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Holt Sisters Trilogy #2
Ways to Be Wicked
Dazzling!
Sylvie Lamoureux is the darling of the Paris ballet, renowned for her beauty and passionate dedication to her art. But when a mysterious letter sends her across the English Channel, she finds herself literally landing in the lap of one of London's most notorious men.
Daring!
With a face that has charmed many a London lady, theater impresario Tom Shaughnessy is used to women falling into his arms. But from the moment this feisty young Frenchwoman leaps into his carriage, he senses he's met his rival in wit, daring...and sensuality.
Destined!
When fate pulls Sylvie into the bawdy world of Tom's theater, a desire neither of them fully expects threatens to upend their well-laid plans. But the past Sylvie never knew she had will force her to make a decision. She can either let it bring down the curtain on their fiery pas de deux...or trust this wicked man with her heart.
Sylvie Lamoureux is the darling of the Paris ballet, renowned for her beauty and passionate dedication to her art. But when a mysterious letter sends her across the English Channel, she finds herself literally landing in the lap of one of London's most notorious men.
Daring!
With a face that has charmed many a London lady, theater impresario Tom Shaughnessy is used to women falling into his arms. But from the moment this feisty young Frenchwoman leaps into his carriage, he senses he's met his rival in wit, daring...and sensuality.
Destined!
When fate pulls Sylvie into the bawdy world of Tom's theater, a desire neither of them fully expects threatens to upend their well-laid plans. But the past Sylvie never knew she had will force her to make a decision. She can either let it bring down the curtain on their fiery pas de deux...or trust this wicked man with her heart.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
About the author
Julie Anne Long
37 books2,999 followersWell, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
March 6, 2018
Oops! Read the second book before the first one on mistake. But, I liked it enough that I will go ahead and read book one.
So, wait, I said I liked it and only gave it three stars? Am I feeling particularly bitchy today, you ask? No, and screw you! I'm equally bitchy every day. I'm an equal-opportunity bitch. But, the reason I was a little tight-fisted with my stars on this was because the heroine is cheating the entire book.
In the very first pages, we learn that our heroine, Sylvie, left her live-in lover in bed and split to London to find her sister. She intends to find her, and then return home to her lover to eventually marry him. But, she ends up losing all of her money to highwaymen, and then finds herself without the sister, without friends, without money, or a place to stay. She ends up staying with the hero, who owns a theater.
A bawdy theater!
Yes! Ankles are shown at this theater! It's shocking stuff.
Our hero is a great guy. Sure, he has a kid from some chick he knocked up at some point (and admits there could be more bastards out there), and he frequents a brothel, but hey, he's an... okay guy. Oh, and he runs a club where women dance in sexually suggestive ways and the dancers are known to exchange sexual favors for gifts, but he's a .... guy.
Yep. He's male alright. And, possibly a male with a raging case of syphilis brewing in his body.
The signs are there, but Sylvie likes to live dangerously.
Sylvie ends up working at his not-a-brothel as a dancer and they start hooking up. First of all - yuck. This guy's as sanitary as a truck-stop bathroom. Secondly - she never broke up with the dude she was with in France. And, she had every intention of going back to him. It was hard to feel happy, romantic feelings for this couple because of it.
Aside from the cheating thing, there was a scene in this book that had me laughing my ass off. So, because it made me laugh, I still liked the book.
August 2, 2021
For me, this couple didn't really 'click' until far too late, and it was almost baffling. 70%+ was just too much.
I enjoyed it, because it's JAL, and she's talented but it was tough to get invested in, and I would've DNFed had it not been for the overarching arc of the series.
I enjoyed it, because it's JAL, and she's talented but it was tough to get invested in, and I would've DNFed had it not been for the overarching arc of the series.
March 15, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up.
Sylvie Lamoureux has worked hard for her position as the top ballerina in Paris, well known for her dedication to her dance. But when she receives a letter from the woman she believes to be her long-lost sister, Sylvie immediately sets sail for England, and directly into the arms of one of London’s most scandalous men.
Tom Shaughnessy’s handsome face and charm have earned him many friends and have women falling all over themselves for him. When he meets Sylvie, he’s surprised by her resistance to him, and his own draw to her unique brand of sensuality.
When a series of unfortunate incidents leads to Sylvie dancing at Tom’s bawdy theater, the desire between them ramps up and threatens both of their carefully made plans for their futures. Sylvie will have to decide whether to return to the security of the life she worked toward in Paris or trust Tom with her heart and start anew in England.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to given how long it took me to finish its predecessor. The forbidden aspect and the fact that everything about their relationship was new for both Sylvie and Tom, and they were both completely baffled by their feelings, made this an intriguing read. Sufficient time was devoted to the inner workings of both Tom’s and Sylvie’s thoughts to make this engrossing and the writing is so strong that I was pulled almost immediately into the story. There was a very slow burn between Sylvie and Tom that at times had me unsure if they’d actually be good together, but despite their struggles to speak their truths to one another, each knew the other implicitly, on a much deeper level than anyone around them was able to see. I also found the dynamic between The General and the other supporting characters to be a delightful little bit of comic relief, and yet his character also provided a poignant commentary on unrequited love, the unfairness of people and life in general, and the more hopeful idea that everything happens for a reason. I loved these characters so much more than I expected to, especially because of Tom’s showmanship and womanizing ways, but he was so unapologetically still such a good man that those faults ceased to matter. It also helped that his devotion to Sylvie was pretty clear to the reader, and to the General, before he acknowledged it himself. Seeing that slow change in Tom as he made himself into more of a family man was a delightful character arc and I think Sylvie demonstrated a lot of maturity as well as she learned to choose what she truly wanted for herself rather than what she thought she should want. I truly enjoyed this book and I must find Sabrina’s story now and complete the trilogy.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Sylvie Lamoureux has worked hard for her position as the top ballerina in Paris, well known for her dedication to her dance. But when she receives a letter from the woman she believes to be her long-lost sister, Sylvie immediately sets sail for England, and directly into the arms of one of London’s most scandalous men.
