“A fast plot packed with clever twists keeps the action and passion blazing” in this intriguing Regency romance from the New York Times–bestselling author (Publishers Weekly). Forced to resort to a life of crime in order to support his siblings, Asher Cordell is now ready to walk the straight and narrow path. But when an old rival, the Marquis of Ormsby, infuriates him with his insipid arrogance, Asher cannot resist stealing the pompous fool’s famous diamond. However, he’s shocked to discover he isn’t the only intruder in Ormsby’s library. The culprit is none other than his beautiful neighbor, Juliana Greeley. Asher has known Juliana since childhood and has always harbored a secret affection for her. When she asks Asher to steal letters Ormsby is using to blackmail her sister, he’s happy to oblige. Embarking on a bold scheme that gives way to an equally fiery passion, the adventurous pair discover a love neither can live without . . .Praise for Shirlee Busbee and Scandal Becomes Her “A walloping good story. Don’t miss it!” —Catherine Coulter “A delightful romance—altogether a wonderful book.” —Roberta Gellis “A scandalously delicious read that left me wanting more!” —Bertrice Small “Busbee is back and better than ever!” —Julia Quinn
Shirlee Elaine was born 9 August 1941 in San Jose, California, USA. She was the first daughter of a career naval officer, later she had two sisters and three brothers, they raised traveling the world. She went to the institute in Kentri, Morocco, after which she returned to California and she went to Burbank Bussines College of Santa Rosa, where she received a certificate in 1962.
Shirlee married with Howard Busbee in June 22, 1963. Now, they live in hills of California, where they raise for pleasure Standard Schnauzers, Standardbred horses, and other many animals.
She has worked as a receptionist for the Marin County Title and Abstract Co., as plant supervisor for Fairfield Title Co., and as secretary and drafting technician for the County Parks Department of Fairfield, California, where she met her life-long friend and mentor Rosemary Rogers. Published since 1977, Shirlee Busbee is the proud author of over 18 novels, including seven New York Times bestsellers. With over nine million copies of her books in print, she is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in writing, including the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and Affaire de Coeur's Silver and Bronze Pen Awards.
You may write to Shirlee Busbee care of C/O Warner Books, Inc., Time and Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
What does a highly skilled thief do after retiring? This is a question that Asher Cordell ponders as he executes his final theft. He is not cut out to be in the clergy, nor quite eager to join the armed forces. The only thing left for him to do is become the gentleman farmer everyone believes him to be. The last thing left to do is to steal the Ormsby fabled jeweled necklace to get back at the bastard for killing his grandmother’s beloved dog out of spite. Asher does not plan on having his theft foiled though; certainly not by a young lady intent on stealing something from Ormsby as well. Asher is thoroughly surprised to learn the young lady he grabbed to prevent his discovery is his old neighbor and childhood friend Juliana Greely. He is even later more surprised when Juliana shows up days later and asks him to steal some letters her sister had written to Ormsby. Perhaps retirement won’t be so boring after all.
Oh, things are not going well for Juliana Greely. Her foolish younger sister has written scandalous letters to Lord Ormsby when she was in school and now he holds them over her. He demands that Thalia marry him or he’ll make the letters public and ruin her sister's engagement to the Earl of Caswell. Juliana’s father does nothing but fret and thus it’s up to her to get the letters back. Juliana decides that the perfect place to steal them will be at the ball Ormsby is holding. She just doesn't plan on getting accosted by a stranger in her attempt to find them, nearly getting caught by Ormsby himself, and getting dragged out onto the terrace by so stranger. Imagine her surprise when she discovers the stranger is no other than her long time neighbor and former childhood friend Asher Cordell. The person it seems may be her only hope at securing the letters and preventing her sister from ruin.
I’m a bit on the fence with this book. I really liked the plot and the characters. It’s just that sometimes during my reading I felt that things went too smoothly for the characters all of the time. Everything happens to perfection and no ill or troubles seem to befall them except the stealing of the letters and an untimely murder (which is solved rather too quickly and easily). It felt like a bit of a sellout. I wanted more intrigue, more suspense, more…. substance. Things were a bit too happy go lucky. I almost expected to see the care bears come down from the sky sometimes. Perhaps I was expecting too much. White Collar rather spoiled me with the plot theme of a professional thief turned good guy. I was expecting a storyline along with what the show produces in historical context. That’s not to say the book wasn’t a good read. It was. I rather enjoyed it. I just can’t give it a high rating because there was too much happy go luckiness and perfect coincidences that happened at the right moment. Nobody has that much luck. I would recommend this book to those people who like Amanda McCabe. If you like her writing style you’ll like Shirlee Busbee's.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A seemingly unconnected book to the series but ties in at the end. Six degrees of separation and all that. Oh if only real life were happily ever after so easily!
So as i was reading this book ( which did not take me very long- the words flew of the page), I came to realize that like Asher that something was going on between Denning and Osmby; of curse when the true came out in reading the papers that Asher's mother that written and that Denning had found, I was shocked to hear that Asher was not only the rightful heir to the Manquis but that his mother saw who killed (murdered) his father... and then it all make sense why osmby wanted Asher dead... i wonder when he (Osmby) figured out that Asher was the rightful heir...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A catalog of criminality, this has murder, blackmail, breaking and entering, attempted murder, more blackmail, more murder, and identity theft (Regency style). Also romance, of course. I admit I failed to understand Julianna's dilemma: "Was her independence dearer to her than marriage to the only man she had every really loved?" Get a grip girl, you're the heroine in a romance novel!
It's a long book given to random musings which made the urge to skip/ scan over the paragraphs a reality. If only it was kept tightly written and didn't give in to the urge to tangentially branch off at will, the book would have been in better form. 2/5
Murder💀 with a Twist ADULT Regency Romance💕 and Murder💀 Mystery I Really enjoyed this fast paced romance💕 and murder mystery with several plot twists. Too bad the author doesn't put her other books into the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program. I looked and didn't find any others.
„Ein aufrichtiger Schuft“ von Shirlee Busbee ist der vierte Band ihrer spannenden und unterhaltsamen Regency Beautys Reihe. Asher Cordell ist ein angesehener und respektierter Gentleman, der ein dunkles Geheimnis verbirgt. Um die finanzielle Lage seiner Familie zu retten, ist er seit Jahren als adliger Dieb unterwegs. Langsam möchte er sich jedoch zur Ruhe setzen und so plant er nur noch einen Coup. In der Bibliothek seines verhassten Rivalen Lord Ormsby will er dessen berühmten Diamanten stehlen, aber stattdessen trifft er auf Lady Juliana Greeley. Seine hübsche Nachbarin und Kindheitsfreundin will brisante Briefe ihrer Schwester in ihren Besitz bringen, mit denen Lord Ormsby ihre Familie erpresst. Also warum nicht zusammenarbeiten?
Wer die Reihe kennt, dem ist auch der mysteriöse Gentleman-Verbrecher bereits bekannt. Im vierten Band werden nun dessen geheime Identität und die Hintergründe seiner Verbrecherkarriere aufgedeckt. Man kann das Buch aber auch problemlos unabhängig von den anderen Teilen lesen. Asher geriet durch die Spielschulden seines Stiefvaters in eine Zwangslage, aus der er nur mit illegalen Mitteln entkommen konnte. Dabei ging es ihm nicht um persönliche Bereicherung, sondern nur um die finanzielle Absicherung seiner Großmutter und seiner Stiefgeschwister. Juliana ist eine junge Witwe, die seit dem Tod ihres Mannes ihre Unabhängigkeit genießt. Trotzdem fühlt sie sich verpflichtet, ihrer Schwester und ihrem Vater zu Hilfe zu eilen, als diese erpresst werden. Zwischen Asher und Juliana herrschte offenbar schon immer eine unterdrückte Anziehung, die in der außergewöhnlichen Situation unaufhaltsam an die Oberfläche bricht. Die Funken sprühen gewaltig, aber Juliana denkt nicht daran, ihre Freiheit für Asher aufzugeben. Also muss sich Asher mächtig anstrengen, das Vertrauen der Frau zu gewinnen, die sein Herz gestohlen hat. Der Mix aus Romance und Crime funktioniert wie in den Vorgängerbänden hervorragend, so dass es nie langweilig wird und man mit den Protagonisten mitfiebert. Dazu kommen sympathische Charaktere, amüsante Dialoge und überraschende Twists, die das Lesevergnügen perfekt machen.
