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The Viscount's Bride
Lady Chloe had nowhere to turn...either she followed her guardian's dictates and married a wholly detestable suitor or she settled for the comfortable love of a sensible man. Faced with a bleak future on either front, Chloe settled for Mr. Safe and Sensible.
It wasn't until her so-called "safe" choice tried to compromise her reputation that Brandt, Lord Salcombe, rushed in to save her. But how dare Brandt now insist that the next time she wanted a kiss she come to him! Chloe had no illusions about the viscount being ideal husband material. Still, his offer was tempting...and certainly promised a future filled with passion!
It wasn't until her so-called "safe" choice tried to compromise her reputation that Brandt, Lord Salcombe, rushed in to save her. But how dare Brandt now insist that the next time she wanted a kiss she come to him! Chloe had no illusions about the viscount being ideal husband material. Still, his offer was tempting...and certainly promised a future filled with passion!
299 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Ann Elizabeth Cree
29 books17 followersAnn Elizabeth Cree finished her first historical romance, A Bargain With Fate, while on maternity leave with her first child. In 1995, A Bargain With Fate won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for bestunpublished Regency Romance. Harlequin Mills and Boon later bought the book and it was published in 1998.
Since then, she has published six other historical romances with Mills and Boon. Her books have also been sold in the USA under the Harlequin Historical imprint, and have been reprinted in several different languages.
Three of her books have made the Nielson Bookscan Hot 100 - Great Britain listing. Romantic Times has consistently given her books 4 star reviews. Her books have placed in several contests and in 2003, THE DUKE'S MISTRESS won the Voulsia County Romance Writers Laurel Wreath Award.
She has been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and of the Coeur du Bois chapter since 1994. She currently serves as the treasurer of The Beau Monde, the Regency special interest chapter of RWA.
After receiving an MS in Home Economics from Washington State University, she worked as a public health nutritionist for several years. She later became a CPA and worked as a legislative auditor for the State of Idaho.
Since then, she has published six other historical romances with Mills and Boon. Her books have also been sold in the USA under the Harlequin Historical imprint, and have been reprinted in several different languages.
Three of her books have made the Nielson Bookscan Hot 100 - Great Britain listing. Romantic Times has consistently given her books 4 star reviews. Her books have placed in several contests and in 2003, THE DUKE'S MISTRESS won the Voulsia County Romance Writers Laurel Wreath Award.
She has been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and of the Coeur du Bois chapter since 1994. She currently serves as the treasurer of The Beau Monde, the Regency special interest chapter of RWA.
After receiving an MS in Home Economics from Washington State University, she worked as a public health nutritionist for several years. She later became a CPA and worked as a legislative auditor for the State of Idaho.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 31, 2011
I might have liked this book if it were about half as long. Instead, it was a little on the excruciating side, due to the number of misunderstandings and times that the protagonists don't communicate what they're thinking, the number of assorted fears and doubts that each suffers, especially in relation to the relatively small amount of actual character development.
December 28, 2017
2 di 2 collegato a "L'amante del Duca". Primo libro letto come History, nel 2011 date 5 stelline, mi fu regalato il cartaceo. Riletto ora dopo tempo in epub... proprio perché ho scoperto che fa parte di una miniserie di 2 libri, non menzionati nemmeno dall'autrice.
August 9, 2014
My July book of the month was The Viscount's Bride by Ann Elizabeth Cree. I really enjoyed this book this past month. It was a passionate, entertaining read that did not seem repetitive and was really fresh. I would recommend this book to historical romance lovers, who wish that they were born in the 1800's. I know I wish I was!
DISCLAIMER:
I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen. My review may contain spoilers, but I really strive to be spoiler-free. I borrowed this book from my local library. This book was not suggested to me by the author. I have no affiliation with the author or his/her publisher.
Main Character:
Lady Chloe is fierce and really anything but a proper lady. She has her own problems that was mentioned in a previous book in which it was explained in more depth. I wish I would have known that it is not exactly a stand alone novel, but it can be if you are satisfied with less detail about her life before. I really love that she is the perfect heroine. She is spunky and she doesn't need a man to fulfill her, but she does need a man in her life to save her from a dreadful arranged marriage. I love historical romances where women are still strong willed even though they are expected to be married at a young age. Lady Chloe still kept true to her character, but I loved the ending.
Evil Antagonists:
Lady Chloe's uncle is one of the antagonists in this book. The other being her stepbrother, who is more off a concept than an actual person. He never actually appeared in this book. He was apparently in the previous book (I think this one is the sequel?). The real evil antagonist though is society. Society created this concept that being twenty-one and single meant that your chances of getting married was next to nil. I really enjoyed this book though.
Strong Minor Characters:
I really enjoyed the variety of characters in this book and the fact that the reader got a glimpse into the male psyche. I have never read a book before where I really liked all of the characters and thought that they all added positively to the plot. All of the characters were fully developed, which is surprising to see such development in characters that have smaller roles in a novel.
Plot:
There i sort of a mixed plot in this book of an ending old plot with this book's new plot. The plot is a little hard to put your finger on, because it is a bit complicated and mixed. The main plot is Lady Chloe trying to get married into a comfortable relationship. There is a lot going on, but somehow it is not overwhelming or hard to follow. I love how easy of a read this book really was.
The Setting:
Honestly, much of this book is dialogue and there is not a lot of descriptive scenes in the book. The parts that do describe the setting are really detailed and a joy to read. I loved the flow to the book and how true it is the area in which it took place. There really is not much more to say about the topic, except that the brief setting details broke up the sections of dialogue beautifully. It really kept the book from being boring or too dialogue heavy.
The Dialogue:
The author did an excellent job in breaking up the dialogue and keeping the social interactions interesting. She keeps true to her characters' different voices, which keeps each character distinct instead of blurring them all together. I really love the book and I cannot express this anymore than I already have. Not all books can keep characters true til the end, but this book does that beautifully and effortlessly. This book does not feel like work to read, but very enjoyable.
Engaging Surprises:
I found a few parts very surprising and let me tell you, it is hard to surprise me in books. I am a terrific reader. I really get into the plot and usually catch onto foreshadowing before the author does. The more surprises a book has for me, the more I enjoy a book. A good book is hardly ever predictable. If it was, it would not be all that enjoyable, because you would know where the book is headed the whole entire time that you are reading the book. For me, it isn't worth reading a book that puts out on every page, please leave something to the imagination. :)
Climax:
There really is a moment of uncertainty at this point and you do not know what is going to happen really. Then, it all shortly gets resolved and it becomes a closed matter. I wonder if there is a book after this one (I just checked and there is not. :( ) that continues the story. I am really interested in reading the previous one after reading this one. I do not want to spoil this for anyone, so i'll leave it at that.
Emotional Response:
While I did not find myself crying when reading this book, I did find myself personally attached to the characters and feeling their doubts and joys as if it were my own. I really felt a connection to the characters, but especially to Chloe. I also love her name. It is not very traditional, but back then, they were more brave with naming their children.
Ending:
I loved the resolution to this addition of the story. It was not cookie cutter perfect and that is what makes it even better in my mind. I love it when endings are not perfect. It mimics real life, where events hardly ever are perfect. You may have that perfect day, but your whole life? I've never had that, so I couldn't see this book ending any other way.
The Writing:
I really like this author's writing style. The author's writing is closely connected to your enjoyment of the story. If you loved the story, then you most likely loved the author's writing. I have on occasion loved the story, but hated the author's writing style. I find that a rare occurrence, however. I really liked this author's writing style. I did find a few parts boring, but on a whole, it was really enjoyable to read.
The Artwork:
It is nothing to write home about. It is really dated looking and not all that attractive. I find it very surprising, since it was published in 2003. I never would have guessed that by looking at the cover. It's the reason why it took me forever to finally read it. I'm glad I did, though!
Genre:
This is a historical romance, but it is a complete work of fiction. No part of this story is historically accurate. It is just a romance story set in a certain time period, 1800s or maybe the 1900s? I want to say the 1800s, though and definitely in England, that is for sure.
Title:
The Viscount's Bride is not really a show stopper, but I was really into books like this after I read a few Meg Cabot books that were similarly titled. I don't know what else I would name it, though. The title kind of gives the story away, too.
Overall, I would give this four stars. It has to really knock my socks off or rock my world to earn the coveted title of five stars. I don't give my stars away lightly.
DISCLAIMER:
I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen. My review may contain spoilers, but I really strive to be spoiler-free. I borrowed this book from my local library. This book was not suggested to me by the author. I have no affiliation with the author or his/her publisher.
Main Character:
Lady Chloe is fierce and really anything but a proper lady. She has her own problems that was mentioned in a previous book in which it was explained in more depth. I wish I would have known that it is not exactly a stand alone novel, but it can be if you are satisfied with less detail about her life before. I really love that she is the perfect heroine. She is spunky and she doesn't need a man to fulfill her, but she does need a man in her life to save her from a dreadful arranged marriage. I love historical romances where women are still strong willed even though they are expected to be married at a young age. Lady Chloe still kept true to her character, but I loved the ending.
Evil Antagonists:
Lady Chloe's uncle is one of the antagonists in this book. The other being her stepbrother, who is more off a concept than an actual person. He never actually appeared in this book. He was apparently in the previous book (I think this one is the sequel?). The real evil antagonist though is society. Society created this concept that being twenty-one and single meant that your chances of getting married was next to nil. I really enjoyed this book though.
Strong Minor Characters:
I really enjoyed the variety of characters in this book and the fact that the reader got a glimpse into the male psyche. I have never read a book before where I really liked all of the characters and thought that they all added positively to the plot. All of the characters were fully developed, which is surprising to see such development in characters that have smaller roles in a novel.
Plot:
There i sort of a mixed plot in this book of an ending old plot with this book's new plot. The plot is a little hard to put your finger on, because it is a bit complicated and mixed. The main plot is Lady Chloe trying to get married into a comfortable relationship. There is a lot going on, but somehow it is not overwhelming or hard to follow. I love how easy of a read this book really was.
The Setting:
Honestly, much of this book is dialogue and there is not a lot of descriptive scenes in the book. The parts that do describe the setting are really detailed and a joy to read. I loved the flow to the book and how true it is the area in which it took place. There really is not much more to say about the topic, except that the brief setting details broke up the sections of dialogue beautifully. It really kept the book from being boring or too dialogue heavy.
The Dialogue:
The author did an excellent job in breaking up the dialogue and keeping the social interactions interesting. She keeps true to her characters' different voices, which keeps each character distinct instead of blurring them all together. I really love the book and I cannot express this anymore than I already have. Not all books can keep characters true til the end, but this book does that beautifully and effortlessly. This book does not feel like work to read, but very enjoyable.
Engaging Surprises:
I found a few parts very surprising and let me tell you, it is hard to surprise me in books. I am a terrific reader. I really get into the plot and usually catch onto foreshadowing before the author does. The more surprises a book has for me, the more I enjoy a book. A good book is hardly ever predictable. If it was, it would not be all that enjoyable, because you would know where the book is headed the whole entire time that you are reading the book. For me, it isn't worth reading a book that puts out on every page, please leave something to the imagination. :)
Climax:
There really is a moment of uncertainty at this point and you do not know what is going to happen really. Then, it all shortly gets resolved and it becomes a closed matter. I wonder if there is a book after this one (I just checked and there is not. :( ) that continues the story. I am really interested in reading the previous one after reading this one. I do not want to spoil this for anyone, so i'll leave it at that.
Emotional Response:
While I did not find myself crying when reading this book, I did find myself personally attached to the characters and feeling their doubts and joys as if it were my own. I really felt a connection to the characters, but especially to Chloe. I also love her name. It is not very traditional, but back then, they were more brave with naming their children.
Ending:
I loved the resolution to this addition of the story. It was not cookie cutter perfect and that is what makes it even better in my mind. I love it when endings are not perfect. It mimics real life, where events hardly ever are perfect. You may have that perfect day, but your whole life? I've never had that, so I couldn't see this book ending any other way.
The Writing:
I really like this author's writing style. The author's writing is closely connected to your enjoyment of the story. If you loved the story, then you most likely loved the author's writing. I have on occasion loved the story, but hated the author's writing style. I find that a rare occurrence, however. I really liked this author's writing style. I did find a few parts boring, but on a whole, it was really enjoyable to read.
The Artwork:
It is nothing to write home about. It is really dated looking and not all that attractive. I find it very surprising, since it was published in 2003. I never would have guessed that by looking at the cover. It's the reason why it took me forever to finally read it. I'm glad I did, though!
Genre:
This is a historical romance, but it is a complete work of fiction. No part of this story is historically accurate. It is just a romance story set in a certain time period, 1800s or maybe the 1900s? I want to say the 1800s, though and definitely in England, that is for sure.
Title:
The Viscount's Bride is not really a show stopper, but I was really into books like this after I read a few Meg Cabot books that were similarly titled. I don't know what else I would name it, though. The title kind of gives the story away, too.
Overall, I would give this four stars. It has to really knock my socks off or rock my world to earn the coveted title of five stars. I don't give my stars away lightly.
June 25, 2012
If you like a milksop, crying, fainting, headache prone, heroine with a bad plot, this book is for you. The only interesting thing was "what did the hero see in her?"
January 4, 2018
I am trying to write reviews for every book I have read, but this book was really unremarkable. The beginning started off well enough , but then the constant back and forth between the heroine, the hero, her uncle and her friends just got to be to much. The author tried to portray a love triangle, but it was so watered down that it just couldn't carry the story.
July 11, 2018
2.5 stars.
August 13, 2011
This was a pretty good romance novel with all the typical misunderstandings between the hero & heroine. I sometimes end up frustrated with their thinking & inability to communicate, but overall I enjoyed the book.
February 11, 2025
Very predictable marriage of convenience regency romance.
June 21, 2012
This sat on my TBR shelf for quite a while, and now I know why. This was a strong 2* but didn't rise to 3*. I just didn't find myself engaged with the main characters
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews