Ένοχα μυστικά

Saint Georges #1

by Brenda Joyce, Γιάννης Σπανδωνής (Translator )

Τρελά ερωτευμένη η Άννα, δεν πίστευε ποτέ ότι ο Ντόμινικ θα την εγκατέλειπε την πρώτη νύχτα του γάμου τους.

Τώρα, έπειτα από τέσσερα χρόνια, ο Ντόμινικ γυρίζει, αλλά η Άννα είναι αποφασισμένη να μην υποκύψει στη γοητεία του και να μην τον συγχωρέσει ποτέ.

Συγκλονιστικές όμως αποκαλύψεις και δολοπλοκίες θα τη φέρουν κοντά στο σύζυγό της, σ’ αυτό τον αινιγματικό ξένο που, αλίμονο, κρατάει ακόμη το κλειδί τής καρδιάς της αλλά και της ίδιας της ζωής της.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, M F Romance, Historical Fiction, Victorian, Fiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Brenda Joyce is the bestselling author of forty-one novels and five novellas. She has won many awards, and her debut novel, Innocent Fire, won a Best Western Romance award. She has also won the highly coveted Best Historical Romance award for Splendor and Two Lifetime Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. There are over 14 million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries.

A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs, and her Arabian and half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions—writing powerful love stories and competing with her horses at regional and national levels. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her Web sites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.thedewarennedynasty.com and http://mastersoftimebooks.com.

Reviews

[Dinjolina · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG.
Just read this...
So let me just say...other then AVOID!!!!....this...I could live with the Disney styled bad guys,the stupid plot,the constant obstacles,etc...really I could,if not for the hero.
Yeah,yeah yeah,the heroine was very...sappy. But this man was a class A jerk. Imagine you significant other saying/thinking this: 'I loved you. But I was scared you would brake my heart. So,I spent FIVE YEEEEEEARS with an other woman that gave me 2 children.She could not brake my heart you see. But you could. I have no idea how. But you know,I was scared. So after I married you and locked you up in some remote place I went to fuck this other woman and have children. Oh and now I want you. If you don't give me yourself NOW I will go back to fucking others. Will you love me?' So....erm. Yes. I understand why she had sooooo maaany inner debates about not wanting to love him. If I was her, and I was addle brained enough to even look favorably at this man then sure I would have problems with it. And I kind of think I would have beat myself with a brick until I died. But that's just me.

Oh and I added this to mu sad ending shelf because....well they had Happy ending! WTF! Poor heroine.

[Jessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was...alot. He abandons her on her wedding night and proceeds to have two children with a mistress, then comes back making demands of the heroine. Like, get out of here dude. I have a life to get back to.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.6 stars generously rounded to 3
Disappointing 😞

The h ruined this book. It took too long for her to forgive the H . Her trust issues got old. Rest of RTC

[Lindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. The hero left his new wife the morning after the wedding, and doesn't come back for 4 years. Strike 1, but I could live with it if the rest of the story goes well. Then he was unfaithful -- repeatedly, and without remorse -- a BIG strike two. Then he threatens her with more infidelity if she doesn't let him have her -- strike three. He didn't show any signs of being a good character after at least 100 pages, so I stopped reading it. Life's too short to read annoying books. Skipping book 2 in the series, too.

[Maria Stefanou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δεν υπάρχουν πολλά για να πω.

Αναρωτιέμαι πως ακριβώς βρέθηκε αυτό το εντελώς ρομαντικού περιεχομένου - τύπου άρλεκιν βιβλίο στην ασημένια σειρά της Ωκεανίδας. Όταν το πήρα πάντως δεν το γνώριζα, ωστόσο καθόλου δεν με πείραξε και το απόλαυσα στο έπακρο. Άλλωστε είναι γνωστό ότι διαβάζω όλα τα είδη βιβλίων, δεν κάνω διαχωρισμούς ή διακρίσεις και αδιαφορώ για τις ταμπέλες.

Ρομαντική ιστορία εποχής λοιπόν με όλα τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία ώστε να δέσει το γλυκό και να χαθεί κανείς στην μαγεία μίας άλλης εποχής.

