What do you think?
Rate this book
Accidental Brides #1
Viscount in Love
Two eccentric orphans bring together a grumpy viscount and the free-spirited heroine who steals his heart in the first novel in Eloisa James's new Accidental Brides series, in which haughty aristocrats find themselves married to the wrong women.
He wants a nanny, not a bride...
Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady--until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée's unconventional sister. Torie isn't perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he's actually chosen her.
She wants to marry for love...
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is... but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny.
But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he'll have to give all he has to win her love.
He wants a nanny, not a bride...
Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady--until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée's unconventional sister. Torie isn't perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he's actually chosen her.
She wants to marry for love...
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is... but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny.
But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he'll have to give all he has to win her love.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 23, 2024
442 people are currently reading
8228 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,513 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 635 reviews
April 7, 2024
✨If he doesn’t start stripping mid-conversation to convince me to marry his gorgeous, gorgeous body, what’s even the point???✨
Do you ever read a book that basically cycles through all the star ratings? Like I thought this was going to be a two star book at points and then there were five star worthy scenes because I was GIGGLING…like that man was so unserious. Spoiler alert that’s not a spoiler because you can see my rating, I ended up really liking it and giving it four stars.
There were a lot of positive reviews that convinced me to read it, so me ultimately enjoying it is not that surprising, but there were definitely points where I was like YOU ALL ARE LYING LIARS WHO LIED. And then I calmed down and realized that yeah they kinda spilled. It was rather fun to see how it would all end up for me because I ended up just fighting with myself over things I thought I was angry about but were actually fine.
To be fair, and to get it out of the way (which I guess is kind of a spoiler but it SHOULDN’T be because Eloisa is lucky I didn’t DNF), that man did not have a mistress at all during their relationship!!! But she makes you think he did, and I was SEETHING. I was still rightfully mad that he was mad that she even made the request to not have a mistress, because according to him, “it’s just what men do.” But in my opinion, he actually came back from this quite well, and I loved his development and subsequent grovel.
My most favorite part was when he was trying to show off his muscles—because she made a comment about liking an actor’s body—by casually stripping in front of her mid conversation. I really wish I could quote from ARCs because honestly, I think that scene is enough to sell the book. It should definitely be the little teaser included at the beginning.
Bonus points for nose kisses (personal favorite), stomach rubbing when she was stressed ??? (us cancerian girlies with stomach issues really won here!!!!), him getting very turned on by the thought of her being swollen with his child (another personal favorite), neurodivergent heroine (dyslexia), competence porn, baby bunnies, chaotic children, a hero who really puts in the work, plus a fun twist at the end. I’m definitely coming back for book two!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5/5
CWs: Dyslexia (I’m only mentioning this as a trigger because she was treated very poorly by society, her family, and even the hero at times for not being able to read, which could potentially be painful for some readers.)
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Avon Books. All opinions are honest and my own.
Do you ever read a book that basically cycles through all the star ratings? Like I thought this was going to be a two star book at points and then there were five star worthy scenes because I was GIGGLING…like that man was so unserious. Spoiler alert that’s not a spoiler because you can see my rating, I ended up really liking it and giving it four stars.
There were a lot of positive reviews that convinced me to read it, so me ultimately enjoying it is not that surprising, but there were definitely points where I was like YOU ALL ARE LYING LIARS WHO LIED. And then I calmed down and realized that yeah they kinda spilled. It was rather fun to see how it would all end up for me because I ended up just fighting with myself over things I thought I was angry about but were actually fine.
To be fair, and to get it out of the way (which I guess is kind of a spoiler but it SHOULDN’T be because Eloisa is lucky I didn’t DNF), that man did not have a mistress at all during their relationship!!! But she makes you think he did, and I was SEETHING. I was still rightfully mad that he was mad that she even made the request to not have a mistress, because according to him, “it’s just what men do.” But in my opinion, he actually came back from this quite well, and I loved his development and subsequent grovel.
My most favorite part was when he was trying to show off his muscles—because she made a comment about liking an actor’s body—by casually stripping in front of her mid conversation. I really wish I could quote from ARCs because honestly, I think that scene is enough to sell the book. It should definitely be the little teaser included at the beginning.
Bonus points for nose kisses (personal favorite), stomach rubbing when she was stressed ??? (us cancerian girlies with stomach issues really won here!!!!), him getting very turned on by the thought of her being swollen with his child (another personal favorite), neurodivergent heroine (dyslexia), competence porn, baby bunnies, chaotic children, a hero who really puts in the work, plus a fun twist at the end. I’m definitely coming back for book two!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5/5
CWs: Dyslexia (I’m only mentioning this as a trigger because she was treated very poorly by society, her family, and even the hero at times for not being able to read, which could potentially be painful for some readers.)
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Avon Books. All opinions are honest and my own.
October 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it and give it a 4.5* rating. The book is the first in a series that I plan to continue reading. If you get upset in the middle of the book KEEP READING! The plot is different in that the character is unable to read (the author mentions dyslexia in her notes) but has other attributes that really make her quite brilliant. I did "feel" a bit of modern historical (if I like a book, I can overlook this....I liked this book). I enjoyed that the period is Georgian just as styles are starting to change. The children are precocious and written a bit more modern (again my thoughts and my quibbles). The story takes place over several years and we learn about their backgrounds and the effects parenting has on them.
November 5, 2024
Dominic desired a conventional, reserved, competent wife who would keep his house, keep her distance, and have no objections to him keeping his mistress. Leonora Sutton was the perfect choice. Everyone thought so, except Leonora, who avoided setting a wedding date for two+ years until she met his newly inherited and very odd niece and nephew and decided to run off with an old lord with less bulky thighs than Dominic’s. Dominic was a little relieved, privately, to be shed of the cold Leonora and decided her vivacious sister, Torie, who wore low-cut gowns and who had bonded with his niece and nephew instantly, would do instead.
Torie had long admired the bulky thighs of her sister’s fiancé, but little else: he was a temperamental, arrogant, supercilious man who had deliberately chosen her rule-bound sister for his wife and Torie knew she didn’t meet his requirements. She refused him. And refused him. And then he took his shirt off and flung himself over a gold brocade settee—much as depicted on the cover of this book—and Torie changed her mind. I ask you: who could blame her.
What follows is the masterfully written story of how two disparate people overcome damaging personal backgrounds and small moments of misunderstanding and large moments of carelessness and disrespect to arrive at trust and love. The conversations were insightful, the bedroom scenes were hot and joyful, the mistakes each made were hurtful. The emotions ran deep.
I loved it.
I would also love to read Florence and Valentine’s book someday. I say “book” instead of “books” because they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Torie had long admired the bulky thighs of her sister’s fiancé, but little else: he was a temperamental, arrogant, supercilious man who had deliberately chosen her rule-bound sister for his wife and Torie knew she didn’t meet his requirements. She refused him. And refused him. And then he took his shirt off and flung himself over a gold brocade settee—much as depicted on the cover of this book—and Torie changed her mind. I ask you: who could blame her.
What follows is the masterfully written story of how two disparate people overcome damaging personal backgrounds and small moments of misunderstanding and large moments of carelessness and disrespect to arrive at trust and love. The conversations were insightful, the bedroom scenes were hot and joyful, the mistakes each made were hurtful. The emotions ran deep.
I loved it.
I would also love to read Florence and Valentine’s book someday. I say “book” instead of “books” because they wouldn’t have it any other way.
July 28, 2024
Grumpy/sunshine! In love with the wrong sister! Precocious kids! Just a few things you'll find in Viscount in Love.
FMC Torie can't read; MMC Dom puts a lot of weight on "intelligence." They've been attracted to each other ever since they met, but he was engaged to her sister the whole time (Two. Years.). Now, he's inherited the guardianship of his sisters' naughty, neglected children, and his fiancee can't stand them. Torie loves them, though, and Dom finds that he might have chosen the wrong sister...
James's prose is always a strength. We really liked the way she put these two characters together. Torie's determination not to flinch when society doesn't value her could make her seem like a Pollyanna character, but we read it as a validation of her feminine attributes in the face of adversity. Plus Dom basically has the physique of a lumberjack, which is always an asset.
8-Word Summaries:
Meg: Dominic chose Torie’s sister, but she un-chooses him.
Laine: Torie may be dyslexic, but she reads Dominic.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
FMC Torie can't read; MMC Dom puts a lot of weight on "intelligence." They've been attracted to each other ever since they met, but he was engaged to her sister the whole time (Two. Years.). Now, he's inherited the guardianship of his sisters' naughty, neglected children, and his fiancee can't stand them. Torie loves them, though, and Dom finds that he might have chosen the wrong sister...
James's prose is always a strength. We really liked the way she put these two characters together. Torie's determination not to flinch when society doesn't value her could make her seem like a Pollyanna character, but we read it as a validation of her feminine attributes in the face of adversity. Plus Dom basically has the physique of a lumberjack, which is always an asset.
8-Word Summaries:
Meg: Dominic chose Torie’s sister, but she un-chooses him.
Laine: Torie may be dyslexic, but she reads Dominic.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
February 3, 2025
Wow! I have read and enjoyed every one of Eloisa James' outstanding novels, and this fabulous novel has become my new favorite! It has likable, engaging, well developed protagonists, endearing children, wit, humor, laugh out loud moments, and a gratifying conclusion. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Mary Jane Wells, does an excellent job voicing the characters. I am looking forward to reading Clara's story with great anticipation.
November 11, 2024
Disclaimer: I started this story knowing full well that I normally do not enjoy this author’s storytelling. So this is all on me, as several of my friends that do enjoy Eloisa James either loved or really enjoyed this story. But the cover, and several cute reviews reeled me in for a little looky loo!
Not the worst story I’ve read recently, yet not the best! For me, it was in classic Eloisa James’s style of being a tad rom-com, cartoonish. The beginning part of the story was a bit slow for me… Everyone and their brother, the heroine included, belittled her for her dyslexia, the heroine’s sister was a horrid ice princess that insists to follow the rules of society (yet causes scandal to elope with a man she doesn’t love old enough to be her grandfather), they had a drunk father that didn’t bat an eye at reneging on a £10,000 bride payment, the hero did not feel grumpy or rude to me, a lot of focus on the orphaned twins (the hero’s niece/nephew) that were cute enough, but rather overly interested in morbid topics. A lot going on, a seemingly decent adventurous storyline that Eloisa James created, it just didn’t grab me right away.
So once the hero started to pursue the heroine, to convince her to marry him, that finally grabbed my interest. My favorite part was the angst and panic feeling from the hero when they started to discuss whether he is allowed to keep his mistress or not. After they got married though, I really didn’t feel any major angst again, they were immediately very enthusiastic about sharing the marriage bed and were on the same page…. The most enjoyable parts of the story for me were definitely the scenes the hero and heroine shared, to see their journey to admit their love to each other.
A lot of focus was on her painting, the forever pooping rabbits, her being seen as just a nanny to the twins, her not being able to read (wasn’t it encouraged for women to NOT be too educated anyways?) and for him always yelling and having a bad temper.
My only complaint would be a little too much of off/on telling and not showing. One example: I never really felt like I saw the hero lose his temper, even though we are told of it very often. He was nothing but a big teddy bear for the heroine, he was so captivated by her.
Regardless, I’m glad read this once and gave it a try!
Not the worst story I’ve read recently, yet not the best! For me, it was in classic Eloisa James’s style of being a tad rom-com, cartoonish. The beginning part of the story was a bit slow for me… Everyone and their brother, the heroine included, belittled her for her dyslexia, the heroine’s sister was a horrid ice princess that insists to follow the rules of society (yet causes scandal to elope with a man she doesn’t love old enough to be her grandfather), they had a drunk father that didn’t bat an eye at reneging on a £10,000 bride payment, the hero did not feel grumpy or rude to me, a lot of focus on the orphaned twins (the hero’s niece/nephew) that were cute enough, but rather overly interested in morbid topics. A lot going on, a seemingly decent adventurous storyline that Eloisa James created, it just didn’t grab me right away.
So once the hero started to pursue the heroine, to convince her to marry him, that finally grabbed my interest. My favorite part was the angst and panic feeling from the hero when they started to discuss whether he is allowed to keep his mistress or not. After they got married though, I really didn’t feel any major angst again, they were immediately very enthusiastic about sharing the marriage bed and were on the same page…. The most enjoyable parts of the story for me were definitely the scenes the hero and heroine shared, to see their journey to admit their love to each other.
A lot of focus was on her painting, the forever pooping rabbits, her being seen as just a nanny to the twins, her not being able to read (wasn’t it encouraged for women to NOT be too educated anyways?) and for him always yelling and having a bad temper.
My only complaint would be a little too much of off/on telling and not showing. One example: I never really felt like I saw the hero lose his temper, even though we are told of it very often. He was nothing but a big teddy bear for the heroine, he was so captivated by her.
Regardless, I’m glad read this once and gave it a try!
September 13, 2024
Marriage of convenience brings a domineering Viscount to his knees but he kind of deserves it! 🔥
When her sister dips on the (ex)fiancé, Victoria is devastated because she actually loved her soon-to-be niece/nephew. How fortunate that the jilted groom will be satisfied with his replacement bride but TORIE IS PISSED! 🔥 She knows Dominic wanted a prim bride that could hold ‘intelligent’ conversations and Torie is well…severely dyslexic and the society mocks her for that. Despite being one of the best female painters in England, the men in Torie’s life continue to belittle her successes, and that includes Dom. This tumultuous relationship is high on lust and low on trust as Dom and Torie challenge each other every step of the way ✨
Favorite moments
🎨 he proposes by taking off his shirt and flexing his muscles
🎨 fmc that likes to walk to her own beat
🎨 hilariously eccentric twins full of morbid creativity
🎨 very spicy historical!
🎨 when he says “I’m on my knees in front of my wife because she owns me”
The plot was really pushing the narrative of ‘how wrong it is to call people fools’, which I assume was in reference to Torie’s immense intelligence despite her learning disability. That being said…I couldn’t believe how incredible FOOLISH Dominic was. I’m sorry but I firmly believe some people are in fact fools!! He took his former mistress to the opera a day before his wedding to Torrie *shock and dismay* (albeit unintentionally) he calls Torie’s magnificent paintings ‘nice’ and ‘meticulous’ 🖌️ men can be such fools!!
I’m excited to follow this new series as more books are added!
marriage of convenience
sister’s ex-fiancé
single dad (adopted children)
stubborn fmc/mmc
fmc with learning disability
virgin fmc
spicy historical!
grovel session 🧎🏽♂️
abolitionist movement
HEA
When her sister dips on the (ex)fiancé, Victoria is devastated because she actually loved her soon-to-be niece/nephew. How fortunate that the jilted groom will be satisfied with his replacement bride but TORIE IS PISSED! 🔥 She knows Dominic wanted a prim bride that could hold ‘intelligent’ conversations and Torie is well…severely dyslexic and the society mocks her for that. Despite being one of the best female painters in England, the men in Torie’s life continue to belittle her successes, and that includes Dom. This tumultuous relationship is high on lust and low on trust as Dom and Torie challenge each other every step of the way ✨
Favorite moments
🎨 he proposes by taking off his shirt and flexing his muscles
🎨 fmc that likes to walk to her own beat
🎨 hilariously eccentric twins full of morbid creativity
🎨 very spicy historical!
