When Miss Rose Wellesley's father threatens an arranged marriage, she knows she'd better settle on a choice quickly or end up having no say in who she marries. Fortunately, she's garnered a rare invitation to Lady Dunlop's Week of Love house party, an annual affair notorious for matchmaking. Her plans to expedite a proposal would go smoothly if not for the brash younger sister she must chaperone, her outspoken, disagreeable best friend, and the bullish Lord Hartfell who seems determined to dog her every step. Lord Hartfell embodies every last thing Rose dislikes in a man. He's domineering, tenacious, argumentative, and a little too casual with his nudity for her tastes. Worst of all, Rose can't seem to get him--or his kisses--out of her mind. Rose is determined to find a more appropriate husband, even if her heart disagrees with how unsuitable the stubborn lord is . . . Contains mature themes.
Harmony Williams is the Canadian author of more than fifteen novels, including the Ladies of Passion trilogy and the Lady Katherine Regency Mysteries. She grew up in a historic rural town, where she spent most of her time with her nose in a book. Not much has changed in that respect, though she occasionally resurfaces long enough to play Dungeons and Dragons with her friends, teach her adorable niece the merits of reading, or exercise her 100-lb lapdog using her wheelchair or walker. She now lives in the suburbs with her partner, Mark, and their rescue dog, Edgar, in a house that is almost big enough to fit her book collection.
'How to Play the Game of Love' by Harmony Williams is book one in the "Ladies of Passion" series. This is the story of Miss Rose Wellesley and Lord Warren Hartfell. Rose is attending a "Week of Love" party thrown by Lady Dunlop. At this party several people have come away married or engaged. Rose wants to be one of them after her father has told her he will be marrying her off to someone and she won't get a choice in the matter. So Rose thinks this party will help her find a true love and not have to marry the man her father has chosen. Rose has someone in mind, but Lord Hartfell seems to be getting in her way. Warren isn't someone she thinks she could love or put up with so she tries to continue her quest for a certain man. But is Rose really overlooking someone she could really love? This is my first book by this author and I hope to read more. I loved the secondary characters and the story they were building too. I really couldn't put the book down once I started reading it! "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read." https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H... https://www.facebook.com/sally.mae.39... https://www.facebook.com/groups/17091... http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/ https://romancebookreviewforyou.wordp... http://booklikes.com/ http://romancebookreviewforyoublog.tu... https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
Okay, I really enjoyed this. It took me awhile to get into the story because I am not a fan of the first point of view. The initial pages did tempt me and I continued reading and I am so happy I did. How to Play the Game of love was such a charming , witty, and humorous read. I found myself laughing out loud several times and eagerly clicking through the pages to get more of Rose and Warren. Their romance developed quite nicely, the chemistry was great and believable and had me smiling in pleasure. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Francie. Looking forward to more from Harmony Williams.
This was so disappointing. I can see that the author was aiming for a humorous tale about husband hunting, but it widely missed the mark for me.
Rose is selfish, childish, fickle and obnoxious. Her ardent pursuit of a man she has barely even glimpsed is ridiculous, like her plans to play the proper miss right up until her marriage, when she will then revert to her natural not-so-ladylike ways. She’s also horrible about every woman she meets, always prefacing her love for her friends and family with some fault or other – while she of course is perfect. And beautiful, naturally.
Then there’s Lord Hartfell, or Warren as he’s also known. He easily sees through Rose’s schemes, but it’s obvious he likes her – and I have no idea why. Unless it’s for the purely shallow fact that she’s beautiful. On the outside anyway. He also has an unattractive habit of using his superior height and body mass to box Rose in at every opportunity. He never forces a kiss from her (that I read anyway) but I really didn’t like the way he treats her.
Pure stubbornness forced me to make it halfway through, determined to make it to the end in the hopes that something cataclysmic would happen to both of them. Still, when it came to the horse thing I had to give up. The idea that Warren would have been so clueless as to not know about a loose girth, or how to pick up a hoof, was almost as ridiculous as Rose’s superiority in showing him how wrong he was. Though, to be honest, I don’t think much of her as a horsewoman when she opts to go jumping while riding bareback and double mounted – especially when Warren claims to have never ridden bareback before. That’s an excellent way to injure both the horse and the pair of them. Alas, the humans survived, so I was done.
