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A Lady of Persuasion

(The Wanton Dairymaid Trilogy #3)

Tessa Dare (Goodreads Author)

3.41 · Rating details · 2,522 ratings · 241 reviews

Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, an incorrigible rake, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he’s just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at his enemy, than by stealing the scoundrel’s sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived from the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is dou ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 345 pages

Published September 29th 2009 by Ballantine Books

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3.41 ·

Rating details

· 2,522 ratings · 241 reviews

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Feb 06, 2011 Dinjolina rated it did not like it

Shelves: adventure, drama-queens, historical-romance, lite-romace, pretentious-read, love-your-fellow-man, moron-hero, stupid-plot-development, took-me-a-while-to-read, why-did-i-do-it

Well...
I loved the first two books.
And Toby?
I just could not wait to read about him!

But Bel annoyed me so much I could not even read it to the end.
I just skipped it all and read the epilogue.

She was a horrible whiney person.
Yes, charity is admirable,and your faith in God is a good thig.
But please don't be a darn Mother Teresa if you are not one.
We had the constant motive of her oh-so-sizzling Spanish blood that clashes in a big CAA-BOOOM! with her want to be all prim,proper and saint like.
I hate ...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Rachel (BAVR) rated it did not like it

Shelves: care-package-ageddon, i-did-this-for-you-karla, buddy-read, 21st-century-disease, anachronistic-heroine, blame-bavr, avon-pocalypse, constanticrap, feisty-heroine-nitwits, heroine-with-a-bad-attitude

Warning: GIFS and light spoilers ahead!

Blergh di blah crap.

There are no words to describe what a tedious experience reading this book was. I have no one but myself to blame. Well, I suppose a portion of the blame can fall on my GR buddy Karla for this buddy read. We went into it for the LULZ and suffered instead, the blood of bad romance staining our hands forevermore. Our mistake, I guess.

A Lady of Persuasion isn't much of a story. Reading it was like watching one of those reality shows where ...more

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Apr 11, 2019 Warda rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A sign that a book isn't working for you is when you start skim-reading quite early on. I was so tempted to DNF it, but since I adore Tessa Dare's work so much I decided to stick with it.

It didn't get better. I couldn't connect to the characters and the plot bored me.
I just didn't care.

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Oct 21, 2009 Dina rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, to-review

It's official: Tessa Dare has become one of my (very few) auto-buy authors. Three books, three winners. What else could I ask for? Just keep 'em coming, Ms. Dare. If you write it, I'll read it. :)

Note: I have no time to write a review now, but I'll try to get back and do it eventually.

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Sep 10, 2009 Rane rated it really liked it

Shelves: regency-napoleonic-era, historical

What happens when the well known and infamous rake Sir Toby Aldridge and a reformer for all causes in need of help Isabel Grayson surprisedly fall in love!

The last in the trilogy by Tessa Dare, A Lady of Persuasion was a wonderful ending to this amazing trilogy. Bel Grayson (The sister of Gray hero from Surrender the Siren) is a true do- gooder willing to help any and all causes while at the same time fighting down her passions and feelings due to a harsh life lesson by her mother whom went ma What happens when the well known and infamous rake Sir Toby Aldridge and a reformer for all causes in need of help Isabel Grayson surprisedly fall in love!

The last in the trilogy by Tessa Dare, A Lady of Persuasion was a wonderful ending to this amazing trilogy. Bel Grayson (The sister of Gray hero from Surrender the Siren) is a true do- gooder willing to help any and all causes while at the same time fighting down her passions and feelings due to a harsh life lesson by her mother whom went mad and her father who had one affair after another. Bel’s hot and cold personality got on my nerves, while I liked her she would suddenly show her self then like a shield of ice would incase her and she would focus only on her causes. Making her come across as narrow-minded to others that needed her like her husband Toby. But through Toby she starts to see she can be herself, she can get mad, laugh , she doesn’t have to be perfect she can be human with feelings. The change throughout the book of Bel was one of the true golden moments of the book.

I *(heart)* Toby (who first appears in Goddess of the Hunt) in ALOP he’s PO’d for good reason, the woman he wanted to marry jilted him and comes back married to another man, thinking he may get some revenge he sets his eyes on a woman whom he thinks has eyes for Gray, instead he’s capture and floored by this woman whom he’s surprised to learn his Gray’s sister. Toby sets out to win her over throughout the book even going as low as to lie. Dare makes it where you just can’t hate Toby, who’s trying every which way to truly be the knight and shining armor that Bel dreams about. Like Toby taught Bell to laugh and be herself, Bel taught Toby do something, not just waste away being a Sir, but to do something he wants to do to better himself in the end. Toby does that in spades and through his love for Bel he becomes a better man and Bel through her love for Toby becomes a more open person.

The passion between these two is smokin’ hot with Toby and Bel burning up the pages. The need of a cool glass of water or a fan is requirement or fair warning if you read this book and comes to these pages *grins*

Although I wanted him to have his own book, Joss who really capture my attention in SOTS got his own HEA as he finally was able to move away from his grief after the death of his first wife. I was really happy to see him finally in love!

Dare doesn’t disappoint with the humor which is now classic in her other books, with Toby’s crazy family to Lucy’s labor and Bell finally getting pissed off and showing someone a walking stick can be used as a weapon. These parts had me laughing until I was crying... and there’s also the lambs...

Overall: fun read that will have you cheering for two leads as they find their way to each other through love, a great ending to a great series! ...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Beanbag Love rated it liked it

This one actually only rates 3.25 from me.

Isabel and Toby are somehow the title for this series, and their story really doesn't deserve to be elevated that high. While I still love Dare's writing, I was disappointed in several aspects of this book.

First of all, Dare loses one star right off the top for squeezing Joss and Hetta's HEA into a tiny side story. Their back stories and their personalities, the difficulties inherent in an interracial marriage during the Regency era, are enough to fill This one actually only rates 3.25 from me.

Isabel and Toby are somehow the title for this series, and their story really doesn't deserve to be elevated that high. While I still love Dare's writing, I was disappointed in several aspects of this book.

First of all, Dare loses one star right off the top for squeezing Joss and Hetta's HEA into a tiny side story. Their back stories and their personalities, the difficulties inherent in an interracial marriage during the Regency era, are enough to fill a whole book. This felt rushed, forced and, frankly, like a cop-out. At least give them a novella fer cryin' out loud.

Sorry to rant, but they're two of the most interesting characters in the whole series and I think they got ripped off.

Okay, that huge mistake aside, I didn't like the heroine all that much throughout. She had her moments. She was funny at times with her inner thoughts, but mostly she was just tedious. She's very devout and pours her energy into charity work, which unfortunately makes her pretty darn judgmental and pushy. Devotion to civic duty doesn't have to make one that way, but that's the way she acted and it really hurt her story. Her history is interesting but, although we saw those inner thoughts and got some insight into the hell she'd experienced as a child, the hero really never does.

Toby's a nice, if vapid, hero. He's pretty dashing, saving everyone from ruin and potential serious injury or death. He comes off a bit selfish at times, but he's gone the extra mile to keep several people from being hurt badly. His need to keep his happy-go-lucky lifestyle is challenged, however, by his fiance/wife's demands that he help her change the world.

World-changers annoy me. Sorry. When someone sets out to "change the world" it's the most arrogant and narcissistic motive for whatever action they're taking. It's all about them. As if they have the ability or even the right to "change the world". There's a fine line between feeding the poor and the poor feeding your ego. I thought Isabel crossed that line a few times.

HOWEVER -- I do love Dare's writing. I was frustrated because I felt this couple was well-suited, but I never got to see their true personalities outside of their inner thoughts. When they do reconcile at the end it seems contrived. Like they just decided they had to be together, but I didn't see a rational thought process on getting there. It's not unromantic. It's just not as well put together as the other ones.

If this were the first book of Tessa Dare's I'd picked up, I still would go for the backlist, and I'm still very much looking forward to her next release, so I guess it can't be all that bad. It's just that I know for a fact she can do better and good characters were not served as well as they could have been. :^( ...more

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Apr 15, 2017 Sharon rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars, historical-fiction, romance, multiple-romance, ho-hum

4 stars for the side couple. 2 stars for the main couple. The side couple literally only had like 4 short scenes together throughout this whole book, but they were everythinggggg. On the other hand, I have to say the main couple and this book as a whole were rather dull. The characters didn’t feel particularly endearing in my opinion. The protagonist’s passion for justice was beautiful, but not executed in a way where my heart was engaged. It all felt so vague to me, and as a result, the protago ...more

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Oct 23, 2009 Barbara rated it it was ok

2 Stars...It was just ok

I'm so very disappointed...and very very shocked!

I've been a HUGE fan of Tessa Dare ever since I read "Goddess of the Hunt" and as you all know I do not give ratings where ratings aren't due, and I'm not going to start now.

This author built two perfect and entertaining characters in her previous books...And I can't believe this is how she decides to tell their stories. We all get to know Sir Toby in "Goddess" and I found myself in awe of him...I liked Toby from the start ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 Robin rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017, 350-series, historical-romance

After being jilted by his fiancee, Sir Tobias Aldridge finds himself at loose ends. When his former fiancee, Sophia, comes back to town with a new husband, Toby wants revenge against the man who married the woman he considered his own. What better way than to marry the man's sister. Isabel Grayson is looking to marry a powerful lord that will allow her to become a lady of influence. She fights for the poor and knows she needs wealth and power to make a statement. Toby doesn't have the big title ...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it really liked it

Lady of Persuasion is the third and final book in this marvelous trilogy by Tessa Dare. Tessa has written a beta hero who is a gentleman in public but quite the tiger in the bedroom. This is quite the change from those heroines who embody the Madonna/Whore complex. They are women who are polite and proper in public, but when they are alone with the men they desire, off goes their proper mask and out comes a seductive and lustful woman who will do whatever they want with the hero in terms of bedr Lady of Persuasion is the third and final book in this marvelous trilogy by Tessa Dare. Tessa has written a beta hero who is a gentleman in public but quite the tiger in the bedroom. This is quite the change from those heroines who embody the Madonna/Whore complex. They are women who are polite and proper in public, but when they are alone with the men they desire, off goes their proper mask and out comes a seductive and lustful woman who will do whatever they want with the hero in terms of bedroom acrobatics. Toby makes sure to rip off the mask of his heroine and their bedroom activities are very steamy and hot.

This time Tessa gives the hero his due. Toby Aldridge puts Jeremy and Gray to shame. He is one hero who will have you swooning just like Isabel Grayson (the sister of the hero in Surrender the Siren) does.

Toby was first introduced in Goddess of the Hunt. Lucy, the heroine of that story wanted Toby for her own. He was also engaged to Sophia, who ended up jilting him in Surrender the Hunt. A Lady of Persuasion begins with Toby at a ball thinking about murdering someone. Not that Toby would ever think of going through such a horrible act, but Toby is upset and angry because the woman who left him at the altar has returned home with her new husband by her side. Her husband Benedict Grayson, or “the scoundrel who stole Toby’s bride, his future and his respectability” has returned to England and is welcomed back with open arms. Toby is not opening his arms. And you can’t blame the poor guy because he feels that he was ridiculed and embarrassed. Even though Toby wasn’t in love with Sophia, that fact of the matter is that she dared to marry a man with a shocking reputation, while Toby is everything proper. He has the credentials and respect. How could this woman leave him for a feared privateer?

As Toby stews, or rather pouts much like a little boy whose favorite toy was taken from him, he notices a lady who stands out from all the others. His mind, body and soul are overwhelmed by this beauty and Toby decides he wants her even though he has no clue who she is. It seems that his dark haired angel only has eyes for that dastardly privateer Grayson. Now Toby will have his revenge and steal the young woman’s favor from Grayson and make her turn her appreciation towards him.

The woman in question is Benedict Grayson’s sister Isabel. She thinks Toby is one of the most handsome men she has ever seen. She also thinks he is too perfect with his smooth poetic words and will simply not do as a husband.

Isabel comes to the conclusion that Toby isn’t a paragon of virtue. She needs to marry a man of honor and principles, one that won’t turn to any vices. Toby doesn’t understand why Isabel would want such a fuddy duddy. He doesn’t know that the reason Isabel wants this specific type of man is because of her mother’s own fiery natures that backfired on her. Isabel wants a life with a man that will be simple and understated. Unfortunately for Isabel the moment Toby walked into her life everything she wants no longer matters because Toby has laid claim to Isabel and won’t settle for anything less than marriage with her.

What Toby wants, he will get and maneuvers things in a way where Isabel accept his proposal. He promises Isabel something that he knows he cannot deliver. He lies, plain and simple, to get what he wants and even though he knows it will backfire on him, he hopes by the time Isabel finds out his deception, she will be so in love with him and will forgive him.

Now you are probably thinking what a low down dirty skunk Toby is for lying to Isabel right from the start of their relationship. I couldn’t help but think Toby was going to be in for a world of hurt because Isabel holds him in high esteem because of this promise he makes to her. But Toby wants to be that type of man Isabel can admire. Toby has a way of making Isabel desirable and loved. He uses those honey coated words of his to make her lose all sense. Toby wants to be Isabel’s knight in shining armor, her protector and hero.

Isabel comes across as a bit too righteous. The reasons stems from her past and because of her issues with her mother. Toby is the perfect man for her because he is able to show Isabel that the passion she holds deep inside of her is perfectly alright to give into, especially with him. And the intimacies Toby and Isabel share, and the emphasis on share, are steamy, emotional and some of the best I have read in any historical romance this year. These two cannot keep their hands off of one another.

Not only do we see Isabel and Toby together as married couple, and it was such a joy to see Toby loved being married (YAY to a hero who loves marriage), but we also see past characters such as Lucy and Jeremy. The scene where Lucy is going through labor is so laugh out loud hilarious and not to be missed. Also Tess makes sure to give Gray’s half-brother Joss, who made quite the impression in Surrender the Siren, his own story. Because I promised not to give anything away about Joss and what happens with him, I will say his was a very welcomed secondary one. I really wished Joss would have had his own book because his character is so interesting and just as worthy as the other Dare heroes.

A Lady of Persuasion is close to a perfect read as you can get. Toby and Isabel’s story was everything I was looking forward in a romance. ...more

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Jul 28, 2017 Saly rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, rom-historical, virgin-heroines

For me a heroine can make or break a story & in this one I thoroughly disliked the heroine. There was nothing special about her and I don't know why the hero put up with her.

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Mar 30, 2010 Maureen Feeney rated it liked it

Shelves: own-it, spring-challange

Jilted and now scandalous rake,Sir Toby Aldridge, sees his ex-fiance sophia and her husband Gray at a ball. He sees Gray's beautiful dance partner, and seeking revenge he whisks her away. When realising its Gray sister Isabel he does something rash, he proposes.

Isabel Gray while dancing with her brother is swept out on the balcony by a beautiful stranger. Isabel has a plan, she must marry a titled man with money, and political views. This way she can become a influential member of society so th ...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Ruth rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, series, bad-boy-badass-s-o-b-rake-hero, regency-victorian

I really didn't care for this one. I think with 3 stars I'm being really generous, since it was only by an incredible effort, and a lot of page skimming, that I managed to finish it.

I loved the hero, Toby. He's a perfect physical specimen, and blessed with the ability to not only charm ladies, but also to get on with them as well. He's perfectly happy to drift through life enjoying himself and making the lives of those around him more pleasant.

I have to admit, though, that I really disliked the ...more

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May 17, 2011 Mara rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical, romance, this-heroine-be-cray, you-think-you-so-smart

God, how I hated this heroine. She was absolutely obnoxious. I could see how she came to be that way, but I still found it hard to care for her. *insert random muttering and grumbling*

This book is a perfect example of why romance trilogies/series often piss me off. I liked the hero in the previous two books, he was a charming rogue. But then, in time for his own book, he got a personality transplant, and became this boring, eager to please, sappy wuss. WHY??? Was that really necessary, Dare? *in ...more

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Jul 09, 2017 Desi rated it really liked it

Forging steadfastly ahead past the first few shaky chapters with their weird setups, awkward characters' thoughts, and iffy premises, this book went from a rocky 2 star start to 4 star end. I've not read an author that pulled off a"Most Improved" in the middle of the actual book before.

Toby is a darling. It's been a while since I've encountered such a light hearted, charming yet deeply caring, open hearted lead male character. I love that his family was not the usual angsty variety too. I also Forging steadfastly ahead past the first few shaky chapters with their weird setups, awkward characters' thoughts, and iffy premises, this book went from a rocky 2 star start to 4 star end. I've not read an author that pulled off a"Most Improved" in the middle of the actual book before.

Toby is a darling. It's been a while since I've encountered such a light hearted, charming yet deeply caring, open hearted lead male character. I love that his family was not the usual angsty variety too. I also quite liked how much of the book was from the man's perspective.

Bel was too prissy and preachy but somehow she never became too grating as a character. The author always pulled back just as I was about to get irredeemably annoyed at her.

A different more relatable less self righteous heroine would have improved the book significantly. The scene where she presented him with the cane went a long way towards redeeming her. And Dayuummn the "You're not welcome. This is a family matter, not a charity event" line that Toby dropped on her later in the book was all kinds of stellar.

Once the marriage happens the book grows mightily and settles into a heartwarming rhythm with genuine emotions, endearing interactions, well done steamy scenes (plot appropriate and sensuous without being vulgar or repetitive), and actual character growth (less so on the Bel side of things).

It's flawed yes, (particularly that awkwardly squeezed in secondary romance that frankly should have been a separate novella) but the wallop it packs and the choice lines delivered makes it worthy of enjoyment despite its flaws, which frankly I don't feel the need to enumerate further.

LINES I LIKED

“I’m but a pauper next to you, but even we paupers have our pride. Perhaps I have just this one coin to give, but I should like to watch it glitter a bit, before you go burying it under ten-pound notes”

-----

She pulled back and studied him, that boundless trust shining in her eyes. “You would not ask it of me, if I could not.”

And right then, Toby knew. He knew he was doomed.

He could run for Parliament. He could win. He could become bloody Prime Minister and the Prince Regent’s closest adviser. He could travel to Ceylon and back just to bring her a cup of tea, converting a thousand heathens along the way—and he would still never live up to that look in her eyes. No man could. Someday, somehow, he would hurt her—and it would mean the end of everything. Oh, she would forgive him, generous soul that she was. They would still share a cordial affection. But she would never look at him like this again, as if … as if he deserved her faith in him. One day, they would both know he did not.

But for now—and for as long as he could keep it so—it remained Toby’s secret.

----

And when their lips met, the world stopped. God, he loved kissing her, nearly as much as he loved bedding her. Toby had never thought himself an especially fanciful fellow, but damned if there wasn’t something magical in the brush of her mouth against his. Not in the sense of fairy-story pixie dust or cauldrons bubbling with superstitious claptrap. Magic of the ancient, primeval sort. The unleashing of an elemental force.

----

Bel buried her face in the linen of his shirt, now softened with heat and the scents of both man and horse. And then she began to weep. “Yes, darling,” he murmured, stroking her back. “Go ahead, cry. The danger is over and you are unharmed, and for that you may weep just as long as you wish. Shed tears enough for us both, if you’d be so good.”

-----

“Still, at fourteen I had my dreams. Pictured myself charging around French battlefields, spilling Bonapartist blood.”

Toby laughed a little. Ah, to be young and spend hours spinning detailed, grandiose fantasies of changing the world. Isabel certainly wasn’t a girl any longer, but she’d somehow retained that youthful idealism he’d long outgrown. He didn’t always understand her zeal, but he did admire it. At times, he envied it. Honor, Justice, Charity … the way she pronounced those terms, he could hear the capital letters implied. They were words she spoke often, but never lightly.

----

Grinning like a fool, Toby adorned her gleaming ebony crown with the ivy wreath he’d fashioned, then framed her bewildered smile in his hands.

“Isabel, I know I’ve told you this a hundred times or more. And now I regret not saving the words for this moment. For that matter, I regret ever speaking them to anyone else, because now the words seem too paltry, too common. Completely inadequate. But I promise you, I’ve never meant them more honestly than I do right here, right now. You are … beautiful. Truly, you take my breath away.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, my. Now that was impressive indeed.”

“Was it?”

“Yes,” she laughed. “Even I’m breathless, and I’m not romantic by nature. I can’t imagine what that little speech must have done to your young, impressionable ladies.”

------

“The way the note hangs in the air, even after she ceases to sing ... I know I’m not actually hearing it any longer, but I feel it, resonating in the air. In me.”

He was silent. Bel’s cheeks heated. She must sound ridiculous and naïve.

“I understand perfectly,” he finally said. His voice held no trace of amusement—only warmth and tenderness. “I think I feel that way sometimes, when I’m parted from you. Even when you’re not with me, it’s like … there’s an echo of you that settles in my chest.” He lifted her hand from her lap and brought it to his lips, then pressed it to his solar plexus. “Here. I feel you here, always. Sometimes it hurts.”
...more

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Jul 30, 2009 Courtney Milan rated it it was amazing

A Lady of Persuasion is the final book in Tessa Dare's trilogy, and it’s the story of Toby—Lucy’s school-girl crush from Goddess of the Hunt (which you should have already purchased). It’s also the story of Bel, Gray’s sister, from Surrender of a Siren. Which, y’know, you should already have purchased, too. Sorry. Not trying to make you feel guilty.

But speaking of which, A Lady of Persuasion is a book about guilt. It takes Isabel, a lady who is afraid of feeling good, and in fact, feels guilty w ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 K. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, audience-adult, historical-fiction, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-uk

Trigger warnings: death of a friend, death of a spouse (in the past), difficult childbirth, slut shaming?? Sort of???, gun violence, lying.

Definitely my least favourite of the three, and possibly my least favourite Tessa Dare book overall. Bel was...kind of insufferable with her relentless dogooding, and Toby was. Hmm. Not exactly controlling, but he spent a lot of time being all "WE ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED" and then lying to get out of the conditions that Bel wanted if they did get married. Or ...more

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Apr 01, 2014 Tandie rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fic, romance, disappointments

I've read some of Dare's other books & enjoyed them. I just couldn't get into this one. Lots of skimming! I wanted to kick Mr. Nancy-pants (Toby) in the teeth. Bell was a walking/talking contradiction. She's run out of charitable causes, so she decides she's going to marry for a title and money -then use her new status to take do-gooding to a new height. I guess she feels like it's okay to be a fortune hunter if you're going to use your husbands status & money to make a real difference i ...more

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May 02, 2019 Allison Merkey rated it liked it

A haiku review

Bel is too preachy
Toby is a whiny boy
Side stories are good

Thank you.

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Mar 31, 2016 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-completed

Oh dear lord. Here I am again. A Lady of Persuasion is officially my least favorite Tessa Dare book, and hopefully that will remain the case. There are still some awesome, unique things for a historical romance, but also I unship the main ship, which is sort of hard to get around.

Here’s the problem: I don’t like Toby much. He puts women on a pedestal and he’s a flirt, which is fine, except that he’s a smarmy flirt. Also, he sets out for Isabel because she’s dancing with Gray and he wants to get Oh dear lord. Here I am again. A Lady of Persuasion is officially my least favorite Tessa Dare book, and hopefully that will remain the case. There are still some awesome, unique things for a historical romance, but also I unship the main ship, which is sort of hard to get around.

Here’s the problem: I don’t like Toby much. He puts women on a pedestal and he’s a flirt, which is fine, except that he’s a smarmy flirt. Also, he sets out for Isabel because she’s dancing with Gray and he wants to get one up on Gray. Serious ew. Why would I ship him with her?

Setting that aside, the two are a horrible match. She agrees to marry him because he promises to be something he’s not and doesn’t plan to be: an MP. He marries her because she’s hot and he can get his own back with Gray, who married Sophia, his former fiancee. The two go on absolutely horrid dates and don’t share any of the same interests, aside from banging each other. I felt that connection in the other books in this series, but I really don’t see it here. All they have is sex, and that’s not enough. It’s not even as enjoyable to read about because I don’t like them.

I wish I liked Isabel, but the way that she’s treated in the text is truly awful. She ought to be this strong character, who cares fiercely about helping the poor and has fierce morals. However, she’s treated as more of a comical figure, alternating between a serious but slightly dumb angel and a fiery Latin beauty. People win arguments with her by saying things to her that make no sense, and she gets confused and goes along with their plans.

However, I did enjoy the fact that the other characters from the series get a fair amount of camera time. One of my favorites scenes was actually Lucy giving birth and giving Jeremy hell, because they were my favorite ship of the series.

Though actually they might not have been my favorite ship if the ship from this book that I actually loved had been the focal point, rather than shunted off to the side. Hetta and Joss only get a few scenes together, and their relationship building takes a lot of sudden leaps because they don’t get a lot of time together. That book, though, I would have LOVED because they understand each other in a very real way, since they both work hard to be respected in roles society doesn’t want them to have, her as a lady doctor and him as a black gentleman. I love that Dare put this in at all, because I don’t think I’ve ever read a historical romance with a black character before, let alone one who gets a ship. If only it had been THEIR book.

Dare does some really great stuff in this book, but you have to struggle through the heinously bad main ship to get to it. ...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Kate rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2012, romance, regency-romance

I found this book really disappointing, mostly because I found Isabel borderline insufferable. For all her so-called angelic goodness, she was completely selfish and very self-centered. She was a know-it-all and self-righteous and I spent half the book wanting to give her a good shake. Every time she started nagging Toby to do these things that she wanted without thinking about him at all? I went a little nuts. She was also sort of hopelessly naive, and I didn't understand that at all. How can s ...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Sadie rated it did not like it

Shelves: type-fiction, medium-book, g-romance, 1-star-didn-t-like, read-in-2011, read-in-english, read-author-female

What a disappointment. After a really good first part and a second solid, I felt rather let down by this final part of the trilogy. I just didn't like it. I never felt any sort of attachment to the (main) characters. I didn't understand any of their "problems" or motives, and the "drama" part was too shallow. It felt as if there wasn't any resemblences of plot at all. Everything happened so fast, I was always waiting for something big to happen, some event that might give this story some directi ...more

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Oct 13, 2014 Mei rated it liked it

Shelves: historical

I'm disappointed... This series started so well, but with each book the rating went down one star... :(

I was so curious to read Toby's story... but it just didn't live up to the expectations!

Toby was really immature. I couldn't get why he didn't want to do anything with his life! He had a wonderful family, didn't have an abusive father, a shrew of a mother, odious sister/brother... So why???? He was like a butterfly: very decorative a nice to look upon, but without substance.

And Isabel... She wa ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 Zel Polev rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this was on its way to be the best book in the series. I mean, I guess it is, but not because it was great but because the other books weren't good. I docked points because the resolution wasn't satisfying.

The book started out very promisingly and it was on its track to become a good book. Isabel and Toby were a great pairing. Isabel was this charitable and serious lady and Toby was the laissez faire decadent gentleman. I liked his efforts to get her to loosen up and I liked the idea o I thought this was on its way to be the best book in the series. I mean, I guess it is, but not because it was great but because the other books weren't good. I docked points because the resolution wasn't satisfying.

The book started out very promisingly and it was on its track to become a good book. Isabel and Toby were a great pairing. Isabel was this charitable and serious lady and Toby was the laissez faire decadent gentleman. I liked his efforts to get her to loosen up and I liked the idea of her educating Toby. Where did it go wrong? The middle and the end. The character development was nowhere to be found. I mean I guess they found their resolution but it was atrocious. I found myself rolling my eyes and confounded as to why they came to the conclusion that they did. Specifically, the hero really got insufferable as the story went on. He went on and on with his self pity on the fact that Isabel didn't return his love. First of all, she is not obligated to love the hero simply because the hero loved her. He was so obsessed about whether she loved him or not that he didn't stop to think whether she should.

Instead of doing things that she loved, he only did things that satisfied him. I couldn't believe the self indulgent thoughts he had and it was near the end of the book. Surely, he has to realize what an ass he was. He gets there near the end but it wasn't worth trudging through the middle and end parts. Even then, it was one line and I wasn't convinced he really loved her in a healthy way. What made it all the more frustrating was she told him what she wanted. She wanted a husband that helped her with her charity. That is it. Charity was a big cause for her and instead of doing anything to further what she wanted, he was more concentrated on bending her to his needs. It was so frustrating. I'm also not happy with the resolution of her coming to him. I think the author tried to make her hang ups about love to be a big deal but it came across as contrived. I felt like it was just there to even out the playing field because he was being an ass and her coming to him to resolve their conflict is a bit ridiculous. She had a reasonable bone to pick with him, which is her marriage is predicated on a life. Her only stipulation to marry him was she wanted to advance her charitable causes. He lied to her, promising that he would help her cause. Not only did he not do the bare minimum, he actively undermined her efforts when he ruined his name and later hers when he published stories in the scandal sheets. He didn't have a bone to pick with her. His issue was that his love was unrequited. She wasn't obligated to return his feelings and it is really hard to sympathize with him when she tells him everyday what is important to her and he undermines it. She wasn't asking for the moon and he whines about how he can't meet her expectations. I really hated the way he talked about her not returning his feelings. It had the tone of him putting the blame on her. It was galling because he gave himself the absolution that he wasn't the problem and he very much was.

The story had a promising start and very questionable ending.

My favourite part was Isabel refusing to eat ice. She didn't know where the sugar was sourced from. She was morally opposed against using sugar that came from places that treat their workers poorly. She saw first hand how the plantations were ran and only consumed from places that supported human rights. I thought this was the promising part of the story. He could get her to loosen up. She could educate him and be a better person. Sadly, what ensued is none of those situations. He was too absorbed in what he wanted instead of being proactive and self reflective on his shortcomings.

The story revolves around Isabel and Toby. Toby was attracted to her from the beginning. I rolled my eyes when the conflict about him wanting to get back at Sophia and Gray came up. No. It was not that. It was just inserted here and there to create a conflict. However, it was out of character for a guy who complied with Sophia and Gray's story when he could have ruined them if he wanted to.

Isabel told him of her desire to find a husband soon. She wanted to be a lady of influence so she can help those in need. He proposed to her. He gave her the impression that she could help her in her goals and she accepted.

She was a very serious person. He found her endearing. He fell for her and was quite absorbed in getting her to return his love. Meanwhile, he was lying to her about his efforts in the political sphere. He had no intentions of winning the campaign. He was adamant that she not find out about this.

They fell for each other.

They had a big fight when she discovered that he had no intentions of winning. She overheard him talking to the cartoonist. There was a recent unflattering image of her in the cartoon. She found out that he had been paying the cartoonist to draw unflattering image of him so he could lose the election. When that hadn't been working, the cartoonist turned his eyes on her. They fought. He left the house. He left because he was being a gentleman about the fight when in reality, the fight came about because he was being a lying ass. He had to attend to the death of a father figure and that gave the excuse for him to leave.

They continued with their lives. She advanced her charitable works by demonstrating the machine alternative to child labour. He attended to his political duties. Now that his political opposition died, he was the clear favourite to win.

They reunited when she came to him. He also reflected a bit on his actions. They got back together.

...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, books-i-own, tessa-dare

Loved this book, Loved this series, and Love this new author!! I actually won this book from Tessa Dare's website and she wrote a little note in it and autographed it! This book was my favorite of the three in the trilogy.

Toby was so sweet, funny, charming and such a gentleman! I am so glad he got his happy ending! I have been able to relate to the leading females in each of the three books in one way or another. It was so wonderful reading their stories and watching them grow and work through ...more

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Oct 27, 2009 Missy Ann rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical, library-borrowed, romance, life-is-too-short

Made it almost a third of the way in. I can't stand it. It's awful. I want to choke the life out of Bel. It's a shame, I really like the first book - but this one was a waste of time.

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Sep 26, 2009 Anne rated it liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, read-in-2009, romance, trashy-romance-novel

It's a good book, but I got a little tired of Isabel's angelic nature. Honestly, I prefer a heroine with a little more spunk.

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Oct 09, 2017 Kelly rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical, romance

Before starting this massive Tessa Dare re-read, I'd actually managed never to read this one. It's... not my favorite. Mostly because the hero, Toby, spends the entire book lying to the heroine under the assumption that as soon as he gets her with child, all of her ambitions will disappear. Yuck. Also, the heroine, Bel, is disturbingly isolated (home girl has no friends, really) and has disturbing ideas about marital relations.

There are a couple of scenes that are really interesting (the cravat ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Jenifer rated it liked it

Shelves: period-romance

This book took me a very long time to read and it was because I just didn't care enough for any of the characters to want to keep reading. There was more insight into the Toby character from book 1 in this book and it was good to see his POV, however, the story when told from Isabel's POV or anything really that had to do with her character was awful. She was the worst written character I've read in a long time. I found myself craving the parts of the book when Hetta and Joss were involved as th ...more

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Apr 16, 2017 Nyra rated it it was amazing

PERFECTO. 4.5

No logro entender como otros han dado baja a puntuacion a a este libro. Para mi el libro de Toby fue el mejor, les explico porque: es osado, perverso, romantico pero dolorosamente enternecedor, posee alguno que otro estancamiento en Isabel, pero Toby lo compenso con creces. Tengo una unica queja y es con Joss, hermano de Isabel, no entiendo porque la autora no consideró la posibilidad de un libro adicional para su historia, desde la segunda parte de esta trilogia esperaba una secue ...more

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About Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare

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Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen historical romance novels and five novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award (twice!) and the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellen ...more