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Something About Emmaline
(Bachelor Chronicles #1)
by
Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, is a gentleman to be envied. He lives a rakish life of well-celebrated ease and contentment and has one person to thank for his perfectly ordered existence—his dearest wife, Emmaline. She never complains about his mistresses or his penchant for late nights out. His friends are envious, but they don't know the truth—Emmaline doesn't exist.
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of Something About Emmaline (Bachelor Chronicles, #1)
Completely implausible plot.
Utterly ridiculous climax.
I loved every bloody second of it.
I was hesitant to pick this book up after the mixed reviews, but I decided to take a chance on it. I am so glad I did, because I really liked the book. It was light, frothy and alot of fun. Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick has life made, he is foot-loose and fancy free. He has a wife, Emmaline, but she has nothing to say about his sweet life. He has the Ton's sympathy for his sickly wife and has for the last five years. There is only one little bitty fly in the ointment...there is no Baroness S
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Sweet, fluffy and hilarious!
And a tad cutesy?
Also has this quite improbable and fantastical plot-line. In other words - fairy tale stuff!
Still, all considered, I enjoyed it.
I loved the way it began with the instant flareup between the stuffy, disapproving baron and the beautiful, wily imposter. His cunning and convenient ruse of a fake wife turns topsy-turvy when the h inveigles her way into his home as this till-now-unseen wife. He’s furious but cannot evict her as his avaricious cousin/heir ...more
And a tad cutesy?
Also has this quite improbable and fantastical plot-line. In other words - fairy tale stuff!
Still, all considered, I enjoyed it.
I loved the way it began with the instant flareup between the stuffy, disapproving baron and the beautiful, wily imposter. His cunning and convenient ruse of a fake wife turns topsy-turvy when the h inveigles her way into his home as this till-now-unseen wife. He’s furious but cannot evict her as his avaricious cousin/heir ...more
I had to edit my review after all, to add that this was certainly worth of 3 stars. I think people without searching too much for realism and looking for something light and fun will enjoy this. I however, am looking for more emotional plots in my romances, even the fun ones, and this was too superficial to satisfy me.
So, this was not a bad read; it was as the tips above the rating stars say, an 'ok' read. Nice, entertaining but really there was no depth at all. Nothing, nada, rien. It read like ...more
So, this was not a bad read; it was as the tips above the rating stars say, an 'ok' read. Nice, entertaining but really there was no depth at all. Nothing, nada, rien. It read like ...more
This is... wow, I'm lacking adjectives to describe this book. Utterly ridiculous. Definitely farfetched. Improbable as hell. But so.much.fun.
Read it! ...more
Read it! ...more
3ish Stars
I was looking for a new historical romance author and I’m not sure Elizabeth Boyle is it, but I won’t hold this first book against her.
I read the summary and was interested in the storyline. Overall the storyline was pretty good and the book had low angst which is my jam.
However, the biggest issue I have with this book is the pace. It’s 100% slow and very long. I was just reading pages and pages of inner monologue which almost made the book impossible to read.
I hope her more recent bo ...more
I was looking for a new historical romance author and I’m not sure Elizabeth Boyle is it, but I won’t hold this first book against her.
I read the summary and was interested in the storyline. Overall the storyline was pretty good and the book had low angst which is my jam.
However, the biggest issue I have with this book is the pace. It’s 100% slow and very long. I was just reading pages and pages of inner monologue which almost made the book impossible to read.
I hope her more recent bo ...more
If I had to sum this book in one word, it would be amusing. The entire book is littered with gimmicks and coincidences, but it was a fun ride.
Alexander, our hero, creates himself a wife so that he doesn't have to marry. What he didn't expect that he would actually have a living, breathing embodiment of a wife. Especially one as attractive and inventive as the wife impersonator he has living in his house. Emmaline has had a hard life and has decided to provide for herself by impersonating members ...more
Alexander, our hero, creates himself a wife so that he doesn't have to marry. What he didn't expect that he would actually have a living, breathing embodiment of a wife. Especially one as attractive and inventive as the wife impersonator he has living in his house. Emmaline has had a hard life and has decided to provide for herself by impersonating members ...more
![Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1587154687p2/31792110.jpg)
I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did.
✔️ Had a great premise - a gambling heroine who passes herself off as the hero's fake wife, whom he made up to avoid being hunted by matchmaking mamas
✔️ The 'bad girl/good boy' trope, complete with a historical romance heroine who ISN'T a virgin
✔️ It tried really, really hard to be funny, and on occasion it succeeded
❌ Could not feel the chemistry between hero and heroine
❌ Massively ahistorical behaviour, even quite apart from the implausib ...more
✔️ Had a great premise - a gambling heroine who passes herself off as the hero's fake wife, whom he made up to avoid being hunted by matchmaking mamas
✔️ The 'bad girl/good boy' trope, complete with a historical romance heroine who ISN'T a virgin
✔️ It tried really, really hard to be funny, and on occasion it succeeded
❌ Could not feel the chemistry between hero and heroine
❌ Massively ahistorical behaviour, even quite apart from the implausib ...more
Amusing, well written and interesting.