This book was quite different from the usual historical romances that we find and a pleasant surprise.Light hearted,a little bit dramatic and a whole lot steamier, it almost read like a historical rom-com. Rose is running out of time and Lady Dunlop's "Week of Love" house party may be her last chance at happiness.She has rejected one too many suitors, and her father has decided that he is going to arrange a marriage for her if she doesn't choose soon.He has younger sister Daisy to think of, who will soon debut in society.He wants Rose married off before that.
The thing is Rose wants to get married for love.She has fancied herself in love a few times before,but has fallen out of it just as quickly when she found some faults in the men.At this houseparty, she hopes to meet the one person she might love to spend the rest of her life with.She sets her sights on someone.Too bad he doesn't seem that interested in her,despite the lengths she goes to in order to cross paths with him.
And he is not Lord Hartfell!Lord Hartfell is the last thing Rose needs right now, but he is determined to pursue her.To add insult to the injury he doesn't believe in love!He is like a dog with a bone and tenacious in his pursuit for her.But also arrogant,crude and quite rude at times.What will Rose do when she finds herself falling for him?And what will happen when a few secrets come to light?
Rose and Warren were quite a pair!Rose was funny,sarcastic and quite dramatic at times.The situations she got herself into were hilarious!At the same time she is also a loyal friend,sister and a loving person.I loved Rose and Warren's interactions!They locked horns at every turn,but the arguments were witty and so hot.The chemistry between them was downright sizzling! Warren was a little irritating with his arrogance in the beginning.But even though he appeared domineering, he truly gave up control at every turn to Rose.Rose was actually the dominating one in the relationship.He was only determined to pursue her.And he had his reasons. There wasn't any insta-love, and the plot was well-done!Never expected the things that the author came up with!The games that Lady Dunlop organized were also quite fun.
Aside from Warren and Rose's relationship, I loved the friendship she shared with Mary,Francine and Emily.The supporting cast was wonderful. Though one might find Rose quite annoying at times, I think you must understand her true nature.It slowly unfolds as the story moves forward.This book is light hearted,so don't expect it to be too serious and stiff like other historical romances.But at the same time it has a wonderful romance,hilarious moments,cute friendships and a well developed plot. So, give this one a try if you're looking for something different in the historical romance category!! :)
ARC REVIEW: HOW TO PLAY THE GAME OF LOVE (LADIES OF PASSION) BY HARMONY WILLIAMS
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HOW TO PLAY THE GAME OF LOVE (LADIES OF PASSION) BY HARMONY WILLIAMS
Release Date: October 17, 2016
SYNOPSIS
He’s everything she thinks she doesn’t want.When Miss Rose Wellesley’s father threatens an arranged marriage, she knows she'd better settle on a choice quickly or end up having no say in who she marries. Fortunately, she's garnered a rare invitation to Lady Dunlop's "Week of Love" house party, an annual affair notorious for matchmaking. Her plans to expedite a proposal would go smoothly if not for the brash younger sister she must chaperone, her outspoken, disagreeable best friend, and the bullish Lord Hartfell who seems determined to dog her every step.Lord Hartfell embodies every last thing Rose dislikes in a man. He’s domineering, tenacious, argumentative, and a little too casual with his nudity for her tastes. Worst of all, Rose can't seem to get him—or his kisses—out of her mind.Rose is determined to find a more appropriate husband, even if her heart disagrees with how unsuitable the stubborn lord is…
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REVIEW: HOW TO PLAY THE GAME OF LOVE (LADIES OF PASSION) BY HARMONY WILLIAMS
How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony WilliamsMy rating: 3 of 5 starsARC Review: How to Play the Game of Love (Ladies of Passion) by Harmony WilliamsHarmony Williams and her cast of eccentric characters make for an amusing read. Told from Rose's point of view the reader is provided a glimpse into the heart of an independent minded women and her odd but lovable friends and family. Torn between what is expected of her and what she expects of herself, she has to decide what's more important. Listening to her heart or following the rules. Add in the mercurial chemistry between Rose and the wickedly frustrating Lord Hartfell and let the drama begin. I was more enamored of the secondary characters than the romance between Hartfell and Rose.View all my reviews
The premise of this book was interesting and started off well as a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, the farther I read, the less and less funny it got and the less and less I liked the heroine. She was shallow, immature, and fickle, sparing little thought for her sister or her friends and apparently having a history of getting men to fall in love with her and then dumping them. Frankly, the way she acted, I'm shocked that our hero fell in love with her! She was mean to him and continuously pushed him away while chasing a man who obviously had no interest in her, but was interested in one of the other characters. She claimed that she was looking for love but really seemed to want to trap someone into marriage by having him fall in love with the facade she presented, marry her, and once it was too late for him to escape, revert to her true self. It's obvious that she had no idea what love truly is. Another annoyance were the distinctly modern phrases and words peppered throughout the narrative, effectively dragging the reader away from the time period and back into the present. I was determined to finish the book but found myself frequently checking how much was left because I couldn't wait for it to be over! This book needs a good, professional editor to rescue it from itself. I'm afraid that I cannot recommend this book.