[Shirlene]

Anne had been delivered to her aunt Edna as an orphan from America when she was eleven years old. Her mother was sister to the Duke's wife. Janice had died in childbirth having the child she always wanted. The duke had determined that he would have nothing to do with the child who had taken the life of his late wife's sister until he met her. He decided after meeting her that Anne and his grandson would be a good match. He would see to it that Anne and his grandson married if it was the last thing he did on earth. Anne was already in love with Dom by this time.
When Anne was seventeen, Dominick St George was announcing his engagement to her cousin Felicity. While attending the engagement party, Anne caught Dom's eye. Anne ran out the house because she was heartbroken at having to help with the preparations for a party to give the man she loved to another. She needed air and went into the garden. Dom noticed she had left and followed her outside. Dom kissed her and they were caught in a compromising situation. Dominick and Anne were married and he left Essex, England the morning after they were wed. He never saw Anne after they were married.
Four years later, Dom's father, the Earl of Waverly, died and Dom returned home for the funeral. His mother, Clarissa, disliked Anne and accused her of being a fortune hunter who was after Dom for his money and status. The Duke of Rutherford, Dom's grandfather, had arranged a trust for Anne that left her the earl's house. The duke had never remarried after his wife's death and Phillip, his heir was now dead. It was thought that the duke never remarried because of his love for his late wife but due to comments he had made, Anne believed that maybe he hadn't remarried because of his feelings for his late wife's sister. Phillip and his wife, Clarissa were living in separate quarters in the house and it was widely known.
Anne swore she hated Dom after the way he had left her after their wedding. The duke spoke with Dom and told him that the only way he would regain ownership of the house was if he had a legitimate heir with Anne. Dom spoke with Anne and told her that he wanted to begin his relationship with her over again. He didn't tell her that an heir would regain him ownership of his childhood home.
Patrick had become Anne's closest friend and confidant. Dom saw them talking together and became jealous. He then kissed Anne and knew that his longing for her had not died. He was afraid of her because he lost control when he was around her. Felicity had married someone else and he had died after they were married for two years. Felicity had followed Dom's activities and managed to purposely run into him on occasion so he would know that she still wanted him, regardless of the fact that he was married to her cousin.
During the time that Dom was in London, Anne had discovered the caretaker of the property had been taking funds from the earl and she had fired him. She was running the properties herself and had been for some time. Dom had to make a decision of whether to remain with Anne and reestablish a relationship with her or leave the property to Anne and go back to his former life with his current mistress. He had a son and daughter by a previous mistress. Dom wanted ownership of the property for he felt it was inheritance rather than hers. He was even more upset when he found out that his father's money and London home were going to someone whom none of them knew.
Dom came to Anne's room to talk to her about beginning again and she refused him. He left and she went to sleep. She woke up to the smell of smoke and discovered that her room was on fire. Dom was in the library just below her room and come up because he heard the commotion. Anne had put the fire out but Dom was there to comfort her. Anne was suspicious of the fire because it appeared that some candles had overturned in her room but there was no open windows or a breeze. Dom discovered that Anne was still a virgin and made love to her then. He fell asleep and Anne remained awake trying to figure out what she had done. She had not intended to give in to Dom's wishes so easily. Anne came down to breakfast and overheard the duke and Dom discussing the fact that he had slept with her and it was the duke's intention that Dom get her pregnant. She did not overhear the part about him regaining ownership of the property should she have an heir.
The solicitor arrived in the morning and read the earl's will. Dom was left his father's journal and his mother was left nothing. His money and properties were given to friend of Phillip's in London who they found out later was his lesbian boyfriend. Dom took the journal to his room and left the house. Clarissa went into Dom's room and took the journal. She was afraid of secrets that her husband and written in it. She later returned the journal to Dom and he burned it. He did figure out that Phillip wasn't his father.
