THE DUKE OF RAVENSFORD The aging nobleman had decided that the only thing his grandson needed to complete his education was a woman with a reputation, and he would provide one... ASHLEIGH SINCLAIRAn orphaned kitchen maid in an English brothel, she was tricked into taking the post as a "governess" to the duke's grandson... LORD BRETT WESTMONTHandsome and heartless, Brett had known every kind of woman but one, and now his grandfather had seen to it that his collection was complete... All were caught in a deception that could cost a young woman her virtue, and a notorious rake his heart...
"In short, Robert, I want you to find me a clean whore."
The girl: Ashleigh Sinclair. Daughter of a minor baronet, her family was killed in a fire when she was a young girl (so young that she doesn’t remember being the daughter of a baronet). The servant who rescued Ashleigh took her to her sister and then promptly died, leaving Ashleigh in the sister’s care (said relative works in the kitchen of a high-end bordello). Ashleigh has now grown into the most beautiful woman ever, and the madame has plans to move her up from backstairs maid...
The guy: Lord Brett Westmont, grandson of the woman-hating Duke of Ravensford. Brett's father and step-mother died in a mysterious accident when he was a young boy, and was told that his own mother ran off with a lover, so he's as much a woman-hater as dear old granddad.
The gist of all this is the old Duke is dying and he thinks Brett's such a woman hater he's never done it with any woman (fool!), and he gets his lawyer to hire a high class prostitute to break him in. There's a bit of skullduggery at the bordello, and Ashleigh gets sent instead of another of the girls, and poor Ashleigh thinks she's been hired to tutor the Duke's young grandson.
Brett's pretty hot for the young woman his grandfather procured for him, and he's too hot to trot to listen to her pleas that there's been a big misunderstanding. Even after he's provided with proof she's a virginal miss, .
And so begins one big long misunderstanding, constantly compounded by evil doers spreading poison and misinformation in Brett and Ashley's ears, just when you think the pair is going to get together and resolve their issues.
Now here's the deal: I know Brett is carrying a world of butt-hurt from his childhood, but he lets his jealousy get the better of him in the latter part of the book, and he does some things that are not going to sit well with a more PC-minded reader. , and then there are more Big Misunderstandings that go on for a long, long, long time.
Once that's resolved, the two have sex, sex and more sex like a pair of rabbits (the only place they didn’t have sex was in the carriage) whilst they wind down to solving the mystery of who bumped off Ashleigh's parents, Brett's father and currently planning another murder. You'll guess lickety split - no worries.
I see a couple of my friends here have rated it highly, so perhaps this just wasn't to my taste. Cute animal warning: the dog was fine, but the pet pig that ended up with a wig and sitting up in a carriage during one their madcap capers was just a wee bit too much. Everyone thank your lucky stars that I’ve forgotten the pig’s name and the book is at home so I won’t be tempted to look it up.
Recommended for: readers who love stupid big misunderstandings and never ending sex scenes. Off to the charity box with this one.
DNF @ 40%. Frankly this book lost its charm and the author kept name dropping and i felt as if i had been thrust into a history lesson rather than a historical romance. Life is too short to force myself to finish this book so adieu.
Lord Brett Westmont is the grandson and heir to the duke of Ravensford. His parents had divorced when he was young and his mother is persona non grata to say the least. His father and step mother are killed in an apparent accident and he grows up under the influence of his grandfather, who hates women and passes his misogyny on. Unknown to the Duke, Brett becomes a notorious rake but for some bizarre reason the Duke convinces himself that Brett is a virgin and asks his solicitor to arrange for a whore to be provided, so that she can teach Brett the ways of the world.
Ashleigh Sinclair is well born but her parents died in a fire and the cook rescued her by bringing her to London. Unfortunately her brother was presumed lost at sea by the Navy and there was no other family available to take her in. Accordingly she remained with the family retainer who was now working in the kitchens of a famous brothel and Ashleigh worked as a maid. The Madame starts to plot to bring Ashleigh into the business but they eventually agree that she is not suited to the profession and arrangements are made for her to avail of a post as a governess. At the same time, the Madame is also making arrangements to send one of her girls to Brett.
Of course the obvious mix up happens, and Ashliegh finds herself installed in a room at Ravenswood Hall. Brett decides to make immediate use of her and is immediately attracted to her. He refuses to believe her explanation that she is a governess and not a whore. He carries her to the bed. She struggles but he pretty much rips her clothes off. She tries to explain but he simply dismisses this and gets undressed. She starts to enjoy it but he hurts her when he takes her virginity. Brett is taken aback that she was a virgin but considers that since he has already deflowered her, it really doesnt matter too much any more. Depite her complaints he takes her again ( she enjoys this). He then orders her to dress and then strip for him. Ashliegh is ashamed and starts to cry. He makes her lie on the bed face down and he touches her intimately before having her again. We are told that he spends the night in her chamber taking her again and again and that she is full of shame and anger. By this stage, as a reader, I am also thinking that she must have been in a state of considerable discomfort and that the hero was a self centred insensitive b.
He locks her in the room. He tells her that he will give her the honour of making her his mistress. She doesn't take this well. It finally occurs to him that Ashliegh appears to be well spoken and respectable and that there may have been a mistake. So he locks her in the room again.
The old duke dies. Brett keeps Ashliegh locked up. However she escapes, taking a horse, and makes it back to London. He follows her and makes a deal with the Madame for Ashliegh's return. Ashleigh realises what's up and makes it clear she will not be his mistress. Out of guilt Brett says he will employ her as his hostess ( pretty feeble) , her friend Megan gets him to agree a wage of 1000 pounds pa so that there is no debt owed to the Madame. Megan, a dog and the comic pig called Lady Dimples, which they have adopted , accompany Ashleigh on her further adventures to Ravenswood hall.
Brett meets up with an old friend Patrick St Claire at Whites . Patrick is searching for his lost younger sister.
Brett's aunt, Lady Margaret lives at Ravenswood and urges a marriage with the neighbour Lady Elizabeth Hastings. She has a weird thing about the Hastings family.
Elizabeth and Margaret are vile to Ashleigh and make it clear that they view her as a whore. Elizabeth is so petty that she actually deliberately destroys the h's gown in the drawing room.
Brett returnsto the estate and finds Ashleigh trying to train a horse. Initially she is afraid of him but after some time, camaraderie develops.
Guests arrive , including Brett's former mistress. There is some speculation about his new 'ward'. There is a meeting with the debonair Percy Shelley and his mistress. Elizabeth continues to be obnoxious to the h in public.
Ashleigh meets Mrs Hastings and there appears to be some mystery surrounding her. In the interim Patrick discovers that his sister is still alive.
Back at the party, Brett becomes jealous of the fact that other men are interested in Ashleigh and he eventually kisses her. Patrick arrives and in conversation Brett tells him about his ward and the circumstances through which he wronged her. That evening Patrick and Ashleigh come face to face and of course it emerges that they are long lost brother and sister. When she tells him that she is the Duke's ward, he turns and says the great line ' your grace, I think I shall have to kill you'. Patrick insists on the pair getting married and a betrothal contractis signed. Brett is reconciled to this course of action and does appreciate Ashleigh's goodness but because of the attitudes with which he was brough up, is convinced that she will soon change and become as poisonous as the rest of her sex.
They marry and spend the evening in the dowager cottage. The balcony breaks, nearly hurting Asheigh and Brett is concerned that it was sabotaged. They make love throughout the night.
Enter the pre- requisite misunderstanding.
Poisonous Elizabeth visits Ashleigh and tells her that Brett will never be faithful, that the marriage will end in divorce and she will be waiting in the wings. For some bizarre reason, the h takes this as gospel truth and decides she must leave the hero. She gets her brother and Megan to take her to London without speaking to Brett.
Brett is pretty devastated by her betrayal and views this as another sign of the horrors of women. He kidnaps her, ties her to the bed, locks her up naked, berates her for the perfidy of all women etc. In all honesty I have some sympathy with him here as obviously Ashleigh does not give any explanation for her actions and even then they were pretty shoddy and irrational. He does spoil it a bit by being openly unfaithful at this stage, coming back into the bedroom each night reeking of alcohol and perfume.
Evil Aunt Margaret also comes to pour more poison into everyone's ears, encouraging Brett to get a divorce. Brett and Ashleigh appear to be about to resolve their differences and make love. However when he leaves the house evil aunt Margaret tells Ashleigh that he had already determined to divorce her.
There is a lot of talk about everyone getting a divorce in this book and this was problematic as it appeared that the author had no concept of how hard it was to get a divorce at the time ( act of parliament), the social stigma involved and the fact that this was extremely rare and was in no circumstances something that would be discussed in the manner suggested in this novel.
Ashleigh runs away again and goes to Italy with Megan and Patrick ( who are in love) . They stay with Brett's birth mother who it turns out was also driven away by evil aunt Margaret et co. Ashleigh is pregnant, has not alerted Brett to this but is expecting to be divorced - despite the fact she is carrying the legitimate heir ( I know - it does not make any sense)
Brett eventually finds them and comes after her. The villa goes on fire. Ashleigh informs Brett that the Contessa is his mother and he rescues her. They get on board ship and Ashleigh goes into labour, giving birth to a girl. Ashleigh and Brett reconcile. When they get back to England Brett is briefly arrested as his ship sailed near the time Bonaparte escaped. He is released and turns up at a ball to meet the h. Elizabeth tries to pour more poison in the heroine's ears but this time Ashleigh stops to think before she does anything stupid. They make love and declare their love.
There is a return to Ravenswood, a further attempt on the h's life, the villain is revealed and it turns out that they pretty much murdered almost everyone.
I enjoyed the first half of the book but the heroine's flight the day after her wedding due to spiteful comments made by someone she knew hated her was unjustifiable. The misunderstandings and trials that beset the parties thereafter were fairly annoying and I felt that the hero was pretty put upon.
Overall a book of two halves. I would have been happier If the author had brought the matter to a neater conclusion soon after the wedding as I felt that much of what happened subsequently was pretty messy, fairly tedious and generally unnecessary.
