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Redeeming the Deception of Grace
Sometimes all love needs is some healthy competition...
Lady Grace Hashiver has perfected the art of hiding behind a sarcastic whit when it comes to dealing with the rakish Ewan Emmett Duke of Greys, her childhood tormentor. Her whit protects her from betraying the attraction and desire she feels whenever she is around him.
Ewan Emmett, Duke of Greys is perfectly thrilled to torment Grace at every opportunity, until an old acquaintance begins an honest suit for Grace’s hand. When Ewan begins to feel the pangs of jealousy causing him to question his reasons for his constant teasing of Grace, he discovers a depth of emotion he didn’t know he harbored towards the golden haired beauty. Suddenly he is no longer the tease, but on the receiving end of the torment as he wonders if he‘s to late to fight for her love.
Lady Grace Hashiver has perfected the art of hiding behind a sarcastic whit when it comes to dealing with the rakish Ewan Emmett Duke of Greys, her childhood tormentor. Her whit protects her from betraying the attraction and desire she feels whenever she is around him.
Ewan Emmett, Duke of Greys is perfectly thrilled to torment Grace at every opportunity, until an old acquaintance begins an honest suit for Grace’s hand. When Ewan begins to feel the pangs of jealousy causing him to question his reasons for his constant teasing of Grace, he discovers a depth of emotion he didn’t know he harbored towards the golden haired beauty. Suddenly he is no longer the tease, but on the receiving end of the torment as he wonders if he‘s to late to fight for her love.
Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
24 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Vayden
42 books481 followersKristin's inspiration for the romance she writes comes from her tall, dark and handsome husband with killer blue eyes. With five children to chase, she is never at a loss for someone to kiss, something to cook or some mess to clean but she loves every moment of it! She loves to make soap, sauerkraut, sourdough bread and gluten free muffins. Life is full of blessings and she praises God for the blessed and abundant life He's given her.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 13, 2019
I realized I had deprioritized this book because the cover model looks like she stepped out of a recent magazine, and because I don’t quite understand the title. I enjoyed this cute, clean short story of frenemies to lovers. I would have liked it to be longer but I appreciated the angst and will check out more from his author.
March 9, 2013
Lady Grace Hashiver told a lie when she was 8 years old. A lie that led to Ewan Emmett, the future Duke of Greys, being punished. He has never let her forget it.
Ten years later she is a beauty and he never lets a chance go by to tease her. What he doesn't know is that even though she doesn't simper and coo around him like other ladies do, her heart still flutters whenever she is with him.
So it's a great relief to her when she meets Spencer Raleigh, Earl of Shiply who shows an interest in her and treats her well -- without making her all fluttery. As soon as Shiply starts paying Grace attention, Ewan - to his own astonishment - discovers that he is jealous!
Grace's father is out of town so Lady Jarvais (Grace's mother) helps Ewan's cause along by entrusting him to be sure Grace is safe from "unsavory characters." Ewan decides that Shiply isn't going to court Grace without some competition.
Ewan's cause seems hopeless until he meets the beautiful Miss Rachel Jacobsen, who is interested in Shiply. With the help of his butler, Grace's mother, and Rachel, Ewan is able to win Grace's trust...
Ten years later she is a beauty and he never lets a chance go by to tease her. What he doesn't know is that even though she doesn't simper and coo around him like other ladies do, her heart still flutters whenever she is with him.
So it's a great relief to her when she meets Spencer Raleigh, Earl of Shiply who shows an interest in her and treats her well -- without making her all fluttery. As soon as Shiply starts paying Grace attention, Ewan - to his own astonishment - discovers that he is jealous!
Grace's father is out of town so Lady Jarvais (Grace's mother) helps Ewan's cause along by entrusting him to be sure Grace is safe from "unsavory characters." Ewan decides that Shiply isn't going to court Grace without some competition.
Ewan's cause seems hopeless until he meets the beautiful Miss Rachel Jacobsen, who is interested in Shiply. With the help of his butler, Grace's mother, and Rachel, Ewan is able to win Grace's trust...
May 30, 2014
Slightly simplistic writing style that assumes the readers are also simplistic themselves and spells out every thought and emotion experienced by the protagonists.
March 4, 2022
Moved too fast
3.5 stars
Your writing style is beautiful,inspirational in fact. I felt however, that the pace was too fast and that your story lacked structure. Regarding character development, Ewan is forced to change, but Grace is never forced to admit that she was wrong about Ethan. You story has some really sweet and endearing potential, but without fleshing out the scenes, I'm afraid they just call flat. Perhaps it would be better to take this book down and do some rewriting. Who knows, you could be sitting with a best seller and you didn't even realise it?
3.5 stars
Your writing style is beautiful,inspirational in fact. I felt however, that the pace was too fast and that your story lacked structure. Regarding character development, Ewan is forced to change, but Grace is never forced to admit that she was wrong about Ethan. You story has some really sweet and endearing potential, but without fleshing out the scenes, I'm afraid they just call flat. Perhaps it would be better to take this book down and do some rewriting. Who knows, you could be sitting with a best seller and you didn't even realise it?
June 28, 2017
Simply brilliant as always.
February 22, 2020
Nice story but too mild... would have been better with more Heat!!!
December 15, 2012
Lady Grace Hashiver has been friends with Ewan Emmett, Duke of Greys, since she was a child. The attraction she feels whenever she is around him is strong, but she fears that their childhood together will stand in their way. They tormented each other for years and Grace is worried that Ewan won’t be able to see her as anything but an annoying little girl. She decides that she will try to distract herself with the attentions of another. At this point, Ewan starts to feel something he wasn’t expecting: jealousy. He soon comes to realise that Grace has grown up and become a woman, and a rather attractive one at that. Is he too late to secure her affections and win the woman of his dreams, or can Grace trust that his change of heart is genuine?
Grace was a charming female lead, with a perfect mix of sass and vulnerability. Her history with Ewan allowed us to see her willingness to tease alongside her uncertainty in her own appeal to the opposite sex. At no point did she feel vain or overbearing in either respect, giving me a sense that the author had a very particular view of her character and she was very good at expressing that view on the pages.
Ewan originally came across as a little overbearing, but the author was quick to give the reader the reason why and that instantly switched him from overbearing to inviting and endearingly vulnerable. His jealousy was well written, and it was great to see so much of his suffering written into the story alongside Grace’s doubts. I enjoyed his reluctance to acknowledge his change of heart, as it made the transition from friends to maybe more feel plausible.
The relationship between the two was a great read. The sense of familiarity given to Grace and Ewan, both as children and adults, provided a lovely chemistry from the start of the story that continued all the way through. They took a while to learn each others inner most thoughts and feelings, but it didn’t feel drawn out or overworked, in fact it made the development of a possible relationship feel more realistic.
For such a short novel, I was impressed with how much story and content was crammed in; despite it’s length, the story felt well developed and complete. The plot was believable and the characters each given enough airtime to make the reader feel suitably familiar with them. The author worked well with what she had without overwhelming the reader with too much information. I’d be happy to read more of her work at any point in the future.
Grace was a charming female lead, with a perfect mix of sass and vulnerability. Her history with Ewan allowed us to see her willingness to tease alongside her uncertainty in her own appeal to the opposite sex. At no point did she feel vain or overbearing in either respect, giving me a sense that the author had a very particular view of her character and she was very good at expressing that view on the pages.
Ewan originally came across as a little overbearing, but the author was quick to give the reader the reason why and that instantly switched him from overbearing to inviting and endearingly vulnerable. His jealousy was well written, and it was great to see so much of his suffering written into the story alongside Grace’s doubts. I enjoyed his reluctance to acknowledge his change of heart, as it made the transition from friends to maybe more feel plausible.
The relationship between the two was a great read. The sense of familiarity given to Grace and Ewan, both as children and adults, provided a lovely chemistry from the start of the story that continued all the way through. They took a while to learn each others inner most thoughts and feelings, but it didn’t feel drawn out or overworked, in fact it made the development of a possible relationship feel more realistic.
For such a short novel, I was impressed with how much story and content was crammed in; despite it’s length, the story felt well developed and complete. The plot was believable and the characters each given enough airtime to make the reader feel suitably familiar with them. The author worked well with what she had without overwhelming the reader with too much information. I’d be happy to read more of her work at any point in the future.
July 20, 2013
Redeeming the Deception of Grace Review by Linda Hays-Gibbs authored by
Kristin Vayden
Grace Hashiver and Ewan, the Duke of Greys have spared with each other since they were children.
Their relationship is very complex and clever and their characters are intriguing. I felt for Grace and her insecurities. She is combating Ewan and his clever replies and teasing all through the story.
They have a run of conflict and attraction.
Now she is a gown lady and he is a known rake but her heart flutters every time he comes near. She is in love with him but must never let him know, as he would use it to compromise her with his rakish ways, at least she believes this.
Her mother likes the young Duke and would love to see a match between them, but Grace is sure he would never care for her.