Oct 04, 2020
Christi (christireadsalot)
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
historical-romance,
fake-relationship
Alex has the perfect wife, as in she doesn’t exist. 😆 After growing tired of being harassed at every turn by marriage-minded mothers & their conniving daughters, he invented a wife for himself one night while out drinking with his best friend. The trick of the faux bride worked and he was left blissfully alone and free to live his fabulous, rakish lifestyle. But when he receives a pile of bills from his very fake wife Emmaline, Alex sets off to toss the imposter from his London home. But of cour
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3.5/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
At times it was slow but enjoyable nevertheless.
At times it was slow but enjoyable nevertheless.
First paragraph: “My last meal,” Lord John Tremont bemoaned as he tucked his knife and fork into the thick cut of beef before him. “But at least it is a fine one.”
“I suppose it helps that I am paying for all that, eh, Jack?” his best friend, Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, commented dryly.
A fun, quirky historical romance that needs a large dose of suspension-of-belief to enjoy, "Something About Emmaline" will tickle your fancy if you let it.
The story begins with two gentlemen friends recount ...more
“I suppose it helps that I am paying for all that, eh, Jack?” his best friend, Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, commented dryly.
A fun, quirky historical romance that needs a large dose of suspension-of-belief to enjoy, "Something About Emmaline" will tickle your fancy if you let it.
The story begins with two gentlemen friends recount ...more
Jan 28, 2008
Dolly
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
regency fans who can stomach a contrived ending
Recommended to Dolly by:
Alana
This book was such fun. It took an impossible situation and made it work. What I enjoyed most was the hero's development. He simultaneously became self-aware and realized that being with the woman he loved was more important than upholding the strictures of society.
And then the ending went and ruined all that lovely development. Yep, in true genre fashion, the ending wrapped everything up in a pretty and implausible bow. I had a tough time stomaching it. How much better it would have been if the ...more
And then the ending went and ruined all that lovely development. Yep, in true genre fashion, the ending wrapped everything up in a pretty and implausible bow. I had a tough time stomaching it. How much better it would have been if the ...more
Emmaline is simply adorable. Alex, Baron Sedgwick is nonplussed when the imaginary bride he made up to get all the matchmaking mamas and his grandmother off his back, becomes a reality! Emmaline turns up in his London townhouse, posing as his countess and against all common sense, he goes along with it and becomes "besotted" with her! She is a great character and I loved this book! It was a pleasure to see how the two of them work things out and fall in love. Many mad-cap moments as Emmaline cha
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Ugh. No. Can't stand the female character (or the male one for that matter). Didn't work for me.
Hopefully the next in the series will be better. ...more
Hopefully the next in the series will be better. ...more
Aug 03, 2016
Anya (~on a semi-hiatus~)
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Anya (~on a semi-hiatus~) by:
Navessa
This is possibly the most wtf plot I have read in an HR (and that is saying something) but ohmygosh it was so good and I was grinning the entire time. So awesome. <3
May 06, 2018
June
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Comedic historical romance requests
Recommended to June by:
Shoshana G
Taking on an "Importance of Being Earnest" turn.
Just as ridiculous and fun. Alex has made up a wife to keep the marriage seeking mama's of the ton at bay. However, someone has appeared at his London home claiming to be Emmaline. ...more
Just as ridiculous and fun. Alex has made up a wife to keep the marriage seeking mama's of the ton at bay. However, someone has appeared at his London home claiming to be Emmaline. ...more
It was my first Elizabeth Boyle book, and it was pretty dang good! I probably would have given it 5 stars if the ending hadn't been so ridiculously perfect. And I mean that in a there's-no-freaking-way-anything-like-that-would-ever-happen/that's-waaaaaaaay-past-coincidence type of way. It was completely unbelieveable. Not that any historical romance novels are ever believeable, but whatever. Technicalities. It was too much.
Cute book though! I REALLY liked it! Hilarious premise--Alex making up a ...more
Cute book though! I REALLY liked it! Hilarious premise--Alex making up a ...more
A Bachelor trying desperately to avoid the marriage market decides to fool the ton by inventing a wife! His problems are all solved with the invention of Emmaline, a frail sickly wife who resides mostly in the countryside (apart from when he himself is in the countryside and of course then is in London). Problems arise when he returns home to his house in London to find... Emmaline?
A rather amusing little story (that takes a bit of time to get into at the beginning) and provided a few truly ente ...more
A rather amusing little story (that takes a bit of time to get into at the beginning) and provided a few truly ente ...more
Jan 16, 2013
Maqluba
marked it as dropped
I thought the writing was great and the chemistry between the h&h was pretty near perfect but I couldn't continue to believe the unbelievable plot along with all the wacky-ness happening.. Usually I can get over it but not today for some reason.. Might try again later
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I originally did not read this book until AFTER I had read the others in the series. It may not be necessary, but I would not skip this one if you can avoid it! Emmaline is a fun character and her hero is a wonderful surprise!
Ok, but not great. A really delightful conwoman heroine in a novel sillier than she deserves.
It was a pretty good read, until the stunt at the end regarding emmaline's mother and father. But i guess authors do wanna make a pretty picture even if it doesn't fit quite soundly.
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Fun, fluffy silly. I liked the MCs. The book felt a tad too long. And everything is tied up with a nice bow at the end.
Another rare dnf - I couldn't stand the heroine.
...more
An Absolutely Fun Read !!
Criminal heroines usually are! Hahaa
Criminal heroines usually are! Hahaa
Dec 26, 2020
Kiranjot Bhullar
added it
How, she had always wondered, does one hold on to something as ethereal as a falling star?
Something about Emmaline
Elizabeth Boyle
The idea of this book is captivating. Alex Sedgwick is totally against the idea of matrimony. He doesn't wish for the order of his life to be disrupted. So, he invents a wife. Emmaline is an ideal wife. She doesn't ask for anything, she has no objections and her presence has made everyone happy. But the order is disrupted when he receives bills, enormous bills on behal ...more
Something about Emmaline
Elizabeth Boyle
The idea of this book is captivating. Alex Sedgwick is totally against the idea of matrimony. He doesn't wish for the order of his life to be disrupted. So, he invents a wife. Emmaline is an ideal wife. She doesn't ask for anything, she has no objections and her presence has made everyone happy. But the order is disrupted when he receives bills, enormous bills on behal ...more
I absolutely loved the idea of this book. The scene where Alex and Emmaline first met was super funny. It was hilarious how committed she was to pretending to be this guy’s wife, even though they both knew ‘Emmaline’ wasn’t real. Just her responses in general were golden.
That said, this was one of those books where it’s best to go into it not expecting too much. The story was very fluffy and light. The plot didn’t have a whole lot of substance and the romance wasn’t developed well. Things were ...more
That said, this was one of those books where it’s best to go into it not expecting too much. The story was very fluffy and light. The plot didn’t have a whole lot of substance and the romance wasn’t developed well. Things were ...more
[audio book]
Sweet, a bit drawn out in parts, humorous in spots, somewhat predictable, long (if it wasn't for the excellent job of the narrator I probably would have given up at 64% of the way through), a couple of unexpected surprises in the story line towards the end also encouraged the continued listening. However unlikely the events (it is fiction after all) it all wraps up rather (too) neatly.
This was a recommended read. Straight forward romances historical/contemporary are not my preferred ...more
Sweet, a bit drawn out in parts, humorous in spots, somewhat predictable, long (if it wasn't for the excellent job of the narrator I probably would have given up at 64% of the way through), a couple of unexpected surprises in the story line towards the end also encouraged the continued listening. However unlikely the events (it is fiction after all) it all wraps up rather (too) neatly.
This was a recommended read. Straight forward romances historical/contemporary are not my preferred ...more
3.5 Stars
I wasn't sure how to rate this book. When I first started it, I was distracted and had to come back to it a few weeks later. As a whole, I think I enjoyed the story. Sedgwick really is a stick in the mud and it was fun to see Emmaline loosen him up. I loved their interactions and the way the plot developed. It was such an interesting premise and I thought it was well done. The only thing that bothered me was the way the plot was wrapped up. I felt like everything was brought together a ...more
I wasn't sure how to rate this book. When I first started it, I was distracted and had to come back to it a few weeks later. As a whole, I think I enjoyed the story. Sedgwick really is a stick in the mud and it was fun to see Emmaline loosen him up. I loved their interactions and the way the plot developed. It was such an interesting premise and I thought it was well done. The only thing that bothered me was the way the plot was wrapped up. I felt like everything was brought together a ...more
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Readers also enjoyed
Elizabeth Boyle is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 historical romance novels and several novellas. Her first novel, Brazen Angel, won Dell's Diamond Debut Award and the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best First Book. Her books are called "fast-paced," "adventurous," and "funny."
Not sure where to begin? If you love adventure, try THIS RAKE OF MINE or ONE NIGHT OF PASSION.
I ...more
Not sure where to begin? If you love adventure, try THIS RAKE OF MINE or ONE NIGHT OF PASSION.
I ...more
Other books in the series
Bachelor Chronicles
(9 books)
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“Oh, this will never do, she thought. He could kiss like the very devil and be astute.”
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“Why not keep her for a bit?” Of course Jack would suggest such a thing. The man who never thought of consequences. Keep Emmaline? Impossible.”
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