Dom was out riding and Felicity came to visit. She made it clear that she was still angry at Anne for ruining her engagement and was out for revenge. Dom came home while Anne was working in the land agent's office that she had made her own. She watched Felicity flirting with her husband. Felicity didn't seem to understand that Dom had no interest in her. Dom was upset to find out that Felicity knew some of the terms of his father's will. He knew that Patrick had found out from Anne and repeated some of the details to Felicity. Dom went into Anne's office and told her that he was going to London to move his stables to Waverly and that he would be returning in a few days. Before Dom left, he asked Anne to agree to let him have a week where she would do anything he asked and if she still wished to be left alone at the end of that time, he would leave her alone. He returned three days later and asked for an answer to his proposal. Anne went into her room that evening and found a charred rose on her pillow.
She had made arrangements to go riding with Patrick the next morning but when Dom found out he forbid her to go. When Patrick arrived with Felicity, she told Patrick that she was going riding with her husband. She got on the horse and her horse, Blaze, went crazy. Dom ran after her and arrived after she had been thrown. He picked her up and took her home. Anne thought that she was crazy when it appeared that Felicity appeared pleased that Anne was almost killed. The horse was found and Dom discovered that the horse had been poisoned. He went to check on Anne and asked her again if they could go away for a week and this time Anne agreed.
Felicity was angry when she found out that Dominick and Anne had left home. She tore up the pillows and bed coverings in her room.
Dom took Anne to Scotland and made love to her there. She woke late the next morning and he was already out riding. Anne decided to follow him and took off riding herself. She never found him but felt she was lost and a little frightened. She felt like she was being followed and saw a rider who appeared to be following her in the distance. She found her way back to Tavalon Castle. She wondered why she found a leather strap in her luggage with a stirrup attached to remind her of her fall from her horse back in England.
Patrick was angry when he returned to his rented room at the inn in Scotland. Dom had bested him for years in everything. Dom was titled and Patrick was the fourth and youngest son of an impoverished lord. Dom did better in school and received more attention from women. It was Patrick's suggestion that Dom marry his sister when he needed a bride. Dom had agreed then chosen to seduce Anne, marry her and promptly abandon her. Patrick had fallen in love with Anne sometime during the first year after her marriage. Patrick had been waiting for years and expected Anne to refuse Dominick when her returned home. Instead she had taken him back. He knew that he would never kill Dominick for as bad as he hated him, he loved him as a brother. Patrick must just find the means to make Anne see Dom as a ruthless, terrifying bastard. At the moment, he was so mad that he could even kill Anne.
Dom met Anne on her ride back to the castle and rode home with her. She told him that she thought that she had been followed and Dom feared that she was correct. They went back to their room and when Anne woke up she thought Dom was in the room. A window was open and she closed it. She went looking for Dom and found him in the library. She went back upstairs and waited for him. When he came into the room, he closed the window and asked Anne why she had left it open because it was freezing cold out.
They returned home to Waverly two days later. Anne was met by one of the groomsmen and told that her horse had been deliberately poisoned. She was then told my Clarissa that the ownership of Waverly would revert to Dom if she were to produce an heir. Anne ran away to London a few hours later. Anne had thought that things were beginning to work out with Dom and that he truly loved her. She now felt betrayed by him a second time. Dom followed a few days later. His grandfather had sent a note telling Dom that Anne was with him and to give her a few days to cool off.
Dom also spoke with the groomsman and found out that Patrick had been at the stables the morning that Anne had her accident. He became concerned about Anne's friendship with him.
Dom went to London to talk to Anne. She continued to reject him. He went home one evening and found Anne talking with Patrick. Patrick had suggested to Anne that Dom was the person behind the events subjecting her to harm. She didn't want to believe him but she was now nervous around Dom. Dom kicked Patrick out of the house and told Anne that she was never to see him again. Dom knew that something had changed within Anne and that she appeared to be frightened of him but he didn't know why. He told Anne that they would be living together from now on to keep up appearances. He would not be leaving her alone. She had never been to London and they had never been to any event together as man and wife. Dom went out and as Anne was getting ready for bed that night she noticed that a quilt that had been on their bed in Scotland was now on her bed in London, torn in two. Anne called for her maid, Belle, and now she was also suspicious of Dom.
Fairhaven, Phillip's boyfriend, came to call on Dom and told him that what he knew would ruin their family. Dom kicked him out of the house and he went to speak to his grandfather. He wanted his grandfather to tell him who his father was but his grandfather couldn't speak and Dom stormed out. The Duke couldn't speak because he was having a heart attack and Dom didn't realize it and left him there. The duke wanted Dom to know the truth and fought to live. Anne found the duke later that afternoon on the floor of the library, unconscious. Dom arrived home soon after and he sent for his mother. Clarissa went to see Fairhaven that night. Fairhaven told Clarissa that he had already told the world the truth about her and her son. Dom went to Anne for comfort and in the morning she found the gown and robe she had been wearing ripped into shreds.