They are always sparring when they meet but are polite. Grace spies a man she is attracted to at a ball and it seems the man is taken with her too. Shipley is an Earl but Ewan does not think he is suitable for Grace. In fact, he is sure that Shipley is a worse rake than he and out to ruin Grace.
Suddenly, he feels very jealous of this union and speaks to Graces' mom about letting him chaperone. He becomes quite green with jealousy.
This is a delightful story of romance and love with sweet characters and some humor. It lets you escape the cynical lives of the bored tun and find two people that are meant to be together.
I enjoyed this delightful story and hope to see more from this author in future. I enjoyed the characters and the conflict.
I would have loved to have it a little longer as these characters are most endearing. Maybe there could be a sequel.
I gave her Five stars out of Five only because it was a great read.
Surely next story will be longer and even better. Good luck with your writing.
Sincerely,
Linda Hays-Gibbs
Eternal Press Author
The Romance Reviews, Reviewer
Kristin Vayden
Grace Hashiver and Ewan, the Duke of Greys have spared with each other since they were children.
Their relationship is very complex and clever and their characters are intriguing. I felt for Grace and her insecurities. She is combating Ewan and his clever replies and teasing all through the story.
They have a run of conflict and attraction.
Now she is a gown lady and he is a known rake but her heart flutters every time he comes near. She is in love with him but must never let him know, as he would use it to compromise her with his rakish ways, at least she believes this.
Her mother likes the young Duke and would love to see a match between them, but Grace is sure he would never care for her.
They are always sparring when they meet but are polite. Grace spies a man she is attracted to at a ball and it seems the man is taken with her too. Shipley is an Earl but Ewan does not think he is suitable for Grace. In fact, he is sure that Shipley is a worse rake than he and out to ruin Grace.
Suddenly, he feels very jealous of this union and speaks to Graces' mom about letting him chaperone. He becomes quite green with jealousy.
This is a delightful story of romance and love with sweet characters and some humor. It lets you escape the cynical lives of the bored tun and find two people that are meant to be together.
I enjoyed this delightful story and hope to see more from this author in future. I enjoyed the characters and the conflict.
I would have loved to have it a little longer as these characters are most endearing. Maybe there could be a sequel.
I gave her Five stars out of Five only because it was a great read.
Surely next story will be longer and even better. Good luck with your writing.
Sincerely,
Linda Hays-Gibbs
Eternal Press Author
The Romance Reviews, Reviewer
February 10, 2014
Redeeming the Deception of Grace is a nice reminder of why I love clean historical fiction. It has a bit of everything – beautiful setting, romance, witty banter- all that make up for a great reading experience, and a quick one at that too!
I certainly loved the relationship between Lady Grace and Ewan, the Duke of Greys. They seemed like little kids the way they argued or tormented each other, I swear they would almost stomp their feet every time something did not go as planned, especially Ewan. Grown up? Yeah, right. But that’s okay, love makes the best of us turn into complete fools and do immature things, some funny and endearing, others well… not so much.
Grace and Ewan were so blind of their feelings for each other. It was obvious there was something more in the air, Grace’s mother knew it, her father sort-of knew it, even Ewan’s sarcastic (and funny) butler knew it. The problem here was Ewan’s reputation, that’s why he had to redeem himself in Grace’s eyes, prove to be worthy of her affection and fight for it.
I finished this book in one sitting, not only because it’s short, but because I love going back to the regency times, I enjoy assisting to balls and most importantly, I like feeling good after turning the last page. Kristin Vayden writes with such an uplifting spirit that she always makes me wish for a longer version of her books. And I like that.
*Please Note: This review first appeared over at Cuzinlogic thanks to a complimentary copy of Redeeming the Deception of Grace provided by the author in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.*
I certainly loved the relationship between Lady Grace and Ewan, the Duke of Greys. They seemed like little kids the way they argued or tormented each other, I swear they would almost stomp their feet every time something did not go as planned, especially Ewan. Grown up? Yeah, right. But that’s okay, love makes the best of us turn into complete fools and do immature things, some funny and endearing, others well… not so much.
Grace and Ewan were so blind of their feelings for each other. It was obvious there was something more in the air, Grace’s mother knew it, her father sort-of knew it, even Ewan’s sarcastic (and funny) butler knew it. The problem here was Ewan’s reputation, that’s why he had to redeem himself in Grace’s eyes, prove to be worthy of her affection and fight for it.
I finished this book in one sitting, not only because it’s short, but because I love going back to the regency times, I enjoy assisting to balls and most importantly, I like feeling good after turning the last page. Kristin Vayden writes with such an uplifting spirit that she always makes me wish for a longer version of her books. And I like that.
*Please Note: This review first appeared over at Cuzinlogic thanks to a complimentary copy of Redeeming the Deception of Grace provided by the author in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.*
November 22, 2012
This sweet novella has a lot of chemistry between the characters, a simple plotline dominated by emotions rather than events, and a more readable writing style than the average debut epubbed novella.
Although the emotional machinations of the hero and heroine went on a bit long for this reviewer, and although there were the usual Regency-era historical inaccuracies such as a Christmas tree and modern language usage, none of that detracted a whit from my enjoyment of the story. On the contrary, watching Ewan learning to understand his heart, and Grace learning to trust in his love, made for a sweet, endearing tale.
I'll be cheerfully watching for this author's next book. Four stars for the strong debut novella.
Although the emotional machinations of the hero and heroine went on a bit long for this reviewer, and although there were the usual Regency-era historical inaccuracies such as a Christmas tree and modern language usage, none of that detracted a whit from my enjoyment of the story. On the contrary, watching Ewan learning to understand his heart, and Grace learning to trust in his love, made for a sweet, endearing tale.
I'll be cheerfully watching for this author's next book. Four stars for the strong debut novella.
June 19, 2013
If you are looking for a good, quick - feel good regancy romance - Look no farther, THIS IS YOUR BOOK!! The characters are loveable, especially Ewan! I loved how Grace's mother knew everyone's feelings when it came to the two of them and called them on it. The storyline was a step away from the typical ruin the girl, marry her out of honor, find out you love one another - and I found that refreshing and endearing! I loved watching the two discover their love for one another from childhood friends till the end. I read the book smiling start to finish, wanting to block Shipley from intervening again. The last part with the dad and Ewan had me laughing out loud!
March 18, 2013
Fun, quick regency romance. Lady Grace and The Duke of Greys have known each other since they were children. As they blossom into adults, they continue to tease and trade witty barbs, but try to shun the intense attraction they feel in each other’s presence. When another suitor begins to pursue Grace, she is captivated by the attention, and Greys is insanely jealous. Can he leave behind his life of being a cad to pursue the woman he truly loves and treat her as she deserves to be treated?
January 7, 2013
I enjoyed this story sufficiently to overlook some editing issues. It is a clean Regency romance. There is no sex, and the H doesn't kiss the h until the last few pages of the story.
I prefer stories that have a little more going on at all levels, but this was still a very enjoyable story. If you want a nice quick read, give it a go.
I prefer stories that have a little more going on at all levels, but this was still a very enjoyable story. If you want a nice quick read, give it a go.
July 10, 2013
Loved it!! I couldn't wait to tell my friends about this one -- and didn't even want to wait for one of my friends to buy it herself. I gifted it. Love the dynamic between Grace and Ewan -- definitely had me laughing.
January 4, 2014
This sweet novella has a lot of chemistry between the characters, with fun banter between two people who grew up together as nemisis.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
April 17, 2013
carino ma "leggero" come lettura
February 16, 2015
I am in love with this author. Her books are romance at its purest! Amazing!
historical
January 4, 2019Sometimes all love needs is some healthy competition...
Lady Grace Hashiver has perfected the art of hiding behind a sarcastic whit when it comes to dealing with the rakish Ewan Emmett Duke of Greys, her childhood tormentor. Her whit protects her from betraying the attraction and desire she feels whenever she is around him.
Ewan Emmett, Duke of Greys is perfectly thrilled to torment Grace at every opportunity, until an old acquaintance begins an honest suit for Grace’s hand. When Ewan begins to feel the pangs of jealousy causing him to question his reasons for his constant teasing of Grace, he discovers a depth of emotion he didn’t know he harbored towards the golden haired beauty. Suddenly he is no longer the tease, but on the receiving end of the torment as he wonders if he‘s to late to fight for her love.
Lady Grace Hashiver has perfected the art of hiding behind a sarcastic whit when it comes to dealing with the rakish Ewan Emmett Duke of Greys, her childhood tormentor. Her whit protects her from betraying the attraction and desire she feels whenever she is around him.
Ewan Emmett, Duke of Greys is perfectly thrilled to torment Grace at every opportunity, until an old acquaintance begins an honest suit for Grace’s hand. When Ewan begins to feel the pangs of jealousy causing him to question his reasons for his constant teasing of Grace, he discovers a depth of emotion he didn’t know he harbored towards the golden haired beauty. Suddenly he is no longer the tease, but on the receiving end of the torment as he wonders if he‘s to late to fight for her love.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews