical I am because books with murders and kidnappings, that’s fine. But books about plagiarism?? Now I’m too stressed 😅
Adventurer and author Captain Bennett Wolfe is presumed dead during an expedition in the Congo and has his book manuscript stolen and published under his second-in-command’s name as if that guy wrote it. When the not-dead Bennett returns to London, he walks in on a book club meeting about that book and runs into our heroine, Phillipa—obsessed pursuer mode, engaged.
Bennett was a really interesting character. His wanderlust and inability to fit in felt relatable. And it was fun that the duality of his adventurer/author nature meant that I couldn’t decide if he was hot or awkward. For example, he brings his monkey on his shoulder wherever he goes—was it something a sexy pirate would do? Or something Ross from Friends would do? He was definitely a vibe 😆 And definitely one of the most pursue-y historical romance heroes I’ve read.
Our bluestocking heroine Phillipa was fun too. She was practical, logical, and completely unflappable. I really enjoyed her character arc. And, although the romance plot leaned towards insta-love, they were really compatible. Also, I really loved the lighthearted banter between all the friends and family members of this book 🥰
But the plagiarism storyline! It’s what stopped this from being a lighthearted romp, for me. Yup, here’s where I reveal how illogical I am because books with murders and kidnappings, that’s fine. But books about plagiarism?? Now I’m too stressed 😅
July 25, 2019
My recommendation!
October 13, 2021
What the hell I loved it. I need a Bennett now. Thanks Avid for sending it to meeeee!!
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