Disclaimer: this book was provided to me in exchange for an unbiased review.
I loved this lighthearted novel. It's quite entertaining story, full of humour, intrigue, and romance. All the characters are amazing. I enjoyed reading it a lot, in fact I read it in one sitting, simply couldn't put it down once I started. Rose wants to fall in love before she marries. She has rejected many suitors and her father is getting tired of her antics. So now she has been given a warning, either she accepts marriage proposal from one of many young men who have already proposed to her or else her father will arrange a marriage for her. Rose will not let him do that so it's up to her to find love as soon as possible. In fact she even has a man in sight. Little does she know that there is someone who has been watching her too. Lord Hartfell might not believe in love but he must admit that there is something about Miss Rose that he simply cannot overlook or ignore. Since the moment he set eyes on her he wants to spent more time with her, getting to know her is quite fun actually. She may pose like a proper lady but teh truth is that she is wild. He likes that. So no matter how much Rose wants him to leave her alone he simply can't do that... It's an interesting historical fiction which I loved reading. I'd recommend it to all romance readers.
Read this book if you like: • 1st person perspective • Enemies to lovers • Forced proximity • Stolen kisses • A competitive hero who never backs down from a challenge • A prickly heroine who learns not to be so hard on herself and others • A turbulent sibling relationship that grows closer by the end • (my favorite part) best friends who are always there for each other
Miss Rose Wellesley has been given a week to find a husband she wants or her father will choose for her. So she is off to a house party with her sister and best friends. The hostess is known as a matchmaker. The one thing Rose is looking for is love. Lord Warren Hartfell is doing all he can to stop Rose from being with anyone except him. The hostess is playing right into his hands. This infuriates Rose no end. This is a funny and at times emotional story. The silly games the hostess organises are designed to encourage romance. Our hero is a little arrogant. Our heroine is extremely stubborn and has been trying to hide her true character. A light hearted and very enjoyable book. I loved it.
I had to dnf, it was just too simple. The language not at all historical, they felt modern and the main character was not nice, the hero an ass. Just no. It felt ..self published, I guess like no one gave it a second look over
This book was amazing, it was a fun and quick read! The characters were really well developed and I loved their personalities. It was full of humor as well as romance, and just the right mix of the hot and steamy moments. It will keep you wondering how it will all turn out right in the end!
How to Play the Game of Love begins with Rose arriving at Lady Dunlop’s house party. She and her sister, along with a couple of friends, are there for the week. A very long week…….. Rose has her sights set on one man who is supposed to be in attendance as well. As the festivities begin, she is bound and determined to not only catch his eye, but to wrangle a proposal out of him as well. However, when he appears to have his sights set on someone else, coupled with the fact that he has a war to return to, Rose grows almost desperate. She tries to orchestrate “chance” meetings with him, only to be thwarted at every turn. It seems Lord Hartfell has made it his mission to keep her busy, if only she knew why….