🎨 when he says “I’m on my knees in front of my wife because she owns me”
The plot was really pushing the narrative of ‘how wrong it is to call people fools’, which I assume was in reference to Torie’s immense intelligence despite her learning disability. That being said…I couldn’t believe how incredible FOOLISH Dominic was. I’m sorry but I firmly believe some people are in fact fools!! He took his former mistress to the opera a day before his wedding to Torrie *shock and dismay* (albeit unintentionally) he calls Torie’s magnificent paintings ‘nice’ and ‘meticulous’ 🖌️ men can be such fools!!
I’m excited to follow this new series as more books are added!
marriage of convenience
sister’s ex-fiancé
single dad (adopted children)
stubborn fmc/mmc
fmc with learning disability
virgin fmc
spicy historical!
grovel session 🧎🏽♂️
abolitionist movement
HEA
November 7, 2024
3.60⭐️ Overall entertaining.
A stellar first act bridged an interminably soggy second act before reuniting with a not out-of-line 3rd act breakup. Bonus points for a surprising finale reveal and a cherry-on-top epilogue.
What I Liked
🐰Twin kiddos, Valentine andWednesday Addams Florence. Their chemistry with Torie was adorable.
🐰Dominic’s pursuit of Torie. And, yeah, they were made for each other. It brought out all my matchmaker instincts.
🐰Appearances from the Duke and Duchess of Huntington (“Not That Duke”). I loved that the Grange resembled sleepaway camp.
🐰A cover illustration that actually matched a scene!
🐰🐰 Bunnies!
What Didn’t Quite Work
🤔 A lack of follow through for Leonora, Lord Bufford, and Sir William. In the same vein, too much telling instead of showing with the Duke of Queensberry. I really wanted a scene between him and Dom.
🤔 That second act! I don’t even know where to start. The plot yielded to a long lust break. Spice is nice, but it felt like author pandering. I also couldn’t buy the miscommunication between Torie and Dom. James had repeatedly made the point that both had sharply honed communication skills, then pfft!
🤔Anachronisms like, “hands-on,” “even playing field,” and “good job.” Is this an HR or a workplace romance?
Bottom line: Cute! My thanks to Gloria for her beguiling review and Nora who encouraged me to read it.
A stellar first act bridged an interminably soggy second act before reuniting with a not out-of-line 3rd act breakup. Bonus points for a surprising finale reveal and a cherry-on-top epilogue.
What I Liked
🐰Twin kiddos, Valentine and
🐰Dominic’s pursuit of Torie. And, yeah, they were made for each other. It brought out all my matchmaker instincts.
🐰Appearances from the Duke and Duchess of Huntington (“Not That Duke”). I loved that the Grange resembled sleepaway camp.
🐰A cover illustration that actually matched a scene!
🐰🐰 Bunnies!
What Didn’t Quite Work
🤔 A lack of follow through for Leonora, Lord Bufford, and Sir William. In the same vein, too much telling instead of showing with the Duke of Queensberry. I really wanted a scene between him and Dom.
🤔 That second act! I don’t even know where to start. The plot yielded to a long lust break. Spice is nice, but it felt like author pandering. I also couldn’t buy the miscommunication between Torie and Dom. James had repeatedly made the point that both had sharply honed communication skills, then pfft!
🤔Anachronisms like, “hands-on,” “even playing field,” and “good job.” Is this an HR or a workplace romance?
Bottom line: Cute! My thanks to Gloria for her beguiling review and Nora who encouraged me to read it.
September 29, 2024
Viscount in Love by Eloisa James
Accidental Brides series #1. Historical regency romance.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is seeking to be a guardian to twins from one his father’s mistresses. While his father never acknowledged the twins, Dominic sees the facial similarities and knows that are his step brother and sister. He felt comfortable going after the guardianship until his betrothed elopes with someone else. With a court date upcoming and a known judge for denying rights, Dominic turns to Torie, his former fiancé’s unconventional sister.
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page. Everyone in the ton knows that Torie cannot read. But just because she cannot read, doesn’t mean that she can’t teach the twins some valuable lessons. They marry for the twins. Respect is something each will have to learn if they are continue with their ruse for the judge and their continued coexistence.
From a time before dyslexia is publicly defined or understood, Torie has to survive in a world a debutant or heiress may not need to read but must certainly be cognizant of society rules. She may make light of her not being able to read but without understanding why, can she fully accept it? She has the benefit of money and privilege but in reality not everyone was taught to read. It’s an interesting concept. Here, Torie has turned to art for herself and to help the twins ease into their new home. But more than reading needs to work between Torie and Dominic to get the judge to see their marriage is real.
I admired Dominic for his dedication to the twins. I think he missed the mark with Torie. They do have physical attraction on their side though and that helps.
A wonderfully written romance can overcome any shortcomings. This is one of those authors.
Accidental Brides series #1. Historical regency romance.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is seeking to be a guardian to twins from one his father’s mistresses. While his father never acknowledged the twins, Dominic sees the facial similarities and knows that are his step brother and sister. He felt comfortable going after the guardianship until his betrothed elopes with someone else. With a court date upcoming and a known judge for denying rights, Dominic turns to Torie, his former fiancé’s unconventional sister.
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page. Everyone in the ton knows that Torie cannot read. But just because she cannot read, doesn’t mean that she can’t teach the twins some valuable lessons. They marry for the twins. Respect is something each will have to learn if they are continue with their ruse for the judge and their continued coexistence.
From a time before dyslexia is publicly defined or understood, Torie has to survive in a world a debutant or heiress may not need to read but must certainly be cognizant of society rules. She may make light of her not being able to read but without understanding why, can she fully accept it? She has the benefit of money and privilege but in reality not everyone was taught to read. It’s an interesting concept. Here, Torie has turned to art for herself and to help the twins ease into their new home. But more than reading needs to work between Torie and Dominic to get the judge to see their marriage is real.
I admired Dominic for his dedication to the twins. I think he missed the mark with Torie. They do have physical attraction on their side though and that helps.
A wonderfully written romance can overcome any shortcomings. This is one of those authors.
October 2, 2025
charming as all get out. peak historical romance
March 9, 2024
Victoria Sutton will not lust after her sister’s fiancé. No matter how handsome he may appear to be. He’s terribly mean, well suited to her beautifully cruel sister, and she’s thought more than once how lucky she is that he’s betrothed to Leonora and not her. She won’t sacrifice her happiness for a loveless marriage, and she could never be with a man like him. Her sister likes to list off all the reasons Torie isn’t suited for marriage, but no one could predict how Leonora would react when the Viscount suddenly becomes the guardian of his niece and nephew. As much as Leonora likes to boast that she’s the more sought after woman, it couldn’t be clearer that Torie is more fit for motherhood.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is a man obsessed. Nobody has after described him as being lovestruck until his wife steals his heart. She’s feisty, eccentric, and his perfect match. She also refuses to marry him. He doesn’t know the first thing about raising two (absolutely wild) children, but he won’t be doing it alone. Not if he can help it.
These books are laced with something addicting. I couldn’t put this one down. I couldn’t stop giggling. I had actual BUTTERFLIES reading this book. To the point where my stomach physically hurt. This man is so attractive!!! And Torie is the cutest human ever. I was so immediately invested in these characters and desperately needed them to find their happily ever after.
All the characters were fun in their own way but the kids really stole the show. Because, of course, Dominic couldn’t just gain custody of your run of the mill kids… Instead he got two absolute characters! The twins are obsessed with death and hilariously misbehaved.
I love how Dominic became a champion for his wife and wouldn’t stand for anyone making fun of her. This book had great disability rep for dyslexia, in a time where there wasn’t a word for it. It was so interesting to see how Torie was treated, and the way her struggles were handled. I especially liked that it doesn’t stop her from being successful.
I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the copy of this eARC. It was excellent and reminded me why I love historical romance so much. I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more from this series. I loved that even though we know which characters are endgame from the start, it was still a fascinating journey to see how the plot drives them together. I need more YESTERDAY, but I’m so happy that I have plenty of Eloisa James books to catch up on while I wait.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is a man obsessed. Nobody has after described him as being lovestruck until his wife steals his heart. She’s feisty, eccentric, and his perfect match. She also refuses to marry him. He doesn’t know the first thing about raising two (absolutely wild) children, but he won’t be doing it alone. Not if he can help it.
These books are laced with something addicting. I couldn’t put this one down. I couldn’t stop giggling. I had actual BUTTERFLIES reading this book. To the point where my stomach physically hurt. This man is so attractive!!! And Torie is the cutest human ever. I was so immediately invested in these characters and desperately needed them to find their happily ever after.
All the characters were fun in their own way but the kids really stole the show. Because, of course, Dominic couldn’t just gain custody of your run of the mill kids… Instead he got two absolute characters! The twins are obsessed with death and hilariously misbehaved.
I love how Dominic became a champion for his wife and wouldn’t stand for anyone making fun of her. This book had great disability rep for dyslexia, in a time where there wasn’t a word for it. It was so interesting to see how Torie was treated, and the way her struggles were handled. I especially liked that it doesn’t stop her from being successful.
I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the copy of this eARC. It was excellent and reminded me why I love historical romance so much. I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more from this series. I loved that even though we know which characters are endgame from the start, it was still a fascinating journey to see how the plot drives them together. I need more YESTERDAY, but I’m so happy that I have plenty of Eloisa James books to catch up on while I wait.
January 22, 2025
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne has been engaged to Victoria "Torie" Sutton's sister Leonora for the past 2 years. After Dom takes on guardianship of his nibling twins, Leonora runs for the Scottish hills, leaving Dom in a pickle: he decides Torie will do nicely as his replacement bride.
In addition to a lot of burning loins, this novel also includes: precocious twin energy; an illiterate heroine due to dyslexia (per authorial note); musings on tempers; varying flavors of neglectful and abusive parents; painting; and arguing! It's a lot!
1. Here's the thing: this was exceedingly readable. I.e., I read it in a day without necessarily intending to, which was kind of nice!
However: there's still a lot happening here, and not all of it is good.
2. Namely, the handling of the "don't be a fool" thread is particularly clumsily handled and ended up leaving the latter quarter of this thing in arrears. I'm not sure the "they are both geniuses in their own very special way" reveal actually works the way James seems to think it does: instead, Torie's "preeminent" skill as a painter actually kind of undermines some of the earlier set up? Because rather than allow for two people with varying interests and skills to come together on their own terms, instead James uses society's markers of intellect to "sum up" their relationships: he's EFFECTING CHANGE in the House of Lords = GENIUS; she's WILDLY DESIRED by the Royal Art Academy = GENIUS.
I.e., we're still measuring intelligence here by whether or not external agencies recognize and claim it.
It doesn't help that James tacks on a little authorial note at the very end attempting to further drive home her Very Important Message about Judging Others by...including the fact that she ended up with degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and Yale! So clearly she knows a thing! (Sorry: after the weird ending, it really just felt like another "The markers of intelligence are not universal but there are SIGNS and HERE ARE MINE" type of announcement. As a state school representative: suck it.)
3. Putting aside the above (which is difficult to do), let us turn to Dom and Torie themselves. They're both Very Horny on Main for one another! But Dom is an autocratic spoilsport who doesn't understand how to engage with those not like him. And Torie is a maternal tornado who lets her illiteracy define her in order to avoid risk or challenge. They're both kind of terrible.
I think James does a decent job of portraying how these two work together, but I can't say I really care?
4. The twins were. There. They were not the worst, but by far not great.
5. Overall, it's kind of what I expect from an Eloisa James novel: a lot of lusty boning, a splash of emotional warbling, readable prose, and a pinch of snobbery that kind of taints the whole thing.
In addition to a lot of burning loins, this novel also includes: precocious twin energy; an illiterate heroine due to dyslexia (per authorial note); musings on tempers; varying flavors of neglectful and abusive parents; painting; and arguing! It's a lot!
1. Here's the thing: this was exceedingly readable. I.e., I read it in a day without necessarily intending to, which was kind of nice!
However: there's still a lot happening here, and not all of it is good.
2. Namely, the handling of the "don't be a fool" thread is particularly clumsily handled and ended up leaving the latter quarter of this thing in arrears. I'm not sure the "they are both geniuses in their own very special way" reveal actually works the way James seems to think it does: instead, Torie's "preeminent" skill as a painter actually kind of undermines some of the earlier set up? Because rather than allow for two people with varying interests and skills to come together on their own terms, instead James uses society's markers of intellect to "sum up" their relationships: he's EFFECTING CHANGE in the House of Lords = GENIUS; she's WILDLY DESIRED by the Royal Art Academy = GENIUS.
I.e., we're still measuring intelligence here by whether or not external agencies recognize and claim it.
It doesn't help that James tacks on a little authorial note at the very end attempting to further drive home her Very Important Message about Judging Others by...including the fact that she ended up with degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and Yale! So clearly she knows a thing! (Sorry: after the weird ending, it really just felt like another "The markers of intelligence are not universal but there are SIGNS and HERE ARE MINE" type of announcement. As a state school representative: suck it.)
3. Putting aside the above (which is difficult to do), let us turn to Dom and Torie themselves. They're both Very Horny on Main for one another! But Dom is an autocratic spoilsport who doesn't understand how to engage with those not like him. And Torie is a maternal tornado who lets her illiteracy define her in order to avoid risk or challenge. They're both kind of terrible.
I think James does a decent job of portraying how these two work together, but I can't say I really care?
4. The twins were. There. They were not the worst, but by far not great.
5. Overall, it's kind of what I expect from an Eloisa James novel: a lot of lusty boning, a splash of emotional warbling, readable prose, and a pinch of snobbery that kind of taints the whole thing.
dnf
October 16, 2025DNF at 38%. This author and I just don’t get along. I didn’t feel the chemistry/love between the main characters, only lust.
July 24, 2024
Title: Viscount in Love
Series: Accidental Brides
Author: Eloisa James
Release date: July 24, 2024
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: historical romance
I have quite a few Eloisa James books under my belt at this point, some have been enthusiastic five star reads, some have been just middle of the road. Despite not knowing which way things will fall each time I pick up a new book by this author, I keep coming back for more. Typically she pays meticulous attention to historical detail. Her cast of characters in each series are ones that I'm eager to revisit to watch find their personal HEAs. The dialogue is witty, and the backstories typically well fleshed out.
Unfortunately a lot of the things I usually love were missing in this new release and I felt the absence of that magic to the point that I almost DNFd. With the exception of Torie's best friend and Dom's 11 year-old wards, every single character is infuriating and unbearable. The romance was frustratingly inconsistent, lacked any true chemistry, build, or anticipation. As well, the reader is left in the dark about the hero's internal conflict until late in the book leading you to almost despise him at points due to not understanding what drives his thoughts and intentions. The heroine is similarly not fully shown to her full potential until the end and I don't understand why this was done.
I read this title because I was intrigued with the heroine's learning disability and how it would affect her life in the 19th century. Torie has dyslexia in the year 1800 and I was excited to read this fresh plot point going in. It's obvious that a woman would face prejudice about the inability to read as part of the upper class. That is certainly a realistic representation, but the verbal abuse was constant from everyone around Tory in almost every conversation. Little jabs about her being "addled" with pitying looks and disparaging comments about her worth. At one point her father compared her to livestock. It felt very overdone to have the prejudice that constant and extreme when she is clearly a well-spoken woman perfectly capable of carrying on a well-informed conversation. She has a strong vocabulary, an eidetic memory, and she's a gifted painter. She just learns through experience or verbally rather than textually. Yet she's treated as if she's a babbling loony without a thought in her head at all times. It could have been shown without beating us over the head with it.
Why shouldn’t a lady be frivolous? Why should a woman read or write? It’s like asking a pig to sing opera.” Torie didn’t flinch. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been compared to livestock before.
She is so used to the verbal abuse from everyone around her that she lets it roll right off her back and ignores it. Her sister and father make these humiliating comments in front of other people and she never gets angry or upset. That's just the tip of the iceburg of what her father does to her.
Dominic's character was so incoherent. In the beginning of the book he is portrayed as a very serious sort with no sense of humor to speak of. He's described as intimidating to others due to his temper in the House of Lords, but we aren't really shown that-it's more that he's stern and emotionless. When he's engaged to Leonora, he has no passion or affection for her. He simply chose her based on her perceived intelligence and refinement. He goes from very little personality or emotion at all to flirting with sexual innuendos once he's jilted and sets his sights on Torie. How does he go from one extreme to the other literally overnight? He goes from seeing Torie as silly and shallow with a lack of intelligence (and ZERO sexual attraction after three years) to lusting over her and getting offended at people's rude comments towards her in one day. I found his outrage so hypocritical due to his own insulting internal dialogue about her.
It had taken him several months to find a lady who could be a true partner and offer an intelligent assessment of current events. Most ladies fell into Torie’s camp. Granted, she kept the nursery laughing with her wry observations about Odysseus’s adventures, but that wasn’t the same as sharing lucid analysis.
Torie was charming, fresh, and funny. Useless, perhaps, but enchanting.
True, he had hoped to marry a woman who would challenge him intellectually, but he could reconcile himself.
These are the thoughts of someone with honor? He jumps from cold to flirty and back again without the reader having a deeper understanding of why. On top of that, he had fully intended to keep his mistress when he was engaged to Leonora and was outraged when confronted by Torie about it days before their wedding. He literally got angry when she demanded that he be monogamous because he doesn't like being told what to do. I wanted to drop kick him so hard I almost rage quit. It isn't until MUCH later that he finally explains himself over this and a certain humiliating situation that occurred two days before they married. Even though it did ease my anger some, he still acted clueless and insensitive towards his wife. When an 11 year-old child is more insightful and intuitive about your wife than you...you have a problem. He doesn't start to genuinely see his wife for the brilliant, talented woman she is until after 80% in the book. *sigh*
The sexual scenes didn't work for me because we are led to believe they have instant chemistry overnight after completely platonic interactions and thoughts for three years. It just comes over them like an epiphany that she is a "buxom" beautiful woman, and he is her preferred buff, bulky, muscular body type. It was like flicking a switch with them. The dirty talk and spice comes off as very artificial when they consummate their marriage one day after the wedding. Not to mention, Torie is supposed to be a virgin whose only knowledge of sex is having seen rabbits copulate and yet she jumps on him with no timidness or lack of skill. She does things that she wouldn't even know existed in bed. We are just told that she may be incapable of the written word, but when it comes to this, she's a "natural." It doesn't work that way! It made everything so unrealistic and unbelievable. Also, just a random pet peeve for me, but
This book was a little under 400 pages and it was really noticeable. The page really dragged, especially in the middle of the book. I kept checking the percentage constantly only to see that barely any progress had been made. I think the lack of connection to the couple and the two MCs separately made a big contribution to that. Their communication issues over important matters and very little time spent understanding each other outside of bed caused their relationship to feel very superficial to me. Dominic did redeem himself late in the book a little bit, but overall the characters were just messy and unsatisfying. Unfortunately, this one was a miss, but I have faith that others in this new series may win me over.
FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:
August 4, 2024
Loved this!
Victoria Sutton is beguiled by a pair of extraordinary children, wards to Viscount Lord Dominic Alston Augustus Kelbourne.
Torie’s sister Leonora has been engaged to Viscount Kelbourne for two years. Their’s is a marriage of design. Nothing too taxing. A couple of children, social duties and each leading their own lives.
Torie is the “stupid” sister who cannot read! So not wife material. She paints bunnies and flowers.
Dominic was a child dominated by a cold father who’d trained his son to be as unfeeling as he.
Dominic's notorious sister, Lady Dorsey, had taunted her father by having affairs all over the place. Her husband was never sure if the children were his. They’d been brought up in a most ramshackle way.
I loved the list of proscribed words, composed of expressions the children used, that are declared prohibited by the Viscount and Torie. That’s hilarious!
The children became a point of contention between Dominic and Leonora. Leonora wanted the twins shipped off to the country with their dreadful nanny.
Meanwhile Torie had made the children’s acquaintance and loved them. They responded in kind, reading to her. Torie has a ferocious intelligence and an eidetic memory. She’s not the fool her family thinks! As the story unfolds we discover awesome secrets about Torie.
What we have here is a delightful rogue / wallflower romance with a touch of almost enemies to lovers slant, a careless lover, and two intrepid children.
A novel filled to the brim with James’ wonderful wit, occasions of clashing personalities, and heady romance. The chase is the thing, filled with momentous setbacks and sublime makeups!
An Avon & Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Victoria Sutton is beguiled by a pair of extraordinary children, wards to Viscount Lord Dominic Alston Augustus Kelbourne.
Torie’s sister Leonora has been engaged to Viscount Kelbourne for two years. Their’s is a marriage of design. Nothing too taxing. A couple of children, social duties and each leading their own lives.
Torie is the “stupid” sister who cannot read! So not wife material. She paints bunnies and flowers.
Dominic was a child dominated by a cold father who’d trained his son to be as unfeeling as he.
Dominic's notorious sister, Lady Dorsey, had taunted her father by having affairs all over the place. Her husband was never sure if the children were his. They’d been brought up in a most ramshackle way.
I loved the list of proscribed words, composed of expressions the children used, that are declared prohibited by the Viscount and Torie. That’s hilarious!
The children became a point of contention between Dominic and Leonora. Leonora wanted the twins shipped off to the country with their dreadful nanny.
Meanwhile Torie had made the children’s acquaintance and loved them. They responded in kind, reading to her. Torie has a ferocious intelligence and an eidetic memory. She’s not the fool her family thinks! As the story unfolds we discover awesome secrets about Torie.
What we have here is a delightful rogue / wallflower romance with a touch of almost enemies to lovers slant, a careless lover, and two intrepid children.
A novel filled to the brim with James’ wonderful wit, occasions of clashing personalities, and heady romance. The chase is the thing, filled with momentous setbacks and sublime makeups!
An Avon & Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
April 13, 2024
This is a solid Eloisa James. I caught myself at times like, “Is this old school EJ come back to bestow a gift of starchy heroes upon me???” Truly, it was just that magical.
Dominic Kelbourne, Lord Something Something, is starchy as hell. He’s got custody of his late scandalous sister’s children and his fiancé of a million years is even starchier. She’s put off their marriage for a long time cause she’s just not into this dude and his two wards are the end of the line for her. Introduce two hellions to the ton?! Hell no, she’s out on that. But thankfully her younger illiterate sister will just raise them in the country right?
Torie is illiterate. Why? Idk. She just is, people. She just can’t read at all. Is it a sight problem? Is she dyslexic? Idk. No clue, she can’t read and we don’t know why! So Torie’s ridiculed a lot, she’s got some marriage offers but does she really want to accept men that just think she’s an illiterate idiot? (But also WHY CANT YOU READ??) Torie doesn’t want to just retire to the country to raise her sister’s fiancé’s late scandalous sister’s children. She’s got more self respect than just resolving herself to nanny life. She’s committed to helping her sister see that these kids are actually great but only accomplishes falling in love with said children and scaring her sister off. Literally, her sister runs away and elopes with someone else to stay away from these children.
So now Dominic has no fiancé but what he does have is some lust for this woman who has come to the nursery every day and taken care of his wards. And now in true EJ fashion he HAS TO HAVE HER.
This book has a lot of things I absolutely love about Eloisa James books. Starchy possessive heroes, heroines who are like, “Ew, get away from me,” some absolutely PAINFUL hero blunders, some positively delightful groveling. and a really solid romance. SOLID. Loved this one.
Got an ARC, but review is my own
Dominic Kelbourne, Lord Something Something, is starchy as hell. He’s got custody of his late scandalous sister’s children and his fiancé of a million years is even starchier. She’s put off their marriage for a long time cause she’s just not into this dude and his two wards are the end of the line for her. Introduce two hellions to the ton?! Hell no, she’s out on that. But thankfully her younger illiterate sister will just raise them in the country right?
Torie is illiterate. Why? Idk. She just is, people. She just can’t read at all. Is it a sight problem? Is she dyslexic? Idk. No clue, she can’t read and we don’t know why! So Torie’s ridiculed a lot, she’s got some marriage offers but does she really want to accept men that just think she’s an illiterate idiot? (But also WHY CANT YOU READ??) Torie doesn’t want to just retire to the country to raise her sister’s fiancé’s late scandalous sister’s children. She’s got more self respect than just resolving herself to nanny life. She’s committed to helping her sister see that these kids are actually great but only accomplishes falling in love with said children and scaring her sister off. Literally, her sister runs away and elopes with someone else to stay away from these children.
So now Dominic has no fiancé but what he does have is some lust for this woman who has come to the nursery every day and taken care of his wards. And now in true EJ fashion he HAS TO HAVE HER.
This book has a lot of things I absolutely love about Eloisa James books. Starchy possessive heroes, heroines who are like, “Ew, get away from me,” some absolutely PAINFUL hero blunders, some positively delightful groveling. and a really solid romance. SOLID. Loved this one.
Got an ARC, but review is my own
June 15, 2024
I absolutely adored this unconventional romance.
Victoria has accustomed herself to being regarded as nothing more than a pretty bit of fluff. Ornamental and vapid. Lacking the mental capacity to hold a conversation about anything of substance.
Her intelligence doesn't manifest itself through her ability to dissect literary works - her dyslexia prevents her from doing that. Because her dyslexia was misunderstood in Regency England, she is ridiculed as foolish and dumb by her family.
Dominic is engaged to marry Torie's elder sister, Leonora. His fiancee is very opinionated, although she hides it well. When her true colors reveal themselves, a calamity of circumstances leads Dominic and Torie to the altar. Their marriage of convenience, while characterized by incendiary attraction, is nothing more than that. A way for Dominic to acquire a hostess for his burgeoning political career and bring stability to his life. It is a way for Torie to escape the confines of her life and spread her wings. A way for her to become both an independent spirit and a mother. A way to garner safety.
The longer they spend in each other's company, the more Dominic realizes that his new bride's often flippant behavior disguises a well-honed, astute mind and a way of looking at the world that is new and enlightening. The longer they spend in each other's company, the more Torie realizes that her handsome, often ill-tempered husband is capable of cherishing her the way she's always wanted.
Watching this stubborn couple navigate their way into each other's hearts was one of the loveliest experiences of my reading year so far.
Victoria has accustomed herself to being regarded as nothing more than a pretty bit of fluff. Ornamental and vapid. Lacking the mental capacity to hold a conversation about anything of substance.
Her intelligence doesn't manifest itself through her ability to dissect literary works - her dyslexia prevents her from doing that. Because her dyslexia was misunderstood in Regency England, she is ridiculed as foolish and dumb by her family.
Dominic is engaged to marry Torie's elder sister, Leonora. His fiancee is very opinionated, although she hides it well. When her true colors reveal themselves, a calamity of circumstances leads Dominic and Torie to the altar. Their marriage of convenience, while characterized by incendiary attraction, is nothing more than that. A way for Dominic to acquire a hostess for his burgeoning political career and bring stability to his life. It is a way for Torie to escape the confines of her life and spread her wings. A way for her to become both an independent spirit and a mother. A way to garner safety.
The longer they spend in each other's company, the more Dominic realizes that his new bride's often flippant behavior disguises a well-honed, astute mind and a way of looking at the world that is new and enlightening. The longer they spend in each other's company, the more Torie realizes that her handsome, often ill-tempered husband is capable of cherishing her the way she's always wanted.
Watching this stubborn couple navigate their way into each other's hearts was one of the loveliest experiences of my reading year so far.
June 28, 2024
Normally, I am not a fan of historical romances, but that has changed after reading this book! I won a free ARC from the Goodreads contest in exchange for an honest review.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne has been engaged with Miss Leonora Sutton for three seasons when he receives terrible news that both his sister and brother-in-law have died leaving him the legal guardian of their twins, Miss Florence and Master Valentine. Leonora is not keen on helping Dominic raise the twins but instead would rather they live in the country, while Dominic and her live in London.
Eventually, she meets the twins in the nursery and is appalled by both their behavior and their language. Since Leonora is not eager to marry Dominic nor become stepmother to his niece and nephew, she breaks off their betrothal so she can marry Lord Bufford.
Torie, Leonora's sister, has not been lucky in finding an eligible suitor due to her dyslexia. Subsequently, she believed her future was going to be living in the country, raising the twins. Over time, Torie becomes fond of the twins, and Dominic finds himself falling in love with her. As a result, Dominic and Torie are married.
I loved the precocious twins and the Prohibited List that Dominic has created for words that are inappropriate for them to use.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne has been engaged with Miss Leonora Sutton for three seasons when he receives terrible news that both his sister and brother-in-law have died leaving him the legal guardian of their twins, Miss Florence and Master Valentine. Leonora is not keen on helping Dominic raise the twins but instead would rather they live in the country, while Dominic and her live in London.
Eventually, she meets the twins in the nursery and is appalled by both their behavior and their language. Since Leonora is not eager to marry Dominic nor become stepmother to his niece and nephew, she breaks off their betrothal so she can marry Lord Bufford.
Torie, Leonora's sister, has not been lucky in finding an eligible suitor due to her dyslexia. Subsequently, she believed her future was going to be living in the country, raising the twins. Over time, Torie becomes fond of the twins, and Dominic finds himself falling in love with her. As a result, Dominic and Torie are married.
I loved the precocious twins and the Prohibited List that Dominic has created for words that are inappropriate for them to use.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2024
***A 2024 TOP PICK***
5+ STARS!!
Usually, books by this author are such a pleasure to read. But this one? This one filled me with so much joy, humour, and chemistry that it felt like my heart would burst with it all. And narrator Mary Jane Wells' performance was just the icing on a fabulous cake. 😍
Dominic was gruff and proper, and Torie was not, giving the plot its wonderful tension. And the twins! I loved how Dominic tackled his new role as guardian to his sister's orphaned - and lovably eccentric - children, and how Torie managed to fill in the cracks and glue them all together into a family.
But what pushed this one into 5+ territory for me was that lovely little twist at the end. I honestly did not see it coming - at all. I'm utterly smitten.
And even better, there's a paperback edition available that's not a mass market version! This one's earned a spot of honour on my bookshelf.😍😍
5+ STARS!!
"You're everything to me. My family, my lover, my best friend."How did Eloisa James do it?!
Usually, books by this author are such a pleasure to read. But this one? This one filled me with so much joy, humour, and chemistry that it felt like my heart would burst with it all. And narrator Mary Jane Wells' performance was just the icing on a fabulous cake. 😍
Dominic was gruff and proper, and Torie was not, giving the plot its wonderful tension. And the twins! I loved how Dominic tackled his new role as guardian to his sister's orphaned - and lovably eccentric - children, and how Torie managed to fill in the cracks and glue them all together into a family.
But what pushed this one into 5+ territory for me was that lovely little twist at the end. I honestly did not see it coming - at all. I'm utterly smitten.
And even better, there's a paperback edition available that's not a mass market version! This one's earned a spot of honour on my bookshelf.😍😍
July 28, 2024
I just love an Eloisa James Historical Romance! She writes with a light humorous touch, yet tackles tough issues head on. This time the issue is dyslexia. She battles against the prevailing customs of the day and has a hero who is entrenched in them. We also get to see Stella and Sylvester Parnell, the Duke and Dutchess of Huntington and their wonderful steam engine. This plot was great until it turned a tad maudlin.
Our heroine, Victoria Sutton, is whip smart, but because she can't read or write she is not considered very bright. But that's okay because she is beautiful. It takes two really smart kids to show their elders that Torie is very smart and astute too, except when it comes to her own heart.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is betrothed to a woman he considers to be perfect for him. But since he has spent all of an hour in her presence how can he be sure? It appears that after being engaged for two years and no wedding date that his betrothed, Leonora, is just stringing him along. When Dominic's sister and her husband die, Dominic becomes the guardian for two very smart and precocious 11-year-old twins, Valentine and his sister Florence. The meeting between Leonora and the twins sent Leonora packing and that was a good thing. Now Dominic is in desperate need of another bride and one that will tolerate the willful twins. Lucky for him he knows just the woman.
Lady Victoria Sutton has already been spending time with the twins and she seems to actually like them. Just one little problem, her sister was his fiancée who eloped with someone else. But he likes her well enough, and she is quite pretty. But there is a Duke already courting her. When Dominic presses his suit, Torie wonders if he wants a wife or a nanny. She wants a husband that will value her for who she is. But there is just something about this handsome, brooding man that Torie can't resist, and his kiss is pure fire.
My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
Our heroine, Victoria Sutton, is whip smart, but because she can't read or write she is not considered very bright. But that's okay because she is beautiful. It takes two really smart kids to show their elders that Torie is very smart and astute too, except when it comes to her own heart.
Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is betrothed to a woman he considers to be perfect for him. But since he has spent all of an hour in her presence how can he be sure? It appears that after being engaged for two years and no wedding date that his betrothed, Leonora, is just stringing him along. When Dominic's sister and her husband die, Dominic becomes the guardian for two very smart and precocious 11-year-old twins, Valentine and his sister Florence. The meeting between Leonora and the twins sent Leonora packing and that was a good thing. Now Dominic is in desperate need of another bride and one that will tolerate the willful twins. Lucky for him he knows just the woman.
Lady Victoria Sutton has already been spending time with the twins and she seems to actually like them. Just one little problem, her sister was his fiancée who eloped with someone else. But he likes her well enough, and she is quite pretty. But there is a Duke already courting her. When Dominic presses his suit, Torie wonders if he wants a wife or a nanny. She wants a husband that will value her for who she is. But there is just something about this handsome, brooding man that Torie can't resist, and his kiss is pure fire.
My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
November 15, 2024
I was initially planning to give this book 3 stars but the "conflict" (read: squabble) annoyed me to no end.
I don't think that it's fair that the heroine, Torie, expected Dom to think the world of her intellectual capabilities while recognising hrself that it was NORMAL to associate a lack of literacy with a lack of intelligence (it still is - while they are not the same, they are not unrelated for the most part). If he had been raised his entire life thinking a certain way, is there no way she could have forgiven a couple slips of tongue?
What's more, Torie constantly played into stereotypes of society women. But then she'd turn around and call Dom out for believing in them? Oooh a shocker! She's a terribly unlikeable woman.
Dominic also had little personality other than sometimes having a bad temper, and did little other than constantly apologise for the smallest of mistakes. I am tired of heroes having to apologise profusely for minor slips, and the heroines acting like a total ninny but getting away with it.
Also, Torie's secret at the end? And her "justification" for it? Miss me on that.
I don't think that it's fair that the heroine, Torie, expected Dom to think the world of her intellectual capabilities while recognising hrself that it was NORMAL to associate a lack of literacy with a lack of intelligence (it still is - while they are not the same, they are not unrelated for the most part). If he had been raised his entire life thinking a certain way, is there no way she could have forgiven a couple slips of tongue?
What's more, Torie constantly played into stereotypes of society women. But then she'd turn around and call Dom out for believing in them? Oooh a shocker! She's a terribly unlikeable woman.
Dominic also had little personality other than sometimes having a bad temper, and did little other than constantly apologise for the smallest of mistakes. I am tired of heroes having to apologise profusely for minor slips, and the heroines acting like a total ninny but getting away with it.
Also, Torie's secret at the end? And her "justification" for it? Miss me on that.
June 8, 2024
A highly entertaining and romantic read! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from the beginning to the end.
This is a story about a blended family coming together in the most unconventional of ways. Our heroine, Victoria, a female painter who also suffers from dyslexia, crosses path with Dominic, the Viscount Kelbourne, a man who also just so happens to be engaged to her older sister. All seems well until two years later when the Viscount becomes the ward to his recently orphaned niece and nephew. With his new parental status, the Viscount’s engagement is broken and Victoria and Dom find themselves as an unlikely match. Except she wants love, not to become a convenient nanny; whereas, he’s incapable of love and values intellect above all else— making this story an ingredient to discovering love in the most unexpected of pairings.
In the end, Torie and Dom both surrender to their growing feelings for each other and realize that love is the evolution of one’s character growth. Her painting of him truly captures the “Viscount in Love.”
This is a delightful read filled with romance and a lot of important historical issues, including the struggle to end slavery, illiteracy among the female class in regency era England, and women’s pursuit of artistic freedom in a field dominated by the ruling male elite. I also enjoyed the many characters in this novel, especially the twins, Florence and Valentine. In particular, I appreciated how the author incorporated stories from her own daughter into Florence’s character.
Overall, this is a sweet and fun read. Highly recommend.
Special thank you to the author and the publisher for an early ARC, in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.
This is a story about a blended family coming together in the most unconventional of ways. Our heroine, Victoria, a female painter who also suffers from dyslexia, crosses path with Dominic, the Viscount Kelbourne, a man who also just so happens to be engaged to her older sister. All seems well until two years later when the Viscount becomes the ward to his recently orphaned niece and nephew. With his new parental status, the Viscount’s engagement is broken and Victoria and Dom find themselves as an unlikely match. Except she wants love, not to become a convenient nanny; whereas, he’s incapable of love and values intellect above all else— making this story an ingredient to discovering love in the most unexpected of pairings.
In the end, Torie and Dom both surrender to their growing feelings for each other and realize that love is the evolution of one’s character growth. Her painting of him truly captures the “Viscount in Love.”
This is a delightful read filled with romance and a lot of important historical issues, including the struggle to end slavery, illiteracy among the female class in regency era England, and women’s pursuit of artistic freedom in a field dominated by the ruling male elite. I also enjoyed the many characters in this novel, especially the twins, Florence and Valentine. In particular, I appreciated how the author incorporated stories from her own daughter into Florence’s character.
Overall, this is a sweet and fun read. Highly recommend.
Special thank you to the author and the publisher for an early ARC, in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.
August 11, 2024
H was awful but not mean enough not to be redeemed just like I prefer.😎
Read
April 3, 2024*arc received in exchange for my honest review*
Yeahhh I’m gonna dnf this. I made it to the halfway point where an argument occurred that truly annoyed me SO much I didn’t even feel the desire to hate read. Like the more I think about it the more annoyed I get. Spoilers below…..
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
They have an argument about him ending his relationship with his mistress and HE gets mad that she wants him do so?? Like wtaf guys.
Yeahhh I’m gonna dnf this. I made it to the halfway point where an argument occurred that truly annoyed me SO much I didn’t even feel the desire to hate read. Like the more I think about it the more annoyed I get. Spoilers below…..
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
They have an argument about him ending his relationship with his mistress and HE gets mad that she wants him do so?? Like wtaf guys.
October 19, 2024
mmm I may need to re-read this one later. Some parts I loved, like the surprise outrageous Dominic drawing dic$ pics and licking Tori like a cat. But I was confused by what felt like multiple plots picked up and dropped. Like baby rabbits!? also did not like the plot twist that makes Dominic out to be a cheater then backtracks. It made me think he had no common sense and was this loud brawny, insecure airhead. The hairless cover dude does not match my image of the ripped lumberjack that is Viscount Dom. I just imagine Tori standing in front her dead flowers most of the time smelling like gasolina 🫠
November 11, 2024
3⭐️A charming marriage of convenience set in the Georgian era. It’s about two very different, perfectly imperfect people, who found love in the most unexpected of places. I will admit that I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book because it was kind of slow, but once they got married, I couldn’t put it down.
What I liked:
- The dyslexia representation and that it was the heroine who suffered from it, instead of the hero.
- Our main characters were both strong willed and wouldn’t allow the other to walk all over them. I especially appreciated that our fmc had a backbone and wasn’t easily intimidated by the mmc’s grumpiness.
- How caring and nurturing the fmc was towards the twins!
- The spice was really well done! Omg these two were soooo passionate and crazy for one another. 🔥🤌
What I didn’t necessarily like:
- Show me, don’t tell me!!!!! Weeks went by and the author would only tell us in a few sentences what happened during that time. I wanted to personally witness those encounters instead of being told in a short summary what went on.
- Modern slang in a HR setting! That’s something I really dislike whenever I see it in my HR books.
- The reasons for that third act scene were weak, in my opinion. It’s like the author tried really hard to come up with something dramatic and that’s all the could think of, which wasn’t enough for me. Also, for being such a smart man, our mmc was kinda dumb for not “realizing” how talented his wife actually was. You shouldn’t have to be enlightened by somebody else that your wife is a “genius painter”. 😒
- The fact that her sister Leonora had simply disappeared after she married that guy and we didn’t hear from her again. It was like the author completely forgot about her. I kept hoping to hear from her again and see her regret the way she behaved towards our fmc. I hate loose ends..🫠
- Their relationship was based more on their sexual desire and chemistry than on an emotional connection. Or maybe we didn’t get to see the build up because of the point I mentioned above: too much tell, not enough show. 🤷🏻♀️
What I liked:
- The dyslexia representation and that it was the heroine who suffered from it, instead of the hero.
- Our main characters were both strong willed and wouldn’t allow the other to walk all over them. I especially appreciated that our fmc had a backbone and wasn’t easily intimidated by the mmc’s grumpiness.
- How caring and nurturing the fmc was towards the twins!
- The spice was really well done! Omg these two were soooo passionate and crazy for one another. 🔥🤌
What I didn’t necessarily like:
- Show me, don’t tell me!!!!! Weeks went by and the author would only tell us in a few sentences what happened during that time. I wanted to personally witness those encounters instead of being told in a short summary what went on.
- Modern slang in a HR setting! That’s something I really dislike whenever I see it in my HR books.
- The reasons for that third act scene were weak, in my opinion. It’s like the author tried really hard to come up with something dramatic and that’s all the could think of, which wasn’t enough for me. Also, for being such a smart man, our mmc was kinda dumb for not “realizing” how talented his wife actually was. You shouldn’t have to be enlightened by somebody else that your wife is a “genius painter”. 😒
- The fact that her sister Leonora had simply disappeared after she married that guy and we didn’t hear from her again. It was like the author completely forgot about her. I kept hoping to hear from her again and see her regret the way she behaved towards our fmc. I hate loose ends..🫠
- Their relationship was based more on their sexual desire and chemistry than on an emotional connection. Or maybe we didn’t get to see the build up because of the point I mentioned above: too much tell, not enough show. 🤷🏻♀️
November 18, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up.
This is one of the good Eloisa James books.
This is one of the good Eloisa James books.
January 7, 2025
5 stars
This audiobook was an absolute delight!!!
Premise: What’s a starchy Viscount to do when he is jilted by his betrothed, right after he becomes guardian to two very eccentric children? Marry his previously intended’s free-spirited sister, of course!
Even though Dominic was previously engaged to her sister, it was clear to us readers that Torie was not a consolation prize or second choice. Dominic went into pursuit mode very quickly, and I am weak for a man whose inner monologue reveals how weak he is for his lady. 😍😂
I also loved that the book was focussed on their relationship, and yet was never boring because it had very natural character and relationship development. There was lust and a connection to begin with, but it took Dominic (and us) a while to really discover what a vivacious and brilliant character Torie was.
The twins (Valentine and Florence) were also an absolute hoot! The part where Torie was first introduced to the twins, as narrated by Mary Jane Wells, was comedy gold. 🤣
Another contender for a top tier book, so this year is off to a strong start!
This audiobook was an absolute delight!!!
Premise: What’s a starchy Viscount to do when he is jilted by his betrothed, right after he becomes guardian to two very eccentric children? Marry his previously intended’s free-spirited sister, of course!
Even though Dominic was previously engaged to her sister, it was clear to us readers that Torie was not a consolation prize or second choice. Dominic went into pursuit mode very quickly, and I am weak for a man whose inner monologue reveals how weak he is for his lady. 😍😂
I also loved that the book was focussed on their relationship, and yet was never boring because it had very natural character and relationship development. There was lust and a connection to begin with, but it took Dominic (and us) a while to really discover what a vivacious and brilliant character Torie was.
The twins (Valentine and Florence) were also an absolute hoot! The part where Torie was first introduced to the twins, as narrated by Mary Jane Wells, was comedy gold. 🤣
Another contender for a top tier book, so this year is off to a strong start!
August 2, 2024
3.5 stars. Set in 1800 England. A viscount decides, somewhat cold-bloodedly, to marry a suitable woman, but after it falls through, ends up finding real love with her unconventional sister.
I liked both MCs, and their relationship was sweet as they grew together to become their 'true' selves, and leave the issues of their pasts behind them. I also enjoyed the twins for whom Kelbourne had become guardian. They were clever, funny and unusual orphaned children, who were lucky enough to eventually get 'new' parents who truly loved them, in Kelbourne and Torie.
Overall, an enjoyable read, first in a series that will hopefully continue on well.
I liked both MCs, and their relationship was sweet as they grew together to become their 'true' selves, and leave the issues of their pasts behind them. I also enjoyed the twins for whom Kelbourne had become guardian. They were clever, funny and unusual orphaned children, who were lucky enough to eventually get 'new' parents who truly loved them, in Kelbourne and Torie.
Overall, an enjoyable read, first in a series that will hopefully continue on well.
October 4, 2024
I’m always here for a new Eloisa book and the synopsis for this one sounded perfect.
I love love loved Torie and Dom. She’s sunshine and he’s grumpy and together they’re sort of thrown together for the sake of the twins (who absolutely steal every single scene they’re in.) Torie and Dom have instant animosity, an insane amount of chemistry, and are both quick to temper and misunderstandings. Somehow, it just made me want to mash their faces together even more.
Plot wise, it was so satisfying. It’s a mix of slow meandering in their getting to know each other coupled with the frenzy of wanting each other more than polite society would find acceptable. I loved the fights, the apologies, and even more, the understanding that finally finally finally came between them. The ending chapters are some of the best and I could have easily read a million more pages of this new family.
Overall, this is a wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to read whoever is next. Oh, and we better get a cameo or 5 from these two.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved Torie and Dom. She’s sunshine and he’s grumpy and together they’re sort of thrown together for the sake of the twins (who absolutely steal every single scene they’re in.) Torie and Dom have instant animosity, an insane amount of chemistry, and are both quick to temper and misunderstandings. Somehow, it just made me want to mash their faces together even more.
Plot wise, it was so satisfying. It’s a mix of slow meandering in their getting to know each other coupled with the frenzy of wanting each other more than polite society would find acceptable. I loved the fights, the apologies, and even more, the understanding that finally finally finally came between them. The ending chapters are some of the best and I could have easily read a million more pages of this new family.
Overall, this is a wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to read whoever is next. Oh, and we better get a cameo or 5 from these two.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
Displaying 1 - 30 of 635 reviews