Anne met with Patrick that morning and told him of the ripped gown. Patrick kissed Anne and she was repulsed. She was now beginning to feel afraid of Patrick's anger toward her husband. She told Patrick that she would never leave him. She then went home and was given a necklace and matching earrings to wear to the Harding's ball that night. She told Dom that she didn't want to go but he insisted that they must go because of the rumors regarding him not being the earl's son. His pride forced him to attend and she must go and be by his side.
Anne went with him and it was obvious that they were being talked about. They were only approached by half a dozen people that night. They readied themselves to leave as midnight struck when the constable showed up and arrested Dom for the murder of Matthew Fairhaven. Anne returned home alone. She was looking for her maid, Belle, and couldn't find her. She woke to someone pounding on her door in the morning. It was the duke's butler and he came to tell her that the duke had woke up from his coma. Anne heard some noise behind one of the doors of the house as she was going to see the duke and opened the door to find Belle with Patrick. She asked Patrick to leave but he refused. Anne went to see the duke and with him blinking his eyes, he dictated a note to Anne about some papers. Anne, Patrick, her maid and the butler all looked through his room looking for the papers he was directing them too. Anne asked someone to come in and tear apart the duke's desk. There they found the papers the duke was telling them about. It was papers stating that Phillip had adopted Dominick when he was a year old and that he was the legal heir to Phillip's estate. Dom was released from custody after having been beaten to try and obtain a confession. He went to Anne and told her that he loved her and but Anne still didn't trust him. She left to return to Waverly Hall, the home that had been left to her in Phillip's will.
Anne went riding and felt like she was being watched again. Dom soon appeared and she thought that he was the one following her. He left after she agreed to have tea with him that afternoon. She was then approached by Patrick and figured out that he was the one who had been in the castle in Scotland and done the things to scare her after that time. She had fallen off her horse and the horse returned to Waverly Hall and Dom went looking for her. Dom recognized that he had a gun and was out of his mind. He and Patrick fought and Patrick shot Dom. Patrick left and went to get help. He didn't mean to shoot Dom. He also confessed to killing Fairhaven and ran off. Dom and Anne decided that they would tell the police but give him time to get away first.
Felicity was still in London and had not yet given up on trying to get Dom. Dom's friend Blake told Felicity to give it up. Dom was in love with his wife. Felicity left to return to her home neighboring Waverly Hall. Felicity came into the house with a gun and tried to shoot Anne. Anne yelled for Patrick and acted like he was behind Felicity, which of course he wasn't. Anne knocked the gun out of Felicity's hands and sat on her until the staff arrived as well as Dominick.
The constable had come from London to see Dom and tell he and Anne that someone had seen Fairhaven arguing with a woman and he fell to his death. Dom was no longer a suspect in his murder. The constable saw to it that Felicity was taken to the local jail. Dom and Anne decided not to press charges against her but she was tried for the murder of Fairhaven. She was found not guilty and moved to Paris.
Clarissa had gone to see the Duke after she heard that he was recovering and told him that she would never tell a soul that Dom was their son.
A few days after Dom had been shot, they returned to Rutherford house in London. The duke told Dom that he had an affair with Clarissa. Clarissa had told him that she was pregnant and he didn't believe her. She chose instead to marry his son to get back at him. The earl and the duke talked over what had happened and Phillip legally adopted Dom. Clarissa was not told of their arrangement.
Clarissa and Dom talked after he found out that the duke was his father. Dom was not unhappy because he knew the duke loved him. Dom told Clarissa that the talk would all blow over in time and that she needed to go to one of their country residences and remain there until all the gossip died down.
They were living at Waverly Hall when Anne received a note to meet in the gardens. Anne and Dom discussed the fact that they each had received a note to meet in the garden like when they had ended up married. They discussed the fact that neither had sent the note. They figured out that the duke had sent each of them a note intending that they be caught together and be forced to marry. Anne told Dom that it was confirmed that she was expecting and it appeared that it might be twins. The duke overheard the conversation and was happy that everything had turned out as he intended.