How to Play the Game of Love has a good premise. Rose is determined to find her own husband, and I was on board with that. The supporting characters were interesting as well. I’m also all in for a stubborn woman wanting to make her own way, but Rose pushed stubborn so hard, she looked like a spoiled brat. The saving grace for me was Lord Hartfell. The way he stayed true to his cause and his pursuit of Rose was nicely written. I loved the way he handled her tantrums (albeit too many!) and I loved the way he fell for her. There were parts that were truly funny, especially the last quarter of the book. I know this is historical, but the way the “Week of Love” was handled was just too much. There were so many games the hostess had them play that I grew bored after the first few. With all of that said, the author did a good job keeping the story flowing, but it was just too long with all of the games and such. I do look forward to giving this series another go, because as I said earlier, the supporting characters were very interesting and I look forward to seeing who is up next.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I only read the first five chapters, so this review is based on that. I couldn’t bear to make myself keep reading this drivel. At first blush, I liked Rose. She had compassion for her lady’s maid, Emily, after the long journey in the coach. But that quickly faded at Rose’s constant self-indulgence. Rose openly admits to falling in, and out, of love on a whim. She has done so numerous times over the past few years, and yet cannot fathom why her sisters do not want to help her in her asinine schemes she concocts on a whim for whichever man has caught her current fancy. In one night she spots a man, declares she loves him, tries to speak to him repeatedly when he clearly has no interest in her, than trails him outside and tries to trap him into assisting her when she feigns a sprained ankle. Her selfish plan comes no fruition and yet she continues on in her attempts to get the Captain’s attention, when he is clearly courting another young lady.
If I had read a first chapter excerpt, I doubt I'd have downloaded this. I nearly stopped reading during the first chapter. It seemed to me a too awkward try at humor through exaggeration. But I continued and must say I did enjoy reading of fickle Rose's exploits, although a bit predictable and the identity of Lord Hartfell's fiancé was easily guessed when first mentioned. The story takes place at the house party of Lady Dunlop, a hostess known for successful matchmaking. Rose arrives with her not-yet-out sister and two friends, Mary and Francine. Rose is supposed to chaperone her sister, but thinks nothing of crawling through a window into the unknown when she finds herself locked in a room with her friend. - Spoiler alert - From what the reader can discern Hartfell was not one of Rose's suitors, therefore it is a mystery how the betrothal arranged by her father came to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Rose has 1 week at Lady Dunlop's Week of Love house party to find true love of her father will betroth her to someone she's already turned down. She finds her prey the first night Frederick the boy that was kind to her when they were children, but she can't seem to get him to pay her any attention and Warren, Lord Hartfell, has been interfering non stop and she can't seem to stop herself from kissing him which is frustrating when he tells her he doesn't believe in love and then infuriating when he tells her he's engaged. I found Rose a bit frustrating because she falls in and out of love every other week it seems and Warren a bit frustrating for how he decided to go about wooing her just because it pricked his pride that she was interested in someone else. Once they started being more direct with each other it was much more interesting though.
I enjoyed this book and loved meeting all the woman and I look forward to seeing how their stories play out. I've gotten used to seeing the hero's point of view as well as the heroine so it was different just to see through the heroine's eyes. I was dying of embarrassment for her at the start of the party but it was funny too.
Fun Entertainment! This is one of those stories that is very easy to read, is light with lots of fun parts, has lovely characters who engage you and make you want to find out what they will be getting up to next. Loved this wonderful piece of good humor and entertainment and am definitely recommending it.
This author reminds me of my favorite author Collette Cameron. Her writing style is very similar. I love the humour and eventually the romance that comes after all the pushing away. This is a good read much recommended
The story was good, the characters relatable and the plot was believable. The only thing I was missing was a few twists to enliven the storyline. There was only one twist and it was boring in my opinion. Enjoyable but also lacking.
I suppose it was funny enough, but I couldn't stand Rose (I was a quarter into the book before I knew her name). I can see the twist coming a mile away (originally twist was "twit" in a typo which also works). She's self-absorbed, childish (her 16yo sister was more mature), and so un-ladylike (for the period) I'm shocked she wasn't thrown out of the house party. She zeros in on a military man who: she didn't know the last name of, is mourning his father, is obviously wooing someone else, and is desperate to get back to the battlefield. She then basically stalks him throughout the party while occasionally making out with Lord Hartfell (btw nudity=taking his wet shirt off in front of the fire).
That being said, some of the other characters were interesting so I might give this author another try after awhile.
My lip curled. “Beauty has nothing to do with personality. Beauty fades.” “Perhaps,” he agreed. “But your fierce loyalty, your wit, your passion for life—those persevere.” Slowly, I lowered my feet to the ground. My legs were starting to cramp. The silence between us lengthened, gathering tension. I fanned myself with my hand.
The game of love—what a fun concept this story has! How would you feel if you had two choices: find a husband yourself or abide by your father’s marriage arrangement? Whatever happened to love? Williams toys around with the idea of a comical house party, held for all of the eligible single men and women to find love or at least a fair match. How to Play the Game of Love is a frustrating, yet hopeful and awkward romance that will entertain readers who enjoy this genre.
Rose has to find a husband by the end of the match-making party that she has attended with her sister and friends. The desire to fall in love and marry has enveloped her soul and mind. She will not accept anything less. Upon arriving at the party, she knows that she must hide the wild side that is surely frowned upon as being unladylike, if she even expects to capture a gentleman’s attention. The wrong attention—wrong in every way—is what she attracts, but she desperately wants to lure the attention of another. When everything goes wrong, the man that she has been trying to lure…has turned her down several times. After he leaves the party early to go back to his military post, Warren does not hesitate to console Rose. This very unlikely partnership is filled with comedy, intimacy, desperation and manipulation. Will Rose ever find love or will she settle for a suitor who she has already turned down in the past?
Williams has a strong, impactful and deliberately frustrating plot. With the main character pining over the wrong guy, she completely mistakes the advances of another one who could be quiet perfect for her. The ongoing arguments are entertaining and the relationship is sweet. The author does a great job with character development. The pace is quick, which makes it an easy read. If you are a reader of historical romance and regency, this may interest you.
Rose Wellesley is invited to attend an annual house party which is held annually by Lady Dunlop, this is no run of the mill house party this is an notorious matchmaking party, which is perfect timing for Rose as she is being threatened by her father that he is going to arrange her marriage as she has currently failed to land a husband on her own devises so far, on account for the fact that young eligable men tend to do a runner because of her freespireted, ever so slightly wild nature. Rose knows that Lady Dunlop's party could be her one and only chance to be able to pick her own husband before her father doe's it for her. But doesn't go according to plan for poor Rose as she has not only got to find her elusive husband, chaperone her wayward, free thinking younger sister but now she has caught the attention of Warren, Lord Hartfell. On first sight she isn't quite sure what to make of the large, devilishly handsome man, but she soon realises that what ever she think's about him both Warren himself and their matchmaking host has idea's of their own about where their relationship is going, this is where the party matchmaking games begin's. As much as I like the the plot of the story and the character's are very likable there was something that I just couldn't really connect with, I think what let this down was the first person commentary. How to play the game of love is written through the eyes of Rose and i'm not really sure if Rose is the strongest character to be able to carry an whole story on her sholder's, but for me I don't think that writing in first person work's for this kind of genre, with Historical Romance I like to get to know each character's in their own way, know their thourght's and views and see the story play out with all character's, I think with what Harmony has done here has just missed the mark slightly which is a shame becasue Harmony Williams is a intelligent, imaginative author. All in all an interesting story but slightly marred by the way it was presented and written.
Reviewed on behalf of 2 girls who love books blog. I really enjoyed reading this book. It had everything that I would expect from a historical romance novel. I’ve not read anything by this author previously so I did not know what to expect but the story was really well written and I would definitely read more of their books. I love reading historical romances where the female has a feisty character; I think it makes them more interesting to read. The story is about Miss Rose Wellesley who is desperate to find herself a husband before her father arranges a wedding for her. Luckily for Rose she had managed to get herself a rare invitation to Lady Dunlop’s week of love house party. This party is notorious for match making so Rose is hopeful she will be able to expedite a proposal before her father carries out his threat. Things don’t go Rose’s way when she has to chaperone her brash younger sister, cope with her outspoken and disagreeable best friend and deal with the bullish Lord Hartfell. Lord Hartfell is everything Rose dislikes in a man, he’s domineering, tenacious and argumentative – the only problem is Rose can’t get him out of her mind. Poor Rose! No matter what she did and however hard she tried to Avoid Lord Hartfell he always seemed to appear when she didn’t want him too. She certainly used her feisty side to keep him on his toes. I also enjoyed the humorous side to her character. I definitely liked Lord Warren Hartfell – I could imagine him as a Mr Darcy type character and from the description of him in the book he certainly sounded very swoon-worthy. Overall I thought this was a really enjoyable read with some lovely descriptive writing, some great characters and a good story line. I give How to Play the Game of Love 4 stars.
All Rose wanted was a husband she could share a true and lasting love with. All the proposals she’d received over four seasons had a hint of love, but nothing she believed would last forever. Her last chance to find a love for all time is at a house party given by an infamous Matchmaker of the ton. One big problem she has to contend with is chaperoning her sixteen-year-old sister, Daisy.
Lord Warren Hartfell wants to keep Rose away from his cousin’s suitor. All the obstacles he places in Rose’s path infuriate her and fill her with unwanted lust at the same time. Even with deep aggravation, respect and love blossom between the fiery pair. With only a week to make a match or be forced to marry her father’s choice, Rose can’t get Warren out of her way or her heart.
This first offering in the Ladies of Passion series is a ingenious and impassioned story. There were times I just wanted to smack Rose over the head with a big book and tell her to just give in to the feelings Warren inspired in her. Even though she was a wild one in her youth, Rose believed she could only win a man by being a proper young lady. Yet, she can be wild and free with Warren, even while riding a horse, her favorite pastime.
I loved the first person narrative of Rose as it gave me insights into why she was holding back and kept up the mystery behind Warren’s attraction to her in the first place. How to Play the Game of Love is a last chance romance where a woman learns that being herself is the only way one can find true bliss. For a wild, witty, wonderful romp to devour in a day or two, give this hot historical romance a read!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was a fun book to read I enjoyed the humor and found it to be very entertaining. Poor Rose must find a husband her father laid down the law demanding she find one or he will find one for her. Her father said she has turned away to many good men who wanted her hand. Rose want to marry for love it is hard to find someone who loves you and one you will love. She is on the hunt with one man in her sites but it does seem another man is closing in not being able to take his eyes off her.
Lord Hartfel sees something in Rose that really has his attention. He just can’t walk away, where she wants love he doesn’t believe in it. He sees the wilder side of her he knows she is full of passion for the right man and he wants to be that man. This lady might be proper but he is sure he can bring out the side of her that will give one lucky man a night of passion like he has never seen.
The chase is on with Lord Hartfel hot on her trail and her running the other way. I wonderful who will win this battle of wills if things goes as he has planned it could be a win, win for both of them.
I thought this was cute, funny, intriguing romance. There were a few times I chuckled out loud. I love the two steps forward and one back, the baiting and the chase. The characters are very likable with a great plot that keeps you entertained. Some of the wording was a little questionable but it doesn’t take away from the read. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the characters and some of the supporting characters. You will chuckle at the silly games the host has them play. It really was a fun read that I enjoyed. I think most will enjoy it.
This story was .... interesting. To begin with, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that it was written from the perspective of Rose. I feel we got to know more about why she did the things that she did.
That being said - I did not enjoy Rose herself. Even when she was actively giving herself to Warren and his kisses, she was still fickle in her affections overall. As a matter of fact, shortly before an encounter with Warren she had been set on meeting another man in secret! I also did not enjoy the fact that even after he told her he was betrothed and she was there to find a husband thus preventing her parents from marrying her off - she still allowed him to take liberties with her person. Granted, this ended up working out in their favor - but when reading this you are unaware of that fact at first.
The romance between the two was cute. On one hand the passion and attraction between them was undeniable, but the fact that they also annoyed (and challenged) one another at every turn made the story more realistic. Theirs wasn't a "love at first sight" kind of relationship, which I enjoy reading more than those that simply fall in love and spend the rest of the story pawing each other.
Overall, I would still recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a decent historical romance, and I would read more from this author!
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.