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How to Please a Lady

(Lost Heiresses #2)

Jane Goodger (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 94 ratings · 25 reviews

The Lost Heiresses

Run though they might, love will find them…

Lady Rose Dunford is shocked--and titillated--by the number of female visitors coming and going from her mysterious new neighbor's Manhattan brownstone. Recently widowed by the death of her very sweet, but not very exciting husband, Rose finds it difficult to imagine just what the attraction could be.

And then sh ...more

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Paperback, 234 pages

Published March 29th 2016 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

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Aug 25, 2015 Aly is so frigging bored rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

ARC received from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

I loved the book! Ms Goodger writes great stories.
The story takes place in New York City, the present, and an estate in Great Britain(forgot the area), the past. It starts with Rose and Charlie meeting again after 5 years. Rose is completely surprised by her new neighbor who is her family’s former groom. After this we are transported to the past and Lady Rose’s engagement ball. She’s to marry a duke, who is an abuser an ARC received from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

I loved the book! Ms Goodger writes great stories.
The story takes place in New York City, the present, and an estate in Great Britain(forgot the area), the past. It starts with Rose and Charlie meeting again after 5 years. Rose is completely surprised by her new neighbor who is her family’s former groom. After this we are transported to the past and Lady Rose’s engagement ball. She’s to marry a duke, who is an abuser and rapist and I want him dead, and Charlie gave in his notice, he’s moving to America. The morning after the engagement the duke and Rose are on a walk and he humiliates and forces her to give him a blow job. She tries to tell her mother what the asshole did and that she wants to break the engagement, but the “lady” pretends she doesn’t understand and tells her who wouldn’t want to marry a duke. After this Rose concocts a plan to escape the pending marriage and lots of stuff happens. I’m not telling more because I don’t want to spoil everyone.
At its heart, this is a story of class differences and misunderstandings. Rose thinks Charlie thinks of her as only his employer and her part in his humble beginnings, Charlie thinks Rose sees him as only a servant and that she could never see past his former employment. They also have a big problem of not talking with each other, the saying “Assume makes an ass out of you and me” totally works for them…
Rose is a true lady, besides loving horses and going to the stables, she would never think of not listening to her parents and not observing the strictures of propriety. Her run to America was a completely desperate act that she would never have done if Charlie wasn’t there to help her. She would have totally settled in that horrible marriage if she didn’t have him to confide to and help. She isn’t a snob, but she’s a product of her upbringing so sometimes she says or does something that you want to smack her for. She’s also very brave, has a lovely sense of humor, and is very compassionate.
Charlie is driven to succeed, has an amazing mind and isn’t afraid of hard work. He’s also very affected by his past and he couldn’t understand some of the thing Rose went through and thought. For him everything is mostly black and white. He has always been in love with Rose.
All in all, I loved the book. I love Ms Goodger’s writing style and her very human characters with fears and dreams and faults. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
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Jan 21, 2016 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

How to Please a Lady introduces us to the now widowed Lady Rose Dunford who has just gotten a new neighbor that seems to be keeping the company of different females every night. When Rose goes to confront her new neighbor she finds that it is none other than Charlie Avery, her former servant who had helped her escape to New York five years before.

Flashing back we learn of how Rose was engaged to a Duke who took liberties with her and she decided to run off to America to hopefully wed a nicer ma How to Please a Lady introduces us to the now widowed Lady Rose Dunford who has just gotten a new neighbor that seems to be keeping the company of different females every night. When Rose goes to confront her new neighbor she finds that it is none other than Charlie Avery, her former servant who had helped her escape to New York five years before.

Flashing back we learn of how Rose was engaged to a Duke who took liberties with her and she decided to run off to America to hopefully wed a nicer man she had briefly met that had needed a wife. Charlie was heading to New York himself so Rose convinced him to take her along. The two were closer than was normal for a servant and lady as they grew up together but each questioned their feelings for one another before going their separate ways in New York.

How to Please a Lady is the second book in the Lost Heiresses series but can be read fine as a standalone novel. The characters in the first book do make a brief appearance in this book and it was nice to get a bit of a glimpse of them again but it's not necessary to have read the first to enjoy this one.

Having read both books in this series I can easily say that I enjoyed this one much more than the first. Both have a nice historic vibe to them and an interesting story line but in How to Please a Lady I found Rose and Charlie made a much more likable and believable relationship. Nothing was rushed into as they had known each other practically all their lives and they were closer in age overall than the couple in the first novel.