Mein Fazit: Ich gebe sehr gern eine Leseempfehlung für dieses neue Regency-Abenteuer der Autorin!
Darum geht es: Juliana Greeley will ihrer jüngeren Schwester Thalia, die von Lord Ormsby mit einigen alten Briefen erpresst wird, helfen und bricht dafür in dessen Bibliothek ein. Dort wird sie von Asher Cordell, einem alten Freund aus Kindertagen, überrascht. Als sie ihn um Hilfe bittet, kommen sich die beiden näher. Werden sie gemeinsam ihre Schwester retten und den heimtückischen Lord Ormsby stoppen können?
Meine Bewertung: Juliana ist eine lebenslustige, früh verwitwete junge Schönheit, die sich über ihre neu gewonnene Selbstständigkeit freut. Mit Asher verbindet sie nicht nur positive Kindheitserinnerungen, findet ihn aber auch faszinierend. Er scheint einiges zu verbergen und ein härterer Mann zu sein als sie es ihn in Erinnerung hatte. Manchmal wird dabei auf einen Diebstahl in der Vergangenheit referenziert, bei dem es offensichtlich zu Problemen kam.
Der Bösewicht ist richtig mies und hinterhältig und plötzlich geht es nicht mehr nur um Diebstahl, sondern auch um Mord und alte Familiengeheimnisse. Das ist zwar spannend, aber die Düsterheit und die Zurückgezogenheit von Asher hat dann auch etwas genervt. Die Geschichte zog sich ohne die üblicherweise im Mittelpunkt stehende Dynamik zwischen den beiden Hauptfiguren (geheiratet wird nämlich schon in der Mitte des Buches) doch ziemlich in die Länge.
Fazit: Schuster bleib bei deinen Leisten: Etwas Spannung ist gut und schön, aber hier war es mir zu viel des Guten
--> Ich habe dieses eBook als Rezensionsexemplar vom Verlag dp DIGITAL PUBLISHERS erhalten. Meine Meinung über das Buch wird davon aber nicht beeinflusst. <--
Darum geht es: Juliana hat ein Problem. Ihre Schwester Thalia wird von einem sehr angesehenen und reichen Lord erpresst, sie zu heiraten. Doch Thalia, die schon mit ihrer wahren Liebe verlobt ist, stürzt das in große Traurigkeit und Verzeiflung. Um das Wohl ihrer Schwester zu sichern, würde Juliana alles tun. Auch sich mit dem Mann zusammentun, der sie als Kind des öfteren geärgert hat. Asher hat dank seiner bewegten Vergangenheit große Erfahrung mit dem Stehlen und lässt sich von der plötzlich gar nicht mehr so nervigen Juliana dazu überreden, die Briefe zurückzustehlen, mit denen Thalia erpresst wird. Doch auf einmal nimmt die Angelegenheit größere Ausmaße an, als irgendjemand der Beteiligten sich hätte ausmalen können. Und auch Asher und Juliana kommen sich ungeahnt näher.
So hat es mir gefallen: Die Figuren sind weitestgehend gut gestaltet, wenn auch dann und wann etwas flach. Vor allem die Nebenfiguren könnten mehr Tiefe erhalten. Die Handlung des Romans ist sehr detailreich und spannend gestaltet. Sie ist insgesamt nicht besonders romantisch, der Fokus liegt auf anderen Aspekten. Allerdings ist der Romans viel, viel zu lang geraten, sodass nach ca. 60 % des Buches der Großteil der Handlung auserzählt ist und der Leser ewig warten muss, ehe wieder etwas Interessantes und Spannendes passiert. Das war sehr schade und hat definitiv meine Freude am Buch geschmälert. Auch ist die Art der Formatierung beim Lesen sehr störend, da die zweite Hälfte der wörtlichen Rede durchgehend durch einen Absatz abgetrennt ist, sodass nie klar ist, ob die Sätze noch zum vorherigen Redner gehören oder schon zum nachfolgenden. Dieses unnötige Rätselraten fand ich sehr dämlich, es wäre so einfach zu beheben gewesen.
Alles in allem kann ich dafür nur 3 Sterne vergeben. Gerne mehr, aber dafür müsste das Buch am Ende gekürzt werden.
Nothing special on its own, but probably the best in this series of silly romances with a sprinkle of adventure thrown in.
The male lead was actually capable of thinking rationally (meaning, the author actually spent some time thinking through his actions and taking into account different scenarios, considering he’s supposed to be a practiced thief);
The romantic “tension”, while still stupid, as in the previous books, took much less time to get resolved. The two leads actually were able to, you know, _talk_ to each other, instead of making shit up about each other’s thoughts/emotions/motivations and then creating drama around that.
The female lead was still kind of stupid, although the whole bit about her finally being financially independent and therefore feeling free to make her own decisions for the first time in her life was good. It didn’t help that it took, what, all of 2 fumbles with her childhood crush to give that up, of course. And a woman in an era without reliable birth control walking around having sex while unmarried and not having pregnancy “even cross her mind” was an even worse characterization;
The plot itself of course was thin, as usual, and for all the drama, the main issue got resolved in about half a chapter.
This is a great book and I found myself rooting for Asher to get his HEA. He was so good to his family and friends even if he went about it illegally. When childhood friend Juliana asks for his help how can he resist.
I listened to this book on audible and the narrator did an excellent job telling this story. I already downloaded the next book in the series and I can't wait to get started!
I think this book is best read/listened to in order for maximum enjoyment, however if you don't want to or can't you won't be lost if you don't.
This book is fine. If you like Regency romances, it will check the boxes. I must admit, though, after I finished this book, I had to ask myself _why_ I keep reading Regency romances. I like historical romance a lot, but after reading a dozen or so of these romances from different authors, they all seem to fall into the same patterns. _Passion Becomes Her_ is no exception. But if you like this category, you'll probably like this book.
Julianna and Asher meet again, while attempting to rob the Marquis of Ormsby each not knowing the other would be in the dark study.
The story had many interesting twists and turns that included a sister with measles and two suitors. A deceased mother with three husbands. An honourable and handsome thief and a widow who never wanted to marry again but does.
The book was rather lengthy and I felt in need of better editing at the beginning. Once past the midway hump the story and interest picked up considerably. Busbee's control of coloquailisms and vocabulary of the time of the booksetting seems to be extremely accurate and very pleasing to read.
Most of the story had you guessing what would happen around the corner. It was seldom predictable and the red herrings few but appropriate. The hatred for the villian Ormsby was felt by all characters and frankly the reader also. Not a pleasant man.. His unplanned death was cheered by all.
The ending makes one wonder where is this story line going next but since all of the dangling threads had been resolved in a very beautiful HEA the ending seemed fitting.
Asher Cordell tut alles für seine Familie und um sie zu versorgen.Daher ist er auch ein adliger Dieb geworden.Nach seinem letzten Coup bei seinem verfeindeten Lord Ormsby, der den Hund seiner Oma erschossen hat, möchte er allerdings aufhören mit dem Stehlen!Dann klappt eigentlich alles super und er kann das sagenhafte Diamantencollier einstecken, doch dann gibt es ein Problem!Seine wunderschöne und intelligente Nachbarin Juliana taucht zufällig auf und da er Angst hat, dass sie ihn bei Ormsby verrät, legt er das Collier wieder zurück!Doch eigentlich suchte Juliana selbst nur nach den mysteriösen Briefen, die ihre Schwester Thalia Ormsby in einer Situation jugendlicher Verliebtheit geschrieben hat!Denn Caswell möchte Thalia heiraten und das würde einer Verbindung natürlich im Wege stehen!Können Asher und Juliana in dieser Situation zusammenfinden?Ein sehr schöner Liebesroman in der Welt des englischen Adels!Absolute Leseempfehlung!
Die junge Witwe Juliana versucht ihre Schwester vor dem Ruin zu retten. Dazu versucht sie die Briefe aus dem Besitz von Lord Ormsby zu stehlen. In der Bibliothek trifft sie auf Lord Asher ein alter Freund der Familie. Sie bittet ihn um Hilfe und zwischen ihnen entflammt eine Leidenschaft, die einiges überstehen muss.
Die Geschichte beginnt schon voller Überraschungen und Geheimnisse. Man merkt schnell das Juliana für ihre Familie alles machen würde und auch Asher tat das schon öfters. Bei Nacht und Nebel treffen beide aufeinander und die Leidenschaft kocht hoch. Zwischen den beiden entbrennt eine Flamme die nicht so schnell gelöscht werden kann. Gefesselt liest man Seite um Seite und hofft das die Briefe endlich vernichtet werden und das so manches Geheimnis gelüftet wird. Es treffen zwei starke Charaktere aufeinander und die Wortgefechte sind nicht ohne. :)
Well what a wonderful turn of events! Busbee once again delivers a soft-hearted, easy to read book. While this is the fourth installment in the wonderful series it is not necessary to read its predecessors. The book picks up one year after Surrender Becomes Her. We meet Asher, who is ready to lead a life a land-owning rich farmer only to be swept up for one more dangerous job for his annoying neighbor. The sex scenes were hot. For a moment I saw a little glimpse of a red herring, but as it turns out it was merely foreshadowing!!! I just love it when a book keeps me on my toes and ends differently from what I expected. I did expect for the couple to live happily ever after and Busbee delivers on that score as well!
This is going to be a very short review. Very short. To be honest the book was very boring. The plot was flimsy and did not leave a lasting impression on me. The whole debacle of trying to get Julianna to marry him (Asher) was done and over with by the time we reached the middle section of the book and suddenly there is a new dilemma/problem faced by Asher and Julianna’s character is swept to the side like some old trash. This is problematic for me as I like my heroine’s strong and independent and like the infamous line from ‘Dirty Dancing’ “Nobody puts baby in the corner”. It hurts me to say that this historical romance bored me to sleep… I would say death but I am not ready to die yet due to the fact that a few movies I want to watch isn’t out yet.
I almost put this down half a dozen times, and probably should have. There really wasn't anything compelling about the story at all. The romance was resolved easily 3/4 of the way through the book, and there wasn't much tension before that point. There was a bit of intrigue, but nothing that gelled the story from beginning to end. The title of this book was a bit of a lie. Very little passion. Don't recommend.
I just really wasn't crazy about this book. I liked the characters and the plot was decent, but it was really slow. A case of "too much talk and too little action." I was actually relieved when it was over. Not good.
This was one of my favorite authors from the past so I'm really sorry to have to give this poor review!
Gripping :) Racier than I was expecting but in a delightful way, and altogether great fun. :D I thought the author's choice to leave certain things unsaid and undiscovered at the end was interesting and certainly unexpected.
I thought this book would never end.....only one reason to continue. Find out who Asher's father was and who killed him. Otherwise, I would not have endured the absolute boring minutia throughout this book.
It had romance, adventure, a thief and a blackmailer. Add two fair maidens in the mix and a long ago mystery murder and bam! You have Passion Becomes Her
Interesting story with a thickening plot and a great villain. Enjoy!
Ok storyline about sister who wrote love letters to Ormsby and he is blackmailing her. Main characters were cute. Doesn't say book 4 on the book but lots of things had happened in previous books.