This has been described as a bodice ripper, but I am uncertain as to whether that is the case. The first bed room scene is ambiguous in some respects and certainly the h doesn't put up too much of a protest/ resistance and she appears to co-operate thereafter, despite claiming rape later. I would describe this as more of a forced seduction than rape.
I liked it. The beginning was great and definitely hooked me but there was a lull in the middle where I admit to skimming pages. The ending was okay, maybe a bit overly sweet/sappy. If there is one thing I could do, I would like to go back and count how many times Ashleigh (the heroine) said, "Oh, Brett!". It seemed after a while she started every sentence with that. I haven't decided if this goes on the keeper shelf or not.
This was my very first romance novel. My friend loaned it to me back in the 7th grade. lol Her mother had a notorious collection of romance novels and she allowed me to pick one and borrow it. Well its mine now...It was later given to me and I have read it twice now. I absolutely love this novel! And I think it is about time that I read it again.
As soon as I stop buying more books to add to my collection and read the ones that I do have.
The devil works hard but not as hard as the two villains in this fucking story. Holy hell they were at it till the fucking end.
And I know this is a bodice ripper and all and part of the sub-genre is you get to be cheesy and overdramatic and just completely irrational but ffs, the FMC was just so incredibly insecure for someone with beautiful SAPPHIRE EYES. Calm down my gal — we’ve established your the most gorgeous thing to hit London. Innocent, pure and like an angel on earth—he’s not going anywhere lmao.
Also this is such a pet peeve but, one second the MMC and her are being nutso and the next they’re proclaiming the cheesiest declarations of love. I had to gag ahaha It was so bad haha. Could they not tone it down a notch. She's always like "You're beautiful" and he's like "You're an angel gifted to me from above I don't deserve you.." next page..."you're a raging fucking bitch". Wow. I went from gag to wtf.
Anyways, this lady writes alright but could she have not done so in a more succinct, compact way? Her book could have done with way less words :) The shit with the pig - the spy - the random orphanage- the quoting of Byron. Stop. I don’t need all of that.
She's what I imagine Joan Wolf would be if she wrote bodice rippers. We all know Wolf could have some more boinking in hers - and Sattler's crazy sex addicts could probably loose a scene or two :)
Ahh!!! It's over :( It’d be an understatement to say that I loved it, loved it, and LOVED IT!!!
Wow, that was a long read. I can finally sleep now. I was so invested in the tale that I haven't slept for quite a while now.
The story is way more complex and deeper than it seems.
Ah, before I forget. I just loved the references made in the book. Although, I do not know much of what was going on during the period the book is set on. But I found the references made about Lord Bryon, Percy Shelley, and John Keats just tremendous. I did also admired the use of other elements such as the war crises and political aspects of the said era. It was just excellent!
I liked how it all ended as well. The epilogue was so wholesome. And whilst reading, I have to admit I have shed a few—well, a lot more than a few—tears, that too both happy and sad.
Ugh, how do I express my love for this book, more appropriately than I already have 🤷🏻♀️;)
There’s rape by hero. So cautions. Also for someone who is raped continuously for a whole night the h was too forgiving. I mean they just casually talk and exchange thoughts when he employs her. There’s no fear or anything of him.
In the beginning, I thought the hero is alpha and dangerous. But after the mistake is clarified, H goes on to redeem himself by giving h a respectable job (which was nice of him). But then the book got bland. There’s ow drama. Also I found dull chemistry between Hh.
I really like Veronica Sattler’s style of writing! I love how she included a bigger plot than just the main characters and she developed these characters very very well. She is also not so fluffy that you don’t believe the character would say these things. It was a slow start at first but after Brett and Ashliegh’s initial meeting, it read really well and I couldn’t put it down!
Didn't felt the spark.not a gripping chemistry 🙄i want my hero to be alpha,but he was not what i hoped,he should be.oher wise ok read and i like heroines friend megan(she is whore but how i hoped she was also like heroine a kitchen maid alas. she is her brother love now)
Not bad, though a bit too much on the melodrama where the H's mother and her over-the-top story was concerned. And once again, you have a TSTL h who believes the vindictive OW. The H wasn't exactly a model of fidelity either, at least not at first.
I read this book five years ago, and I still have the strong urge to reread it even after a long time. I love the storyline, and I think this book is at the top of my romance novels.
Ok so I read this book last year and while looking for another book, came across several books that I did not remember. Well I remember this one about 50 pages in, but decided to reread anyway.
Ok so Lady Dimples is probably my favorite in her blue feathered bonnet. LOL
Brett, orphaned at age ten, becomes his grandfather's heir. So his grandfather takes it to closely supervise his education. Much satisfied with his success, he calls him home to tell him to get married when he realizes his health is failing him. When Brett balks at this order, his grandfather somehow gets it in his head that he is a virgin and decides see to the matter...continuing his education, as it were. Well through a lot of schemes, he does not get what he paid for and Brett gets more than he bargained for.
The schemes continue as the book progresses and I all at once continue to be angry at Brett and feel so bad at the same time.
With help from her friend, brother and Maria, hopefully things will get straightened out.
Well I never did like Lady Margaret anyway. Yea for Finn!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.