Tom Shaughnessy’s handsome face and charm have earned him many friends and have women falling all over themselves for him. When he meets Sylvie, he’s surprised by her resistance to him, and his own draw to her unique brand of sensuality.
When a series of unfortunate incidents leads to Sylvie dancing at Tom’s bawdy theater, the desire between them ramps up and threatens both of their carefully made plans for their futures. Sylvie will have to decide whether to return to the security of the life she worked toward in Paris or trust Tom with her heart and start anew in England.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to given how long it took me to finish its predecessor. The forbidden aspect and the fact that everything about their relationship was new for both Sylvie and Tom, and they were both completely baffled by their feelings, made this an intriguing read. Sufficient time was devoted to the inner workings of both Tom’s and Sylvie’s thoughts to make this engrossing and the writing is so strong that I was pulled almost immediately into the story. There was a very slow burn between Sylvie and Tom that at times had me unsure if they’d actually be good together, but despite their struggles to speak their truths to one another, each knew the other implicitly, on a much deeper level than anyone around them was able to see. I also found the dynamic between The General and the other supporting characters to be a delightful little bit of comic relief, and yet his character also provided a poignant commentary on unrequited love, the unfairness of people and life in general, and the more hopeful idea that everything happens for a reason. I loved these characters so much more than I expected to, especially because of Tom’s showmanship and womanizing ways, but he was so unapologetically still such a good man that those faults ceased to matter. It also helped that his devotion to Sylvie was pretty clear to the reader, and to the General, before he acknowledged it himself. Seeing that slow change in Tom as he made himself into more of a family man was a delightful character arc and I think Sylvie demonstrated a lot of maturity as well as she learned to choose what she truly wanted for herself rather than what she thought she should want. I truly enjoyed this book and I must find Sabrina’s story now and complete the trilogy.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Read
December 1, 2011I could not make myself read this whole book.
It held so much potential...I had the hots for the hero and liked the heroine...it was set in the theater and it was fun...But then the letter about his bastard son came and I just blew a blood vessel.
ARE THERE ANY HEROES LEFT THAT DID NOT KNOCK SOMEBODY UP?
And I do not even need to start on the fact that this plot development has as much sense as the letter he got (that went along the lines of 'Hey-a! Did not contact ya for 3 years, but I gotta tell you that you have a son. He has red hair so he has to be yours! This letter serves no purpose seeing as how he lives with my mother and her children and I did not find the time to tell you about him for 2 years. Ta-ta!')
Those heroes that do not have bastards have a whole legitimate brood (and are just having the greatest itch to find a new mother for them).
I have had enough.
From the last 6 HR that I have read 3 of them had men with bastards and 2 had men with children form previous marriages.
I just...I can not do it any more!!
What is wrong with these authors? Do they think it is sexy? Do they have a father kink? Are they so desperate for goody goody heroines they have to make them rear random fruit of the loins from men that they care for?
How about once,just ONCE, an author decides to write about a MOTHER. Maybe eve, gasp of gasps, to write about a heroine with a bastard. (I have read ONE such book. ONE! Next to a gazillion of man-father books)
Make me see some girl power! Make me see men who get to love children form other men! Just....once!
The weirdest thing is that these books are written by WOMEN WRITERS and are WOMEN ORIENTED BOOKS...why are these women authors so obsessed with the theme? It baffles me.
I paid for this book, so like any frustrated reader I went to the end in order to make myself like...something...again.
The horror inducing ending goes along the lines of : They got married and were very hapy with a grate kid that was his son, which they took from a perfectly normal home in order to raise him.
Can you believe it? I did not even get the standard 'heroine is in labor and the hero is stressing' kind of epilogue! What a rip off!
I understand that a lot of people LOVED this book. I am just mad at it because I seem to have a need for BASTARD disclaimers. For that reason I will not, and really can not even if I wanted to, rate it.
It held so much potential...I had the hots for the hero and liked the heroine...it was set in the theater and it was fun...But then the letter about his bastard son came and I just blew a blood vessel.
ARE THERE ANY HEROES LEFT THAT DID NOT KNOCK SOMEBODY UP?
And I do not even need to start on the fact that this plot development has as much sense as the letter he got (that went along the lines of 'Hey-a! Did not contact ya for 3 years, but I gotta tell you that you have a son. He has red hair so he has to be yours! This letter serves no purpose seeing as how he lives with my mother and her children and I did not find the time to tell you about him for 2 years. Ta-ta!')
Those heroes that do not have bastards have a whole legitimate brood (and are just having the greatest itch to find a new mother for them).
I have had enough.
From the last 6 HR that I have read 3 of them had men with bastards and 2 had men with children form previous marriages.
I just...I can not do it any more!!
What is wrong with these authors? Do they think it is sexy? Do they have a father kink? Are they so desperate for goody goody heroines they have to make them rear random fruit of the loins from men that they care for?
How about once,just ONCE, an author decides to write about a MOTHER. Maybe eve, gasp of gasps, to write about a heroine with a bastard. (I have read ONE such book. ONE! Next to a gazillion of man-father books)
Make me see some girl power! Make me see men who get to love children form other men! Just....once!
The weirdest thing is that these books are written by WOMEN WRITERS and are WOMEN ORIENTED BOOKS...why are these women authors so obsessed with the theme? It baffles me.
I paid for this book, so like any frustrated reader I went to the end in order to make myself like...something...again.
The horror inducing ending goes along the lines of : They got married and were very hapy with a grate kid that was his son, which they took from a perfectly normal home in order to raise him.
Can you believe it? I did not even get the standard 'heroine is in labor and the hero is stressing' kind of epilogue! What a rip off!
I understand that a lot of people LOVED this book. I am just mad at it because I seem to have a need for BASTARD disclaimers. For that reason I will not, and really can not even if I wanted to, rate it.
August 7, 2014
The Goodreads rating system can be frustrating because of its limitations. I would definitely give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. This is my third book by this author, and she just gets better with every book. Here, Tom, the hero and Sylvie, the heroine both have real depth. The author slowly peels their outer layers away - gradually as they fall in love - with beautiful emotive language. I also liked that the hero is not an aristocrat, nor does he want to be. And while he's had a hard life, he's quite self realized and comfortable in his skin. The heroine is a brilliantly talented ballet dancer who is no longer an innocent, but still a sympathetic, charming, and engaging character. This was a thoroughly delightful book.
November 26, 2013
Meeehhhh, this one is OK. I enjoyed it, but I found it to be rather lengthy given the content. Not much is going on, but it doesn't seem to end. I enjoyed watching the relationship blossom, but it kept running from hot to cold and the two of them acted like spoiled children at times. The ending was also rather abrupt and simplistic. After all that intrigue, I expected a bigger climax.
May 27, 2023
Ok I have to read the last one now
January 24, 2016
Sylvie flees her life as a prima ballerina in Paris after discovering she might have a sister in London. Immediately upon arrival she literally falls into the lap of Tom who owns a theatre and becomes her refuge in London. Though Tom never touches any of the dancers at his theatre he can't resist lithe Sylvie.
I have to admit that even though I knew it must end happily I wasn't certain until the last few pages that it would and that is only one of the reasons I love Julie Anne Long's writing. She has a unique way of bringing to life her characters and settings that I adore. Her language is so poetic and sensual to me I devour all her books and this one was no exception.
I have to admit that even though I knew it must end happily I wasn't certain until the last few pages that it would and that is only one of the reasons I love Julie Anne Long's writing. She has a unique way of bringing to life her characters and settings that I adore. Her language is so poetic and sensual to me I devour all her books and this one was no exception.
August 7, 2021
Interesting characters and setting but lackluster romance. Not Long’s best, when she typically delivers on the romance. Buddy with Whiskey, Sam and Lorien. Looking forward to the next.
February 27, 2021
Novel ini spt penggabungan cerita film "Moulin Rouge" dan "The Greatest Showman". Seorang penari balet dari Paris bernama Sylvie Lamoureux yg sedang melarikan diri dipertemukan dgn seorang showman bernama Tom Shaughnessy, pemilik teater White Lily. Sayangnya alur ceritanya sangat lamban dan penuh bahasa puitis, yg bikin saya jadi rada malas bacanya.
Pertemuan mrk cukup unik krn Sylvie memberikan ciuman pd seorang begal. Selanjutnya novel ini malah lebih banyak membahas perselisihan dua diva di White Lily. Saya menunggu cukup lama mungkin nyaris tiga per empat cerita utk menyaksikan percikan cinta diantara keduanya mulai memancar. Walau saya tetap gak gitu mudeng apa ketertarikan keduanya selain ketertarikan scr fisik. Tom sendiri scr berangsur-angsur kehilangan para pemilik modalnya satu per satu. Bahkan saat klimaks cerita, Tom nyaris diciduk pihak berwajib. Etienne, pangeran bangsawan dari Perancis ini lebih mirip cameo di buku ini, sudah diplot sbg orang ketiga dan kehadirannya lebih mirip pemanis ketimbang antagonis.
Andai alurnya lebih cepat, karakter tokoh-tokoh utamanya lebih berkembang (drpd cuma menonjolkan kelebihan-kelebihan hal-hal fisik spt cuma dibilang Tom tampan dan cerdas, atau Sylvie yg jago menari balet tapi dicemooh oleh Tom bhw tariannya gak mendatangkan uang), saya lebih suka kalau ada ketertarikan yg sinergi. Saya merasa novel ini lebih spt Tom mengusahakan sendiri spy teaternya gak kolaps, sedangkan Sylvie malah sibuk "bersembunyi" alias gak mau menonjolkan diri dan cuma marah-marah (diam sih marahnya) doang. Jadi novel ini lumayan ajalah. Not good but not bad.
Pertemuan mrk cukup unik krn Sylvie memberikan ciuman pd seorang begal. Selanjutnya novel ini malah lebih banyak membahas perselisihan dua diva di White Lily. Saya menunggu cukup lama mungkin nyaris tiga per empat cerita utk menyaksikan percikan cinta diantara keduanya mulai memancar. Walau saya tetap gak gitu mudeng apa ketertarikan keduanya selain ketertarikan scr fisik. Tom sendiri scr berangsur-angsur kehilangan para pemilik modalnya satu per satu. Bahkan saat klimaks cerita, Tom nyaris diciduk pihak berwajib. Etienne, pangeran bangsawan dari Perancis ini lebih mirip cameo di buku ini, sudah diplot sbg orang ketiga dan kehadirannya lebih mirip pemanis ketimbang antagonis.
Andai alurnya lebih cepat, karakter tokoh-tokoh utamanya lebih berkembang (drpd cuma menonjolkan kelebihan-kelebihan hal-hal fisik spt cuma dibilang Tom tampan dan cerdas, atau Sylvie yg jago menari balet tapi dicemooh oleh Tom bhw tariannya gak mendatangkan uang), saya lebih suka kalau ada ketertarikan yg sinergi. Saya merasa novel ini lebih spt Tom mengusahakan sendiri spy teaternya gak kolaps, sedangkan Sylvie malah sibuk "bersembunyi" alias gak mau menonjolkan diri dan cuma marah-marah (diam sih marahnya) doang. Jadi novel ini lumayan ajalah. Not good but not bad.
May 18, 2023
If this were in the hands of someone other than Julie Anne Long, it would have been 2⭐️. But I think two stars for the writing, and one star for the setting, Tom and the General is fair.
Where this book fell down was in the love story itself - there was not enough tension to survive that slow burn. And then when they got together, the doing-it was lackluster. And then they’d been together for a nanosecond when they were all of a sudden having drama wherein he decided she should go back to her rich lover. I loved the character of Tom; he was pretty subtly drawn, I think. Sylvie started off well but then felt a bit one-note.
The REALLY weird thing is the reason Tom’s ventures start to go south - it didn’t feel justified or logical. So I wish that had been done differently or the timing adjusted.
Finally, there was quite a lot of fat shaming of Daisy. That felt gross and dated.
The other
Where this book fell down was in the love story itself - there was not enough tension to survive that slow burn. And then when they got together, the doing-it was lackluster. And then they’d been together for a nanosecond when they were all of a sudden having drama wherein he decided she should go back to her rich lover. I loved the character of Tom; he was pretty subtly drawn, I think. Sylvie started off well but then felt a bit one-note.
The REALLY weird thing is the reason Tom’s ventures start to go south - it didn’t feel justified or logical. So I wish that had been done differently or the timing adjusted.
Finally, there was quite a lot of fat shaming of Daisy. That felt gross and dated.
The other
January 26, 2022
This was really fun, though ultimately not as meaty as I expect from a Julie Anne Long story. I think that's because of my own biases; I don't like stories about performers or artists, and a lot of the day-to-day story of the characters in this book are boring to me. I also think that the heroine's journey and character motivation, while JAL posits that it's similar to the hero's, was a little bit less vividly rendered. We're told a lot that she became a ballet dancer out of a resistance to being "ordinary," but her life as a ballet dancer sort of boiled down to "being a great ballet dancer" and "having a prince as a lover," which ... meh. Not a lot of complexity there.
However, reading this book did remind me a lot of Diana Biller's "The Brightest Star in Paris," in that the heroines of both are ballet dancer, and I must say I prefer the heroine in this book because the ballet was less central in the actual storytelling. I don't need to read about the emotion behind dancing in the actual text because I don't find that kind of detail interesting, so the light touch here serves me just fine :P
However, reading this book did remind me a lot of Diana Biller's "The Brightest Star in Paris," in that the heroines of both are ballet dancer, and I must say I prefer the heroine in this book because the ballet was less central in the actual storytelling. I don't need to read about the emotion behind dancing in the actual text because I don't find that kind of detail interesting, so the light touch here serves me just fine :P
December 30, 2012
Premise: Anna Holt was the much-loved and deeply loving mistress of Richard Lockwood. Together they had three daughters, Susannah, 3, Sylvie, 4, and Sabrina (not much older). One awful night Richard's good friend James Makepeace gave Anna the dreaded news: Richard was dead—and there's a witness who claims Anna was the killer. James advises Anna to flee—without her three tiny girls, since the authorities will be looking for a woman with three young girls. James promises to see Anna's daughters are cared for, and he'll let Anna know when it's safe to return.
Fast forward 20 years. This is Daughter Two in the story. Sylvie was taken to France and brought up as a dancer in the ballet. Sylvie has become an icon in her art, and no less than a prince has taken notice—indeed, she has reason to expect that she'll become a princess. Then she sees a letter from a sister she never knew she had.
Syl slips away to England without telling anyone, even Etienne, her very jealous patron/paramour.
On arriving in England, Syl has a paranoid moment and ducks into a mail coach, landing on the lap of one Tom Shaunessey. She helps fend off highwaymen, then arrives at her sister's home, only to learn that Susannah has gone to France to find her. Meanwhile, so many young women have claimed to be Susannah's long-lost sisters that the servants aren't buying Sylvie's story. Meaning, in theory, that Sylvie needs a place to stay. And this is where I have a few logic problems:
Tom runs a Vaudeville-esque raunch-stage where the total concept of "dance" involves pretty girls flinging their asses in the air and shouting "whee!"
The girls notoriously supplement their income by accepting masculine patronage. In theory Tom distances himself from these "independent" liaisons. But in practice he's not that much better than a pimp. His only real commitment to "his" girls is that he'll protect them—and he's not particularly good at that, as it turns out.
Sylvie finds the whole "asses in the air—whee!" thing degrading.
So you'd think she'd tell Tom to
But, of course, she doesn't.
Her sister the countess will be so proud.
I was a little disgusted with Tom, too, because he seemed to enjoy forcing Sylvie to demean herself. He knew she hated it and yet he was all "I don't give charity—stick your ass in the air and yell "whee" or you're out on the street." I'd have liked him a lot better if he'd been the kind of guy who would have, ultimately, decided her efforts as seamstress and lyricist were enough to justify her keep. Especially since she obviously sucked at the ass in the air thing anyway.
Oh well. I still like the series. Beauty and the Spy went a long way to buying some tolerance for the logic issues here.
Fast forward 20 years. This is Daughter Two in the story. Sylvie was taken to France and brought up as a dancer in the ballet. Sylvie has become an icon in her art, and no less than a prince has taken notice—indeed, she has reason to expect that she'll become a princess. Then she sees a letter from a sister she never knew she had.
Syl slips away to England without telling anyone, even Etienne, her very jealous patron/paramour.
On arriving in England, Syl has a paranoid moment and ducks into a mail coach, landing on the lap of one Tom Shaunessey. She helps fend off highwaymen, then arrives at her sister's home, only to learn that Susannah has gone to France to find her. Meanwhile, so many young women have claimed to be Susannah's long-lost sisters that the servants aren't buying Sylvie's story. Meaning, in theory, that Sylvie needs a place to stay. And this is where I have a few logic problems:
Tom runs a Vaudeville-esque raunch-stage where the total concept of "dance" involves pretty girls flinging their asses in the air and shouting "whee!"
The girls notoriously supplement their income by accepting masculine patronage. In theory Tom distances himself from these "independent" liaisons. But in practice he's not that much better than a pimp. His only real commitment to "his" girls is that he'll protect them—and he's not particularly good at that, as it turns out.
Sylvie finds the whole "asses in the air—whee!" thing degrading.
So you'd think she'd tell Tom to
But, of course, she doesn't.
Her sister the countess will be so proud.
I was a little disgusted with Tom, too, because he seemed to enjoy forcing Sylvie to demean herself. He knew she hated it and yet he was all "I don't give charity—stick your ass in the air and yell "whee" or you're out on the street." I'd have liked him a lot better if he'd been the kind of guy who would have, ultimately, decided her efforts as seamstress and lyricist were enough to justify her keep. Especially since she obviously sucked at the ass in the air thing anyway.
Oh well. I still like the series. Beauty and the Spy went a long way to buying some tolerance for the logic issues here.
November 28, 2015
By now I feel like I've read enough Julie Anne Long books to know that I'm going to be taken for a ride. Read all the euphemisms you want into that. Go ahead, I'll wait.
There's something about Julie Anne Long's writing that I really adore. It's her way of drawing out emotion and tension and drama, no doubt. It had me requesting this book after I finished Beauty and the Spy, and it had me requesting next next book, The Secret of Seduction, after I finished this one.
A rare instance where I read the books in order! And likely a series best read in order, too, mostly because what happens in book one sets the stage for book two (and likely three), even though the story here is largely Slyvie's and Tom's. (So you could probably read these out of order. I just recommend that you don't.)
We met Tom in Beauty and the Spy, when Susannah (sister from book 1) was searching for information about her family. Tom is the fantastically beautiful man, whose mere smile can cause swoons. You'd think I say that with a healthy dose of sarcasm, but I assure you, it's only a small amount. I'm quite sure that Tom was well deserving of the praise, but I much preferred reading about how he wooed Sylvie.
And then there's Sylvie. I liked that she was an unconventional heroine for a historical romance. A ballerina, for one, although she did very little ballet dancing in the book. (Other kinds of dancing, yes.) She leaves everything in Paris (including a lover) and rushes to London to meet a sister she didn't even really knew she had. But she's got a lot of pluck and she manages to win over the other girls in Tom's theater.
Along the way she meets Tom, and sparks fly. Hard core. I liked the slow unfolding of their romance. It was largely looks and flirtations and them simply understanding each other in ways that no one else seemed to. There's a lot to be said for that kind of romance.
Despite this being a continuation of the Holt sisters trilogy, very little is actually discussed in this book. Even the time Sylvie and Susannah spend together is minimal. Although that time was put to good use, so I didn't really think about it until writing up the review (which is usually a good sign, actually, because it wasn't so pivotal to the story that I felt it lacking).
Kit and Susannah make an appearance in this book, so I'm hoping to see Sylvie and Tom in the next book too. And see the culmination of the Holt sisters' reunion. Because that's what it's really about. (And seeing the sisters finding love. Because love.)
There's something about Julie Anne Long's writing that I really adore. It's her way of drawing out emotion and tension and drama, no doubt. It had me requesting this book after I finished Beauty and the Spy, and it had me requesting next next book, The Secret of Seduction, after I finished this one.
A rare instance where I read the books in order! And likely a series best read in order, too, mostly because what happens in book one sets the stage for book two (and likely three), even though the story here is largely Slyvie's and Tom's. (So you could probably read these out of order. I just recommend that you don't.)
We met Tom in Beauty and the Spy, when Susannah (sister from book 1) was searching for information about her family. Tom is the fantastically beautiful man, whose mere smile can cause swoons. You'd think I say that with a healthy dose of sarcasm, but I assure you, it's only a small amount. I'm quite sure that Tom was well deserving of the praise, but I much preferred reading about how he wooed Sylvie.
And then there's Sylvie. I liked that she was an unconventional heroine for a historical romance. A ballerina, for one, although she did very little ballet dancing in the book. (Other kinds of dancing, yes.) She leaves everything in Paris (including a lover) and rushes to London to meet a sister she didn't even really knew she had. But she's got a lot of pluck and she manages to win over the other girls in Tom's theater.
Along the way she meets Tom, and sparks fly. Hard core. I liked the slow unfolding of their romance. It was largely looks and flirtations and them simply understanding each other in ways that no one else seemed to. There's a lot to be said for that kind of romance.
Despite this being a continuation of the Holt sisters trilogy, very little is actually discussed in this book. Even the time Sylvie and Susannah spend together is minimal. Although that time was put to good use, so I didn't really think about it until writing up the review (which is usually a good sign, actually, because it wasn't so pivotal to the story that I felt it lacking).
Kit and Susannah make an appearance in this book, so I'm hoping to see Sylvie and Tom in the next book too. And see the culmination of the Holt sisters' reunion. Because that's what it's really about. (And seeing the sisters finding love. Because love.)
October 18, 2023
3.25 ⭐️’s
I love JAL’s writing style, but I can tell this was an earlier work by some inconsistencies in Sylvie’s character arc and the pacing of the romantic arc which was all but tacked on at the end.
Yet, I did enjoy ambience of the setting, which was essentially a theater with a prima ballerina clashing with a bevy of buxom prima-donnas who sing bawdy tunes at the behest of a charming rogue who pulled himself out of the gutter with his ingenuity and determination.
I love JAL’s writing style, but I can tell this was an earlier work by some inconsistencies in Sylvie’s character arc and the pacing of the romantic arc which was all but tacked on at the end.
Yet, I did enjoy ambience of the setting, which was essentially a theater with a prima ballerina clashing with a bevy of buxom prima-donnas who sing bawdy tunes at the behest of a charming rogue who pulled himself out of the gutter with his ingenuity and determination.
January 11, 2012
I rarely laugh out loud when reading, but this book had me giggling, especially during one particular performance. Cute banter, fun setting and characters.
October 19, 2015
I really enjoyed this one and loved both the h/h.
April 4, 2020
4.5
Sylvie Lamoureux est une ballerine vedette à l'Opéra de Paris qui vient de quitter son emploi, sa passion et son amant pour embarquer dans un bateau pour Londres. Pourquoi? Pour y retrouver une soeur dont elle ignorait l'existence avant de le découvrir dans une lettre lorsque sa mère adoptive lui demande de garder son perroquet. Mais voilà qu'aussitôt arrivée, Sylvie se retrouve à bord d'une diligence qui est arrêtée par des brigands et elle doit y laisser tout son argent. Et comme le malheur n'arrive jamais seul, lorsque notre héroïne réussit enfin à atteindre la demeure de sa soeur, les maîtres des lieux sont absents et le majordome refuse de croire un mot de son histoire. Pour Sylvie, il ne lui reste plus qu'une solution : rejoindre le charmant inconnu qu'elle a croisé à bord de la diligence (et qui a flirté avec elle) qui lui a dit de le rejoindre au Lys Blanc si jamais il lui manquait.
Tom Shaughnessy a tout fait pour se sortir de la pauvreté dans laquelle il a grandi. Enfant illégitime avec des origines peut-être irlandaises, peut-être gitanes, il est devenu l'un des hommes les plus populaires à Londres, grâce à son charisme mais surtout à son théâtre qui présente des num��ros coquins et burlesques. Lorsque la mystérieuse inconnue qui a attiré son attention et qui les a courageusement sorti du pétrin avec les brigants entre dans son établissement, Tom n'hésite pas à lui offrir un emploi et ce, en quelque sorte, au grand dam de la jeune femme qui semble trop fière pour se trémousser sur une scène.
J'ai passé un excellent moment avec ce livre. Le début m'a rappelé un peu Anastasia de Disney (un de mes préférés) et sans vouloir faire de jeu de mots, le clou du spectacle est le fait que l'histoire se déroule dans le théâtre. Les personnages secondaires étaient quelque peu clichés mais quel être rigolo et attachant que Le Général. Peut-être que l'univers du spectacle aurait pu prendre un peu moins de place au profit de la romance mais personnellement ça m'a trop diverti pour me déranger. J'ai aimé le côté fonceur et résilient de Sylvie et le côté plaisantin et créatif de Tom.
Sylvie Lamoureux est une ballerine vedette à l'Opéra de Paris qui vient de quitter son emploi, sa passion et son amant pour embarquer dans un bateau pour Londres. Pourquoi? Pour y retrouver une soeur dont elle ignorait l'existence avant de le découvrir dans une lettre lorsque sa mère adoptive lui demande de garder son perroquet. Mais voilà qu'aussitôt arrivée, Sylvie se retrouve à bord d'une diligence qui est arrêtée par des brigands et elle doit y laisser tout son argent. Et comme le malheur n'arrive jamais seul, lorsque notre héroïne réussit enfin à atteindre la demeure de sa soeur, les maîtres des lieux sont absents et le majordome refuse de croire un mot de son histoire. Pour Sylvie, il ne lui reste plus qu'une solution : rejoindre le charmant inconnu qu'elle a croisé à bord de la diligence (et qui a flirté avec elle) qui lui a dit de le rejoindre au Lys Blanc si jamais il lui manquait.
Tom Shaughnessy a tout fait pour se sortir de la pauvreté dans laquelle il a grandi. Enfant illégitime avec des origines peut-être irlandaises, peut-être gitanes, il est devenu l'un des hommes les plus populaires à Londres, grâce à son charisme mais surtout à son théâtre qui présente des num��ros coquins et burlesques. Lorsque la mystérieuse inconnue qui a attiré son attention et qui les a courageusement sorti du pétrin avec les brigants entre dans son établissement, Tom n'hésite pas à lui offrir un emploi et ce, en quelque sorte, au grand dam de la jeune femme qui semble trop fière pour se trémousser sur une scène.
J'ai passé un excellent moment avec ce livre. Le début m'a rappelé un peu Anastasia de Disney (un de mes préférés) et sans vouloir faire de jeu de mots, le clou du spectacle est le fait que l'histoire se déroule dans le théâtre. Les personnages secondaires étaient quelque peu clichés mais quel être rigolo et attachant que Le Général. Peut-être que l'univers du spectacle aurait pu prendre un peu moins de place au profit de la romance mais personnellement ça m'a trop diverti pour me déranger. J'ai aimé le côté fonceur et résilient de Sylvie et le côté plaisantin et créatif de Tom.
March 4, 2025
Honestly, this one lacked any real romance - which was an unfortunate waste of an excellent hero. Tom Shaughnessy is an ambitious and clever up and comer from the mean streets, blessed with dazzling good looks and a very active imagination. The problem is Miss Long gives him too much to do - one is surprised that he finds time for love: he's a new dad to an adorable by-blow (forgive me), he's planning on opening a new gentleman's club, he's running a bawdy theater show all while making up bawdy song lyrics on the fly. Now, he must find time to woo Sylvie Lamoureux, a highly celebrated French ballerina slumming it in London while in search of her long lost sister. Whew. Poor heroine barely gets any time to properly fall in love with all the fanny swatting choreography in every chapter.
The romance is drizzled in between a rather compelling story about the secondary characters populating the White Lily. I found myself more intrigued about the romance between the resident diva, Daisy Jones, and the master choreographer, The. General. There are parts which are achingly, viscerally well written. I especially appreciated Daisy's aging diva storyline, showcasing the indignity suffered by woman who commit the cardinal sin of growing old. Tom's meeting his son was wonderfully sweet. All this overshadows Sylvie's storyline - her reunion with her sister barely taking up a paragraph. The ending feels quite rushed, leaving me feeling quite unfulfilled.
Overall Score: B-
The romance is drizzled in between a rather compelling story about the secondary characters populating the White Lily. I found myself more intrigued about the romance between the resident diva, Daisy Jones, and the master choreographer, The. General. There are parts which are achingly, viscerally well written. I especially appreciated Daisy's aging diva storyline, showcasing the indignity suffered by woman who commit the cardinal sin of growing old. Tom's meeting his son was wonderfully sweet. All this overshadows Sylvie's storyline - her reunion with her sister barely taking up a paragraph. The ending feels quite rushed, leaving me feeling quite unfulfilled.
Overall Score: B-
July 24, 2021
I received Ways to be Wicked as part of a newly published duology from Forever Publishing and I read the first book right before reading this book, the second in the Holt Sisters Trilogy. I was intrigued by this one because it takes place among the lower classes (Sylvie is a dancer and Tom is a theater owner) rather than the aristocracy, but found it rather boring. Literally nothing happens until the last 15 page.
I honestly struggled with both Sylvie and Tom. The book opens with Sylvie leaving her lover's bed and her plan the entire book is to return to him. Tom is just kinda gross. I didn't believe in them at all as a couple. The book was a slow burn with extremely little heat. Honestly the dynamics among the other theater as a whole was more interesting than the pair as a couple.
Despite this being packaged as a duology, this series is a trilogy and I'm torn as to whether or not I'll read the third book. I might give it a try when I run out of other things to read. Thank you to Forever Publishing for the gifted copy.
I honestly struggled with both Sylvie and Tom. The book opens with Sylvie leaving her lover's bed and her plan the entire book is to return to him. Tom is just kinda gross. I didn't believe in them at all as a couple. The book was a slow burn with extremely little heat. Honestly the dynamics among the other theater as a whole was more interesting than the pair as a couple.
Despite this being packaged as a duology, this series is a trilogy and I'm torn as to whether or not I'll read the third book. I might give it a try when I run out of other things to read. Thank you to Forever Publishing for the gifted copy.
June 30, 2022
This was such a disappointment. It felt like two different books clumsily meshed together: the bleak story of a desperate woman escaping her controlling protector, falling in love with her boss (who sometimes functions as a particularly inept pimp) while they both try to cope with their family trauma (he’s got a secret son and she’s an orphan searching for her long-lost sister.) and the light story involving highwaymen, burlesque girls dancing in pirate costumes, and a secret French ballerina.
As a writer, Long usually does better with tragedy: her books are often full of pregnant pauses and tortured, stilted love confessions. I can tell when she’s trying to be funny or whimsical, but she never quite succeeds; those scenes turn out dour and awkward. But the tragedy in this book was more obnoxious and tedious than heart-wrenching. I wanted to shake the hero and heroine several times, because they were not nearly charming enough to get away with their dramatics.
In the hands of a different author, the theater and the dancing troupe could’ve made for a fun comedy, but all those quirky side characters and over-the-top set design were wasted here.
Skip it.
As a writer, Long usually does better with tragedy: her books are often full of pregnant pauses and tortured, stilted love confessions. I can tell when she’s trying to be funny or whimsical, but she never quite succeeds; those scenes turn out dour and awkward. But the tragedy in this book was more obnoxious and tedious than heart-wrenching. I wanted to shake the hero and heroine several times, because they were not nearly charming enough to get away with their dramatics.
In the hands of a different author, the theater and the dancing troupe could’ve made for a fun comedy, but all those quirky side characters and over-the-top set design were wasted here.
Skip it.
July 18, 2019
Bukunya cukup tebal dan ceritanya cukup panjang namun klimaks dan penyelesaiannya cukup singkat. Saya yakin sepertinya ini sudah jadi gaya menulis Julie Anne Long. Buku kedua ini mengisahkan Sylvie si putri kedua dari Holt bersaudari yang dalam pelariannya telah dibesarkan menjadi seorang balerina. Sylvie dengan penuh tekad kembali ke Inggris untuk bersatu lagi dengan adiknya walaupun dalam prosesnya ia malah menemukan cinta setelah tidak sengaja jatuh dalam pangkuan Tom Saughnessy. Saya suka karakternya yang pemarah dan tidak banyak bicara. Penuh keanggunan dan harga diri. Tokoh Tom yang sudah mencuri perhatian dari seri pertama juga tidak kalah menarik. Saya suka episode -episode adu argumentasi antara Sylvie dan Tom. Jadi, meski ceritanya cukup panjang dan berliku, saya sangat menikmatinya. Cukup disayangkan tidak ditampilkan interaksi Daisy Jones dan Sylvie padahal saya rasa pastinya akan sangat menarik.
October 2, 2024
Book 2 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy, by Julie Anne Long, is just as wonderful as the first book. Following the story of Sylvie, a prima ballerina from Paris, and Tom Shaughnessy owner of a theatre, we get a delightful glimpse into the bawdy side of the entertainment world during the Regency as we watch this couple succumb to their desires. See book summary for more detail.
What I loved about this book is the signature JAL combination of deep emotion, humour, and a well-written story. The whole world of the theatre was so made real for us, and was a delight to see. The characters are well-developed and both mains have a great arc that helps them arrive at their HEA. I highly recommend to readers who enjoy an immersive romance with unique historical details. While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first book; it is also an excellent read and will help readers to appreciate more in this book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
What I loved about this book is the signature JAL combination of deep emotion, humour, and a well-written story. The whole world of the theatre was so made real for us, and was a delight to see. The characters are well-developed and both mains have a great arc that helps them arrive at their HEA. I highly recommend to readers who enjoy an immersive romance with unique historical details. While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first book; it is also an excellent read and will help readers to appreciate more in this book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
May 24, 2022
I just could not get into this romance. The nature of the relationship between Sylvia and Tim was too much for me to get past. He watches her get robbed (saving the others on the coach) and then, knowing she is broke and desperate, he forces her into a job with which she is clearly uncomfortable. It is hard NOT to see this as exploitation. After that, I just couldn’t believe they fell in love. Also, the ending was rushed and made no sense.
July 26, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. In my opinion, it is lack of romance but so full of warm and good feeling between the characters. I like Tom, Sylvie and the secondary characters such as The General and Molly, even Daisy. They are true to life characters. Kudos to Ms. Long. It would be the first of many of her books I am going to read
April 4, 2019
Meh. Competent enough I guess. Story had potential but there were a few too many random plots and side characters. It meandered in the middle and at the end it suddenly got all about the series rather than the characters we were supposed to care about (which I didn't really). The author improves a great deal in later books so I will give #3 in the Holt Sisters series a go.
June 16, 2020
Just reread this one. I have mixed feelings about it. The author is really a superb writer with a lot of depth given to the characters and stories. However, I really never connected with the main characters in this story and didn't really care about them. Also, the last business venture seemed very modern to me as opposed to fitting the time.
December 8, 2023
2.5 stars This was solidly mediocre. I went against my own personal rule and read book two in the series before I read book one (just because that was what was available at the library) so maybe take my opinion with a grain of salt? But this was not nearly as good as her Palace of Rogues series and it took me forever to finish.
July 6, 2017
As usual, Julie Anne Long comes up with an inventive story line, intriguing (if only partially relatable) characters, and several funny and/or moving scenes that would play well on screen. Sylvie and Tom's story isn't my favorite of her work, but still made for a light, fun read.
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