[Alexis-Morgan Roark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! May I have those hours of my life back?

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Brenda Joyce didn’t write this, I think it would be a 4 but I love how she writes the angst, the sex, and the villains. St. Georges is a good series.

Detailed review to come.

FULL REVIEW:

The St. Georges series has similar and effective hallmarks: A lower-class heroine, a murder mystery, and a jealous hero. I quite enjoyed Beyond Scandal and The Finer Things. Beyond Scandal kept my attention due to the skeletons in the family closet and trying to guess if it was one villain or multiple villains causing the mayhem. My personal preference might be for The Finer Things because I found Blake and Violette truly endearing together - there was a softness to their love.

All things considered, I was prepared for an annoying douchebag hero after reading some of the reviews, but Dom comes across devoted and singular in his focus of Anne. He does have 2 kids he sired with his mistress but he's not seeing the mother of his children and he never thinks of other women or wishes he was with other women. Dom is truly focused on getting Anne give him a second chance, even if he did have to get a bit of a push by his grandfather to get there.

I do have a problem with heroes who abandon the heroine only to say that the reason was because they were too scared they were going to fall in love. For me, this feels like a weak answer because the hero has usually acted like he's completely forgotten the heroine, so whenever they have their heart-to-heart conversation about their past, I'm always wanting a bit more to unpack, and especially in this story when Anne does have such trust issues about Dom.

What I enjoyed was how Dom experiences what Anne experiences as a social outcast. There is a vulnerability to him where he does feel humiliated to be cut, and when he realizes Anne is scared of him and has doubts about him as a killer. This was quite an effective way to give Dom some character development.

However, Anne's POV could have been explored more. Anne's POV was restricted to her trust issues with Dom. I'm not sure why we don't hear more from her on Dom's inheritance or the murder mystery. She's virtually silent about the unexpected reading of Dom's father's will, and she even leaves Dom when he arrives back from being in jail. I'm not objecting to her actions, more that we never get inside her head more.

All in all, Beyond Scandal is just showing me when Brenda Joyce writes the way that I like, I'm pretty forgiving.

[Nikoleta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ωραιο αρλεκιν!!! Περασε ευχαριστα η ωρα... παντως σε καμια περιπτωση δεν το λες βαρια λογοτεχνια... ενα ευχαριστο βιβλιο ξαπλωστρας!

[Iliada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first romances I read. I don't know if my rating would be the same if I read this now as I remember that the hero was a real jerk, but I have very fond memories of all my first romances. It's one of the books that got me hooked in the genre, after all.

Για τους Έλληνες αναγνώστες, υπάρχουν πολύ καλύτερα αισθηματικά μυθιστορήματα αλλά δυστυχώς δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί. Για όσους λοιπόν δεν διαβάζουν στα αγγλικά, το συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα, καθώς δεν θα βρείτε και πολλά καλύτερα στο συγκεκριμένο είδος. Δυστυχώς οι εκδοτικοί οίκοι στη χώρα μας δεν προσφέρουν μεγάλη ποικιλία στο αναγνωστικό κοινό.

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 1 out of 5]

Λυπάμαι πολύ αλλα αρνούμαι να το διαβάσω. Πραγματικά Άρλεκιν και μάλιστα επιπέδου κατωτάτου. Έμεινα άφωνος. Μα καλά η Ωκεανίδα βγάζει τέτοια βιβλία; Ειλικρινά σοκαρίστηκα. Διάβασα τα πρώτα 2 κεφάλαια και το τελευταίο κι αυτο με το ζόρι. Έρωτες, σεξ, νερόβραστο κείμενο, δούκες και πρίγκιπες, έλεος. Λυπάμαι πολύ αυτό δεν θα το διαβάσω.

[booked with me · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 the drama was there but it dragged. Anne was a little annoying

Suspense was good. h was insecure and after 75% she still didn’t trust the hero

[BRNTerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

PUBLISHING INFO: Avon, 10/1995
GENRE: Historical Romance
SETTING: England, 1856
SERIES: St. Georges, #1
AUTHOR SITE: link
MY GRADE: B

What an emotional rollercoaster Anne and Dom are on. The story seemed like it spanned just a few months. Anne is from America and is twenty-one. She went to live with relatives in England when she was eleven. She has blue eyes and black hair. She's loved Dom since she first met him when she was an adolescent and is very hurt that he's abandoned her for four years, the entire length of their marriage. I have no idea why he did that to her. Dom is twenty-eight, has golden hair and golden eyes. I got a little tired of them not getting along and the misunderstandings. That alone was a bit boring. What was very interesting was the mysterious things that were happening to Anne. Several people had a grudge against her and they were leaving cryptic clues for her alone to let her know they were behind the scary incidents.

Anne is too passive. Dom is alright except for the fact that he has two illegitimate children by his mistress of five years. It's unclear if he had that mistress, or any others, while married to Anne. I'm assuming he did. Adding those kids to the story was unappealing to me and didn't really serve a purpose.