Rose can seem a bit of a snob but quite honestly that was what I really liked, it made the story feel more authentic that she was acting as a lady of that era would/should act. Having them leave England and head to New York where titles and status were not what they were overseas was a great look at history and how things were in those days in both countries which made for a lovely historical romance.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

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Jan 31, 2016 Sissy's Romance Book Review rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley

I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
This is book two in the "The Lost Heiresses" series. Lady Rose Dunford is a widow who had to 'runway' from a father who was matchmaker her to people she did not like. But now she has found that even though she cared for her husband he was not as exciting as she would have liked. But when she starts seeing that her new neighbor is having a lot of female visitors coming and going to his house. This sets her to t ...more

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Mar 23, 2016 Monique rated it it was amazing

Regardless of how many stars I give and how many superlatives I use, it will not even begin to do justice to this magnificent book. Anyone who has ever read Jane Goodger’s books knows what a gifted author she is, and this is by far her best work. Lady Rose Dunford was to marry the Duke of Weston, who was considerably older than her 18 years of age; she barely knew him, but when she got to know him a bit better, it wasn’t pleasant at all. She had always been very close with her family’s groom, Ch Regardless of how many stars I give and how many superlatives I use, it will not even begin to do justice to this magnificent book. Anyone who has ever read Jane Goodger’s books knows what a gifted author she is, and this is by far her best work. Lady Rose Dunford was to marry the Duke of Weston, who was considerably older than her 18 years of age; she barely knew him, but when she got to know him a bit better, it wasn’t pleasant at all. She had always been very close with her family’s groom, Charlie Avery, who was secretly in love with Rose. Knowing very well that his wishes couldn’t be fulfilled because he was but a lowly groom, and wanting to make something out of himself, Charlie had decided to move to America to become wealthy and successful, and knowing Charlie was leaving, Rose asked him to take her with him.

Five years later, Charlie has become a rich businessman in America, and Rose, now the widowed Mrs. Cartwright, has remained in America as well. She lived in a quiet neighbourhood, but now to her dismay, there is a new neighbour who has very noisy night time visitors of the female persuasion. Rose, always every bit the lady, but she cannot help it: those passionate noises titillate her. Then to her horror, she discovers that her randy new neighbour is … Charlie!

HOW TO PLEASE A LADY is a book that must be savoured, and I will say no more about the plot, except that it is a most compelling book that will make you think long after you’ve finished reading. Ms. Goodger’s knowledge of both English societal classes and American Victorian society is extensive, and it constitutes much of the basis for this exceptional book, where class distinctions’ rules can have devastating consequences.

Every character in HOW TO PLEASE A LADY is superbly fleshed out, but Charlie even more so; he is one of the most extraordinary characters I have ever read. The writing is simply sublime: evocative and elegant; every sentence is a work of art and it all flows flawlessly. This lady is extremely pleased at how this story turned out!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 21, 2016 Michelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

ARC from Netgalley....I've read only one other book by Ms. Goodger and from what I can remember I really liked the story and the steam level was pretty hot, so I couldn't wait to dive into this book. I don't recall reading many stories set in 1800 America, so that was a refreshing change for me. I've also not read many stories of an aristocratic female and an indentured male. So, with that said, the story started out ok. The reason for her running away was plausible and believable. But what I th ...more

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Mar 25, 2016 Jaci rated it it was amazing

Another Stunning novel from Jane Goodger. This is the second in the Lost Heiresses Series and my favorite so far. Jane's writing is emotionally satisfying, Extraordinarily easy to read, and by that I mean that it is enjoyable and you don't want the story to end. I laughed and cried, sometimes together. Her characters are so life like, flawed, compassionate and lovable.

All I can say about the story is that explores the divide between the classes in England and gives you the prospective from both ...more

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Feb 10, 2016 Michelle Williamson rated it it was ok

Unfortunately this lady was not pleased.... not even close. Rose was unbelievably boring, snobbish, and ridiculous. Charlie was like every cliché head-over-heels in love fool from any romance novel. The story ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and after this fiasco, I will not be reading it.

Free ARC via Netgalley.com

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Jan 24, 2018 Avid Bookivore rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-reads

How To Please A Lady is book 2 in the Lost Heiresses series by Jane Goodger. It follows widowed Lady Rose Dunford and scandalous Charlie Avery through a tumultuous journey of humility, humbleness, and passion. Charlie has had a crush on Rose since their first encounter, but Rose refuses to have anything feelings for her fathers head groom; even though he saved her from a certain disastrous future her father wanted. Crushed, Charlie moves to America and becomes a well-known and wealthy inventor, ...more

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Aug 02, 2019 Dana Francis rated it it was ok

The first two chapters were ok but when it went on to describing the five years ago.I didn't like it,I didn't like the fact that it took up almost seven chapters. Only to end with such a low level of interest. ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Krystal rated it liked it

WARNING: This book is recommended for mature audiences only due to sexual content (that happens outside of marriage). If this is not your cup of tea, then this book may not be for you. However, you can just as easily skip those scenes and not miss any of the overall plot.

Honestly, I don't know quite what to say about this novel. I feel like the writing was solid, and the plot believable enough, but I feel like there were certain things that have could have been tweaked, or better hashed out that WARNING: This book is recommended for mature audiences only due to sexual content (that happens outside of marriage). If this is not your cup of tea, then this book may not be for you. However, you can just as easily skip those scenes and not miss any of the overall plot.

Honestly, I don't know quite what to say about this novel. I feel like the writing was solid, and the plot believable enough, but I feel like there were certain things that have could have been tweaked, or better hashed out that would have made this story more enjoyable.

To begin with, the characters were unconventional - Rose came from an upper class English family while Charlie started out as her family's head groom. Perhaps this explains why Rose spends the entirety of the book coming across as snobbish and it never seems as though she really sees Charlie as her equal. Even after he makes a name for himself, she still seems to hold herself to a higher level than she does him. In fact, she uses him. A LOT. And that made her very unlikable.

Perhaps I should back up a tiny bit. When Rose originally "uses" Charlie it is to escape a desperate situation. She is about to be married off to a much older man who is nothing short of vulgar and despicable. He essentially "forces" Rose to perform fellatio on him once and when she appeals to her Mother for help and expresses her desire to end the engagement, her Mother denies her. I'm sure had Rose actually TOLD someone - her Mother or her older brothers perhaps - just what had occurred between her and her fiance, they would have done something to end it.

But once she leaves for America with him, she then she uses him to teach her how to kiss, and she essentially makes his feelings for her run deeper, but then once they reach America? She cannot even consider to possibility that her English "title" means nothing and that Charlie would make the perfect husband for her. She instead turns to a man who she knows cannot truly be what she wants. As time goes by, and they re-establish their connection, she eventually uses him again. To have sex with her. In order to seem experienced in the matter when she eventually re-marries. Tell me how this is supposed to endear a character to readers?

I feel like with all of that, the author could have done more to tone down Rose's personality or have the characters actually be able to get their feelings across in a way that didn't result in one or the other of them having their feelings hurt over and over again. I also wish, maybe less time would have been spent on them and their constant back and forth of hurt feelings and maybe we could have had a chapter or two dealing with her and her husband. He seemed like an afterthought almost, and while we do understand her reasoning for marrying him, we don't get to see their actual marriage and how they made it work.

Aside from that, I did enjoy this novel. I especially liked how we were able to go back in time and see Charlie and Rose when the first knew each other. That backstory was a good portion of this story and honestly probably a little more enjoyable than their actual relationship.

Overall, I would still recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good historical romance.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. ...more

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Apr 02, 2016 Jan Goodard rated it liked it

I received this ARC ebook from NetGalley for an honest review.
The setting is late 1800's New York and England. The book opens in the characters present tense in New York. Rose has been a widow for about a year, but is still a young woman of 23. She is curious about her new neighbor given the noises that are coming from the house. As she discovers her neighbor is Charlie, her English family's former head groom and has known her since she was a little girl. Flashback five plus years into the past ...more

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Mar 28, 2016 Amy Alvis rated it really liked it

This is book 2 in the Lost Heiresses series.

Lady Rose Dunford, a widow who has recently lost her husband, is shocked by the number of women that are seen coming and going from her new neighbor's brownstone. But having heard their activities next door, she finds herself intrigued by the going ons and wants to meet the bachelor that moved in. When she finally does, she is shocked to learn that she already knows the man. He once worked for her father and was the person that helped her leave England ...more

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Apr 10, 2016 Anna Swedenmom rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: romance readers

How To Please A Lady by Jane Goodger
Kensington Books Lyrical Press
****
Reading historicals for so long I am always looking for elements that make a story interesting. Within the covers of this book is a story that unfolds with real world elements. I enjoyed reading the parts of the story that were so determined of real life. The characters were fleshed out in some ways but in others I found the heroine to be caught at first within the class elements that were deeply ingrained by her upbringing.
T ...more

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Feb 09, 2016 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-star-review

My favorite book from this author is the Mad Earl's Daughter. I think part of my review is based on comparing this romance to that one. The only thing I can pinpoint for my dissatisfaction was that the heroine Rose came off as extremely snobbish all the way to the end of the book. I loved the set up and how the reader was introduced to the characters as they met again 5 years after escaping to America together. We were then taken back to the set up of what led them on their journey. This was a d ...more

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Mar 29, 2016 Laura rated it it was amazing

The book opens in the present with widowed Rose Cartwright meeting her new neighbor. The neighbor that has inappropriate noises coming from his house in the middle of the night. As Rose realizes who her neighbor is, we are thrown back five years. Rose is Lady Rose Dunford. She has attracted the attention of the much older Duke of Weston. Her parents are thrilled but Rose does want to marry Weston after she finds out what type of man she is. The head groom for her families stables, Charlie Avery, ...more

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Mar 28, 2016 Regina rated it liked it

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
There are few themes that can squeeze my heart more painfully than unrequited love, and childhood friend and head groom Charlie Avery has it bad for Lady Rose. In hero-like fashion, he saves her from an abusive fiance, and she escapes to America with Charlie. Here, I got a fascinating peek into immigrant travel during this period, while subsequent challenges lent additional heartache and inevitable separation for the young friends. Their seemingly chance reunion as adults ...more

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Feb 10, 2016 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016, f-romance-victorian

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to be in the United States instead of in England for a change. And the quick look at Gilded Age American society was fun. The reason I don't feel like I can give it more stars is that the two main characters don't actually talk about their problems. If they don't have an actual conversation they are going to repeat the cycle, that happened multiple times in the book. She'll say something, he'll take offense, because he has a HUGE chip ...more

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Jan 31, 2016 D Ivey rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone who loves to read

I received the book in the mail today and started reading it. It's the first book I have read from this author and I have to say I couldn't put it down. I finished it the same day. It was a very well written novel. Rose and Charlie being the stars of the book. I have to say I really liked Charlie his love and devotion was so warming to read about. Rose was confusing on her feelings but she was young and often young people are scattered. She never saw Charlie as an equal just as a servant and eas ...more

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Feb 09, 2016 Karen rated it it was amazing

I love Jane Goodger. Her latest book How to please a Lady is fantastic. Jane develops her characters so well. You either love or hate them then it can switch. She has a way of describing the ways/traditions of the past, to where I always feel like I am in that time period. In other books I have to look up many past term words to understand but Jane just does it seamlessly where I do not have too. This book shows how two people can love from afar and be reunited. Will they reconnect the way they ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Angie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Truthfully, I have no quarrel with this book. It was cute and simple. There was no really deep and meaningful plotline. It was what I call a one-and-done. They met after a while, he was kind of pissed at her, they made up, and done. It made for a short, I don't really have anything better to do read.

Check out my full review here: http://steamqueens.blogspot.com/2016/...

I will re-post closer to the release date. ...more

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Mar 29, 2016 Katherina rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, historical-romance

Another DNF for me (is it the books right now or is my tolerance getting less and less??). Neither Rose nor Charlie were likeable in my eyes and I could not force myself to finish. For more romance reviews, check out my website:https://katherinasbooks.wordpress.com ...more

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Jan 06, 2016 Lindsey Ruppe rated it really liked it

Goodger has been a favorite of mine for a long time! This title is no different! Love her historically rich novels!

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Aug 16, 2016 Heidi rated it liked it

It was a good read but I didn't find the heroine very likeable to be honest. ...more

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About Jane Goodger

Jane Goodger

273 followers

I grew up in western Massachusetts and have lived most my adult life in New England. Thanks to my adventurous husband, I've also done brief stints in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Naples, Italy. Although I've written four contemporary romances under the name Jane Blackwood, my first love is historical romances set in Victorian times. I've written 17 of those with more on the way.
I have three ki ...more