Almost Heaven (Sequels, #3) in Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous

Nov 24, 2009 Hollie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, books-i-d-want-on-a-desert-island

I love books where the heroine is so beautiful that people stare and the hero is dark and handsome. This book was like that.

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May 03, 2012 Dawn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mcnaught-judith

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. How do I begin? I loved it. But I almost only gave it 4 stars because I felt both Ian and Elizabeth claimed to love each other desperately, but there was no trust at all.

Ian is a rich and powerful man. Elizabeth doesn't realize that. Her uncle forces her into marriage to get her off his hands. Two years previous, she was ruined socially by an encounter with Ian at a ball. Her brother created the scandal when her friend(?) set the two of them up to meet secretly in a garden and be discovered by h How do I begin? I loved it. But I almost only gave it 4 stars because I felt both Ian and Elizabeth claimed to love each other desperately, but there was no trust at all.

Ian is a rich and powerful man. Elizabeth doesn't realize that. Her uncle forces her into marriage to get her off his hands. Two years previous, she was ruined socially by an encounter with Ian at a ball. Her brother created the scandal when her friend(?) set the two of them up to meet secretly in a garden and be discovered by her brother, Robert. Robert, of course, challenges Ian to a duel. Robert is a reprobate. He tries to kill Ian by drawing prematurely. But, being a bad shot, only hits him in the shoulder. He tries unsuccessfully to kill him two times later. At that point, Ian has him kidnapped and put on one of his ships for the new world. It was either that or turn him over to authorities which he knew would destroy Elizabeth.

In the mean time, Elizabeth has to sell all her possessions just to pay off Robert's gambling debts. She is supported by her uncle who resents her. He decides to auction her off to one of the men who had offered for her two years earlier. He sends out 15 letters and only gets two responses. He gets a response from Ian but it turns out to be a mistake made by Ian's inept secretary.

Anyway, Elizabeth shows up at his cottage in Scotland thinking that is his only residence. Ian is still quite angry over the incident two years earlier and she leaves when her uncle sends for her while Ian is away. Ian chases her determined that she not marry either of the other two unworthy candidates. Ian makes a bargain with Elizabeth's uncle unbeknownst to Elizabeth. Therefore, he is in the position of having to earn her love.

Elizabeth's friend, Alexandra (from Something Wonderful), has decided to reintroduce Elizabeth into society with the help of her husband, Jordan, and his mother, a Dowager Duchess. So many things happen it is impossible to summarize everything.

The culmination is when Robert shows back up and convinces Elizabeth that Ian is a scoundrel and a criminal and to run away with him to America. She sells her jewels and disappears for 6 weeks. Ian begins a frantic search but eventually ends up arrested for their murder. Elizabeth circumvents Robert's attempts to keep her from seeing a newspaper and when she realizes what is happening, heads to London to rescue him. The scene in the courtroom is amazing.

She does her part to clear him but the damage is done to their relationship. Elizabeth tries and tries to reconcile. But Ian is wounded and begins divorce proceedings. Elizabeth runs off to his Scotland cottage to thwart Ian's efforts at divorce. Ian decides to take refuge there without realizing that's where she is. The reunion is oh, so sweet.

What a great book. ...more

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