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Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Jason Warwycke, Marquess of Wyckeham, has vowed never to wed again after his disastrous first marriage, which left him with nothing but a tarnished reputation and a rather unfortunate nickname − ‘Lord Wicked’.
That is, until he sets eyes on Ianthe Templeton …
Ianthe lives in the shadow of her beautiful twin sister, Serena, and longs to escape the “mindless entertainments” she is forced to endure in London. She soon finds herself captivated by the enigmatic Wyckeham and tempted by his promises of a new life in the idyllic English countryside …
But can Wyckeham and Ianthe overcome the malicious schemes of spiteful siblings and evil stepmothers to find wedded bliss? Or will Wyckeham discover, all too painfully, that the past has come back to bite him for a second time?
Newly edited edition for Choc Lit 2012!
That is, until he sets eyes on Ianthe Templeton …
Ianthe lives in the shadow of her beautiful twin sister, Serena, and longs to escape the “mindless entertainments” she is forced to endure in London. She soon finds herself captivated by the enigmatic Wyckeham and tempted by his promises of a new life in the idyllic English countryside …
But can Wyckeham and Ianthe overcome the malicious schemes of spiteful siblings and evil stepmothers to find wedded bliss? Or will Wyckeham discover, all too painfully, that the past has come back to bite him for a second time?
Newly edited edition for Choc Lit 2012!
137 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2010
About the author
Christina Courtenay
38 books265 followersChristina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 10, 2016
Cute story, although one wonders how often one woman can be kidnapped over the course of two-hundred pages. Pretty silly plot twists and I agree with other reviewers that the story bordered on the ridiculous side. Most of the side characters were so over the top, they were more like caricatures than anything else, with the impulse control and common sense of five year olds. And the ending left me pretty unsatisfied.
June 12, 2013
This was a very cute story. The main characters are very likable and you can practically get immerged into the story. My only complaint is that it was too short of a story and wish there was more. In my opinion the author didn't allow the story to grow and have more depth, there were too many loose ends. Like: What Happened to Ianthe's sister? What about Lord Robert? And Did the wicked stepmother got what she deserved? etc.
May 21, 2017
Lovely miniature
It's a small book, without the subtleties of a full length novel, but nevertheless a satisfying read. This author never disappoints.
It's a small book, without the subtleties of a full length novel, but nevertheless a satisfying read. This author never disappoints.
September 29, 2018
Despite a silly title, I decided to give this a try. It was a fun read, but it was also a little annoying. I mean, how many times can a heroin get kidnapped without it getting ridiculous?
February 5, 2019
Sweet story and a quick read. Enjoyable, but it left me a bit frustrated. 3☆
August 25, 2020
Cute book and great read of you want some fluff.
February 21, 2013
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well written, though the mother was obviously blind as a bat when it came to seeing the two girls for what they were.
The Hero, however, was not fooled. He read Serena right from the get-go, and focuses on Ianthe (which does not go down well with Serena.)
I was vastly pleased to see Serena get her comeuppance when the Earl she has been toying with gives her the cut direct *deeply satisfied sigh*
At 99 cents, this was a steal. Well written, with credible and very likeable main characters; a mother-in-law from Hell; and a scheming murderer in the family tree. The pacing was good; the developing relationship between the Hero and heroine flowed nicely, Melmoth (the butler) loses his wig a couple of times, and an old murder mystery is solved.
Highly recommend it at the price.
The Hero, however, was not fooled. He read Serena right from the get-go, and focuses on Ianthe (which does not go down well with Serena.)
I was vastly pleased to see Serena get her comeuppance when the Earl she has been toying with gives her the cut direct *deeply satisfied sigh*
At 99 cents, this was a steal. Well written, with credible and very likeable main characters; a mother-in-law from Hell; and a scheming murderer in the family tree. The pacing was good; the developing relationship between the Hero and heroine flowed nicely, Melmoth (the butler) loses his wig a couple of times, and an old murder mystery is solved.
Highly recommend it at the price.
August 13, 2014
What to say about this book? At first it had an ugly ducking/cinderella vibe and then quickly I found myself asking again and again, "how many times can one person be kidnapped??" I mean, it just kept happening again and again. I don't particularly care for kidnap stories and this one was a multiple kidnap story. It wasn't very suspenseful because there wasn't enough storyline in between events. I don't think the narration helped much since I listened to this on audio. The narrator somewhat over-read some of the text which kept pulling my attention. It's rare that I don't care for a book but this one I really just didn't care for. The story was too simplistic, the characters were only mildly interesting and the story line bordered on ridiculous.
January 21, 2013
A very nice and enjoyable reading. The bookish and smarter twin snares herself the most titled gentleman although with some tarnished past ;)
Both H&h are well written with their heads on their shoulders and hearts in the right places either. The heroine might be just too "goody-two-shoes" and too sweet but but not ad noseum.
No steamy love scenes.
Both H&h are well written with their heads on their shoulders and hearts in the right places either. The heroine might be just too "goody-two-shoes" and too sweet but but not ad noseum.
No steamy love scenes.
July 2, 2014
That was the end? Really? It was as if the 1/2 of the book was wonderful, but the author lost interest and quit just to get it over with. What happened to all of the other characters? We are totally left hanging. I wanted more depth in the relationship too. It was just such a disappointing end. Boo!
June 4, 2011
To read a review and find out what real life handsome hottie Ms. Courtenay had in mind while writing this novella, please see my blog post: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...
February 18, 2013
It is extremely short. It is a cute story though not very exciting or heartwarming as compared to other romance novels that I have read recently.
September 20, 2013
Such a wonderful short story! I love Christina Courtenay's writing style and yet again she delivers a brilliant, historically accurate and heartwarming romance that I just adored! 5 Stars!
July 11, 2013
Another fun Regency Romp. This author really enjoys this genre and her characters. She has a lot of fun with them. And the romance is heartfelt.
July 19, 2013
not interested.
November 24, 2013
delightful quick read
May 17, 2016
Summer reading
Another good book to take on your summer holiday. Very easy read and can recommend you to read it and enjoy
Another good book to take on your summer holiday. Very easy read and can recommend you to read it and enjoy
September 24, 2016
It's a light read. I like the H and the h (who is not stupid or a simpering miss).
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews