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Monday Puzzler > August 18 Monday Puzzler: Falling at First Sight

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message 1: by Janga (new)

Janga | 1070 comments Mod
I'm posting this early since It will likely be noon or later before I get on the computer tomorrow.



Heroine was not without thoughts of her own. She very carefully watched what she said and did, but seldom censored her mind: it was the only freedom she had.

Sometimes, as she lay in bed at night, she thought of falling in love, in the ways of a Jane Austen novel—her mother did not allow her to read the Brontes. Love, it seemed to her, was a result born of careful, shrewd observation. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, for example, did not truly consider Mr. Darcy to have the makings of a fine husband until she had seen the majesty of Pemberley, which stood for Mr. Darcy's equally majestic character.

Heroine imagined herself a wealthy, independent widow, inspecting the gentlemen available to her with wry, but humane wit. And if she were fortunate enough, finding that one gentleman of character, sense, and good humor.

That seemed to her the epitome of romantic love: the quiet satisfaction of two kindred souls brought together in gentle harmony.

She was, therefore, entirely unprepared for her internal upheaval, when the new Earl ________ was shown into the family drawing room. Like a visitation of angels, there flared a bright white glow in the center of her vision. Haloed by this supernatural light stood a young man who must have folded his wings just that moment so as to bear a passing resemblance to a mortal.

An instinctive sense of self-preservation made her lower her face before she'd quite comprehended the geography of his features. But she was all agitation inside, a sensation that was equal parts glee and misery.

Surely a mistake had been made. The late earl could not possibly have a cousin who looked like this. Any moment now he'd be introduced as the new earl's schoolmate, or perhaps the guardian Colonel ________'s son.

“Heroine, let me present Lord Hero. Lord Hero, my daughter.”

Dear God, it was him. This mind-bogglingly handsome young man was the new Lord ________.

She had to lift her eyes. Hero returned a steady, blue gaze. They shook hands.

“Miss ______,” he said.

Her heart thrashed drunkenly. She was not accustomed to such complete and undiluted masculine attention. Her mother had always been attentive and solicitous. But her father only ever spoke to her with one eye still on his newspaper.

Hero, however, was focused entirely on her, as if she were the most important person he'd ever met.

“My lord,” she murmured, acutely aware of the warmth on her face, and the old-master perfection of his cheekbones.

Dinner was announced on the heels of the introductions. The earl offered his arm to Mrs. ______ and it was with great envy that Millie took Colonel _________'s arm.

She glanced at the earl. He happened to be looking her way. Their eyes held for a moment. Heat pumped through her veins. She was jittery, stunned almost.

What was the matter with her? Heroine, milquetoast extraordinaire, through whose veins dripped the lack of passion, did not experience such strange flashes and flutters. She'd never even read a Bronte novel, for goodness's sake. Why did she suddenly feel like one of the younger Bennet girls, the ones who giggled and shrieked and had absolutely no control over themselves?

Dimly she realized that she knew nothing of the earl's character or temperament. That she was behaving in a shallow and foolish manner, putting the cart before the horse. But the chaos inside her had a life and a will of its own.


message 2: by June (new)

June (ladyjune) | 146 comments I know this one, one of my favorite read. However I must say I'm not particularly fond of with the hero here.


message 3: by Marita (new)

Marita (bluestockingandproud) | 43 comments I don't know why but "Sometimes, as she lay in bed at night, she thought of falling in love, in the ways of a Jane Austen novel—her mother did not allow her to read the Brontes." made me LOL :D

No clue at all though.


message 4: by Dls (new)

Dls | 2104 comments Mod
Great book. I agree about the hero who not only is clueless about his own feelings but is remarkably thoughtless about the consequences of his behavior
Janga you may want to edit out the name


message 5: by Kym (new)

Kym | 206 comments I liked the characters, despite their flaws, and the plot kept me entertained.


message 6: by Manda (new)

Manda Collins (manda_collins) | 1925 comments Mod
No clue.


message 7: by Rachel (new)

Rachel Hill | 487 comments I know I have read this & I know that I like it but so far I can't remember the name!


message 8: by Susan (new)

Susan (susaninaz) | 1075 comments Rachel, me too! I do remember that Hero did not appeal to me until he got a personality transplant...


message 9: by Melissa (new)

Melissa I have no clue, but can't wait to find out. Another book for my tbr.


message 10: by Janga (new)

Janga | 1070 comments Mod
The puzzler is from Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas. One reason I love this book so much is that it reminds me of Heyer's A Civil Contract, but it gives readers the ending Heyer does not. I agree that Fitz is an idiot at times, but eventually he realizes that he loves Millie, and Millie gets the "exaltation" that Heyer denies Jenny who settles for "quite ordinary, everyday things."


message 11: by Manda (new)

Manda Collins (manda_collins) | 1925 comments Mod
I'm such a dummy! I knew I'd read this but I was trying to figure out what I could possibly have read that was historical but also post Austen AND the Brontes. Thanks for the reminder, Janga. I loved this one.


message 12: by [deleted user] (new)

I thought about getting this book but there were so many negative comments on Amazon I changed my mind. They all said the hero was awful and the ending disappointing.


message 13: by Phoenix77 (new)

Phoenix77 | 346 comments Marnie wrote: "I thought about getting this book but there were so many negative comments on Amazon I changed my mind. They all said the hero was awful and the ending disappointing."

I'm with you Marnie. Just the book description alone pushed too many of my buttons. I'm glad that others enjoy Sherry Thomas' style but unfortunately she's way to angsty for me.


message 14: by Janga (new)

Janga | 1070 comments Mod
Manda wrote: "I'm such a dummy! I knew I'd read this but I was trying to figure out what I could possibly have read that was historical but also post Austen AND the Brontes. Thanks for the reminder, Janga. I lov..."

Manda, I loved the whole series, but this one was my favorite. Have you read My Beautiful Enemy yet?


message 15: by Janga (last edited Aug 21, 2014 10:22AM) (new)

Janga | 1070 comments Mod
Marnie wrote: "I thought about getting this book but there were so many negative comments on Amazon I changed my mind. They all said the hero was awful and the ending disappointing."

Marnie, as Manda's comment above show, I'm not alone in my love for this book. It got A or B reviews at most of the big romance review sites, and it's in AAR's most recent reader-voted list of all-time top 100 romances. If you are interested in a positive review, you can read my take on RTH at The Romance Dish.

http://www.theromancedish.com/2012/07...


message 16: by Dls (new)

Dls | 2104 comments Mod
I certainly wouldn't judge all of Sherry Thomas by this book. I did not like the hero and I love most of her work. It is true she is angsty but most of her heros and heroines are much more likeable.


message 17: by Manda (new)

Manda Collins (manda_collins) | 1925 comments Mod
I haven't read My Beautiful Enemy yet. It's on my list.

Re: Fitz, I must be pretty forgiving because I just didn't think he was a bad guy. Like Janga, I liked the parallels with Heyer too. Different strokes, I guess...


message 18: by Dls (new)

Dls | 2104 comments Mod
I liked some of the Heyer parallels. And Fitz devotion to a prior love didn't bother me. But I thought he was insensitive to how Millie felt even given that he didn't know she was in love with him and his failure to think about the consequences of his actions for the children involved (present and potential) really bothered me.
Hopefully no spoilers there


message 19: by Lady Wesley (new)

Lady Wesley (goodreadscomlady_wesley) I haven't read this book, as for some reason Sherry Thomas is a hit-or-miss author for me. I do greatly admire Heyer's A Civil Contract though, so I'll definitely read this one with an eye to spotting the similarities and differences.


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