The cousins Anne's lived with since she was eleven, Felicity and her brother Patrick, were a disturbed pair and I enjoyed them in the story. I didn't really like Dom's mother, Clarisse, too much. She's a bitter, jealous woman, same as Felicity.

Things got a bit convoluted toward the end when Dom found out about his paternity and who's behind the shenanigans.

[Tilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ο ηρωας αναγκάστηκε να παντρευτεί την ηρωίδα επειδή την είχε εκθεσει. Ηταν τόσο οργισμενος που χαθηκε για 4 χρόνια, στα οποία έφτιαξε μια άλλη οικογένεια. Αυτή, πολύ βολικά, ξεχνιέται στην πορεία, για να πειστούμε ότι μπορεί να γίνει ένας ρομαντικός ιδεολογος, αντί για τον παρτάκια εγωίσταρο που ήταν και έμεινε σε όλη τη διάρκεια.
Οταν τελικά επιστρεφει, αντί να δείξει μεταμέλ��ια, μήπως και βρει συγχώρεση, διεκδικεί συζυγικά δικαιωματα, μόνο για να μη χάσει την κληρονομιά που φρόντιζε αποκλειστικά η εγκαταλειμμένη σύζυγος, όσο αυτός εκμεταλευόταν μια άλλη γυναικα και εκανε μαζί της 2 παιδια χωρίς νομικα δικαιωματα (ως νοθα). Απαιτεί αγάπη, εμπιστοσύνη, σεξουαλική σχεση και νομιμα παιδια (είναι όρος για να παρει την κληρονομια του), τα ίδια ακριβώς που της στερησε χωρίς καμία τύψη.
Αλλά με φόντο τη βικτωριανή Αγγλια, τίποτα δεν είναι πιο σημαντικό από τα προσχήματα και τις συμβάσεις και η ηρωίδα αναγκάζεται να υποκύψει.
Κάτι τέτοιες ηλιθιοτητες είναι ο λόγος που αποφεύγω τις ιστορίες αυτής της χρονικής περιόδου.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Anne and her cousin's fiance Dominic are caught in a compromising position at the engagement party, the scandal forces them to wed. Dominic subsequently leaves for four years, leaving Anne heartbroken and ostracized. Brought back by his father's death, Dom is startled to realize that he and Anne just might suit after all.

Dom is a very alpha hero, overwhelming poor delicate Anne, who alternates between being aflutter in Dom's presence and being irrationally shrewish. Currents of betrayal and distrust are heavily interlaced through the book. For all this, though, I have fond memories of reading it in the past.

[Arianrhod Aaberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titles says it all: Maybe it's reffered to Anna, the protagonist that is giving into her passion over Dominic, despite him damping her after the day they got married. A book that I've read many times and it never gets boring ;)

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very easy to get through and was a quick read.

I enjoyed the mystery behind the romance and the scenery. Some of the descriptions in love scenes were repetitive.

I agree that the hero was a jerk, but it was different than I expected and I enjoyed it.

[Aparna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her story lines are good ... all the twist and turns. Not like the usual historical romances.

[Natasha Atrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mix of romance, suspense, mystery. Loved it, can't wait to pick up Blake's story.

[Λίνα Θωμάρεη · Rating 4 out of 5]

Για το θέμα του πολύ καλό... έρωτα, σασπένς, 19ος αιώνας, Αγγλία... τι άλλο να θες!!!!

[Jacqueline P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

These people were nuts lol.

[Eboni Elon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, DNF
I can deal with cheating, but cannot deal with an entire second family with children absolutely not.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

My rating is in favor of the plot and the writing. As for the characters, there were some pretty messed up people in this story.
I think Anne and Dom deserve one another. 🙄 He does ask for forgiveness, but for what? The list is so long and no true remorse seems to exist. Anne cries out a lot and her brain and spine malfunction frequently. She loves Dom while being super gullible when Patrick feeds her delusions. She is also so angry all the time and I read most of her dialogue as if it were all capitalized. 🙉 Now Dom deserves it, but I feel as if she just kept letting him run her through the wringer; at some point she needed to pull herself up by the garters and move on- jeesh! And that is why they deserve one another.

The prevalent thesis seems to be that lonely, neglected people become adulterers and semi-psychotic. I wish all these characters the best, but their HEA is not to my taste.

TW: Stalker behavior, attempted murder, murder, adultery, abandonment, verbal/emotional abuse by family member and acquaintances.

[BURMA · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 puntos. Lo habitual: empieza con una buena premisa y de repente se vuelve previsible y aburrido. El protagonista parece frio y cruel y sin transición es un corderito enamorado. Estoy leyendo libros de la lista "cheating husbands" (maridos infieles) y en casi todos pasa lo mismo. Invito a estas autoras a que se inspiren en Emir, el sexy malo oficial de la serie turca Kara Sevda. Eso sí es ser consecuente! Deberían hablar con la guionista.

[Xristina Atmatzidou Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο το οποίο ξεχειλίζει από πάθος. Στην αρχή του, η συγγραφέας άθελά ή ηθελημένα μας παρασύρει να μισήσουμε τον ήρωα ο οποίος εγκατέλειψε την τραγική ηρωίδα, Άννα, μόλις μετά τον γάμο τους. Όμως καθώς η ιστορία τους ξεδιπλώνεται στις σελίδες του βιβλίου, κατανοούμε τα κίνητρα τόσο εκείνου όσο και εκείνων των φαινομενικά ηθικών ηρώων, οι οποίοι ωστόσο κρύβουν περισσότερους γρίφους από αυτούς που γνωρίζουμε, τόσο σημαντικούς που εξαιτίας αυτών η ροή της ιστορίας αλλάζει ριζικά.

[Marina P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good love story, fast paced with a few unexpected twists. I liked especially that the heroine did not easily forgive the Hero in this book. Maybe I am too cold hearted but I think that forgiveness for hurting somebody must be really earned. Above all I liked that the villains were not portrayed in black and white, I guess their reactions were a bit too melodramatic (therefore one star less)

[Icarus · Rating 2 out of 5]

A difficult read for the most part since Dom is referred to as such throughout the book and furthermore has like 0 redeeming qualities Anne you could do so much better! But it does merit some credit for the many plot twists that entertained me.

[Bored.b.r.e.e · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost believed in love again

[Ms Fine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne St. Georges may be Marchioness of Waverly, Countess of Campton and Highglow, Baroness of Feldstone, Viscountess of Lyons and one day Duchess of Rutherford-but she is not happy. Four years earlier, Dominick St. Georges compromised her in a garden, married her and then left his unconsummated marriage to travel, raise horses and entertain assorted mistresses. Anne, derided as an American adventuress and shunned by society, has lived a quiet life managing her husband's estate and making friends with his grandfather, the powerful Duke of Rutherford, who actually engineered the match. When Dom returns home for his father's funeral, he sees how well Anne has developed and naturally decides to stay. Will she have him? With interminable heaving of her (small) breasts, Joyce's heroine vacillates passionately and unendingly. Someone is understandably trying to kill her. Could it be Dom? Or perhaps the beautiful, buxom Felicity, whom Dom jilted? Or Felicity's brother Patrick, who supposedly loves Anne but is in the throes of an emotional crisis? And who is trying to frame Dom for the murder of his father's male lover? This heavy-handed, sexual melodrama set in Victorian England is weighted down by a supposedly sensible heroine who is in fact perpetually overwrought and denser than a hedge

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It has taken me a long time to finish reading Beyond Scandal. Although I knew I could have finished it in one sitting, provided I had the time. Forgive me, I was busy with work.

I'm in no mood to write a review today. I'll just say you won't regret reading it. It will make you think, what was the scandal? In this case scandalS. All I could remember was Dominick was really dashing and Anne was very proper. Brenda Joyce indeed took us one step further compared to the medieval passion of Promise Of The Rose which I just read last week.

It will make you think, there were mysteries I couldn't wait to uncover. I will not reveal them, I hope you read it to know what I'm talking about. I think the way she wrote some scenes were a bit bolder than what I read in the past. Either Brenda was experimenting or she was just growing as an author.

Dom abandoned Anne on their wedding night, so she remained a virgin for four years. She never forgave him for that. For she was the talk of the ton for what happened. They had an instant connection, although Dom was engaged to Anne's cousin. Please read so you'd find out on how they ended up being married to one another. The duke here, Dom's grandfather reminds me so much of Leon Fortalejo.

I love how Dom always insisted his marital right but not to the extent of forcing her. How he convinces Anne he loves her. How Anne was so stubborn and said "no" many times to Dom even though her heart was aching. I love how they were when they stayed in Scotland together for a week. They were like newlyweds.

This was not part of the De Warenne Dynasty. But it will be worth your while to read this one.
jb