Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: November 22d
How I got this book: From the Publisher
To fulfill his grandmother’s ultimatum, Lord Gabriel Sharpe pursues a spitfire he believes desperately needs him. Then the tables are turned….
Like everything daredevil Gabriel Sharpe does, pursuing Virginia Waverly is a high-stakes game. Ever since her brother Roger died racing Lord Gabriel, Virginia has yearned to take her revenge on the reckless lord by beating him at his own sport. But when she challenges Lord Gabriel to a race, the hellion who has always embraced his dark reputation as the “Angel of Death” counters with a marriage proposal!
Gabe knows Virginia’s family is in dire financial straits—why shouldn’t she marry him and solve both their problems? She claims to be appalled by his proposal, but her response to his kisses says otherwise. So when the two of them begin to unravel the truth behind Roger’s death, Gabe takes the greatest gamble of all, offering the cunning and courageous beauty something more precious than any inheritance: true love.
I got this blurb from the author’s website HERE.
Thanks to Pocket we have one copy to give away. Details are at the end of this review.
I have been a fan of historical romances ever since I read my first two romances; A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodwiss and The Bride by Julie Garwood so when I find an enjoyable historical romance author I tend to try to read everything I can get my hand on by them. Sabrina Jeffries is one of those authors that I know I can pick up and spend a few hours in a different world. I was browsing in a bookstore when I first spotted Ms Jeffries’ books. She tends to write series so my OCDness wouldn’t let me just pick up an book and get started, I had to find the FIRST book. She had just released The Truth About Lord Stoneville, which happened to be the first book in her Hellions of Halstead Hall series. I decided to give it a try and thoroughly enjoyed it. This enjoyment resulted in my adding the next books in the series to my wish list so I was really excited when we were offered the opportunity to review To Wed a Wild Lord, book four of The Hellions of Halstead Hall.
The basic premise of the series is a family of five children whose parents died under suspicious circumstances. After the sudden deaths of their parents, their grandmother raised them. Then one year she got fed up with their less then socially appropriate behavior so she laid down the law. All five had to get married within a year or they would lose their inheritance. So far three of the siblings have met their grandmother’s ultimatum.
Lord Gabriel has decided that since he feels at fault for the death of his best friend, Roger, and the subsequent gradual slide into genteel poverty for his sister that he can kill two birds with one stone. Marrying Roger’s sister would keep her from encountering any of the unpleasantries that occur when you are reduced to living off of a distant relation’s charity or working in one of the few professions available to a gently reared-noblewoman who has fallen on hard times. That marriage would also satisfy his grandmother. Noble as Lord Gabriel’s plan was, he failed to take into account exactly how Virginia Waverly felt about him.
I think it takes a very delicate balancing act to turn enemies into lovers without veering into “I hate your guts, I wish you would die, I love you forever,” and giving the reader whiplash as the emotions abruptly switch between opposite end of the spectrum. Yes I have heard people say that love and hate are merely different sides of the same coin but I need a transition between them if I am going to feel that the emotional connection between the characters is believable. Ms Jeffries hit that balance perfectly.
The interaction between Lord Gabriel and Virginia gave both the characters and the readers a chance to get to know them and who they were without the trappings forced on them in polite society encounters. The slow emerging of facts behind Roger’s death also forced not only Lord Gabriel and Virginia to look at Roger as a whole but forced some of the supporting cast members to examine how personality traits and a series of seemingly unconnected conversations can result in a life changing event.
Ms Jeffries made her main characters work for their Happily Ever After (HEA). As I continued to read it was fascinating to watch the shift between Virginia demanding that Lord Gabriel make all the changes to Lord Gabriel refusing to accept Virginia unless she also grew and risked rejection of her internal self. I enjoyed watching the character growth on both sides because I felt it drew me deeper into the story.
I recommend that if you are going to read this series that you start with the first book because part of my joy came from seeing the changes in Lord Gabriel and his siblings as the year progressed. There is also the underlying theme of solving the murder of their parents and each book contains developments in that case. I also think there is some hinting towards the final relationship that would be missed otherwise. I give To Wed a Wild Lord a B+.
As I mentioned earlier, thanks to Pocket we have one copy of To Wed a Wild Lord to give away. The winner will be announced on Monday the 21st. To enter leave a comment talking about what you enjoy most in a series that involves siblings. Good luck!
Links to purchase:
I am dying for this book. I have been reading this series from the beginning when I too discovered Sabrina Jefferies. I agree that you have to read this series from the beginning. The characters continue to develop and their relationships with each other develop. That is what I love about sibling series. You see the before and after with each character. It seems as if you come to know them more fully when the are important members of each others books. Family dynamics are another reason I like sibling series. Family is where our drama, laughter, joy, and sadness often comes from.
What I have always loved most about a series that involves siblings, is that it means books following a family. As much as I love series that have different characters in each book, non-related in anyway except the world they live in, I always invest more emotionally in a series that is connected by family.
My favorite thing about books involving siblings is the opportunity to watch characters interact with family and how those interactions reveal the true person- the back-and-forth dialogue, the honest opinions (who knows you and your faults better than your brother/sister?), it all makes a story more enjoyable for me. This series is a fave of mine and it does the sibling thing really well.
What I enjoy most about a series about siblings is how they interact with each other and how they are affectionate with each other and go to any length to be there for their sibling.
I love a series with siblings because I like to watch how they are there for each other and how everyone grows in the relationships. Didn’t have siblings like this, so I find it fascinating.
I love following siblings in a series. It is like being a part of the family.
I like to read about the family’s interaction. I also like reading later books in the series and seeing how other characters are doing, although this can be tricky if you start reading in the middle of the series.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I love following siblings in a series, there relation ship, struggles, love, friendship, betrayal/ family drama, the good times the bad times
yep that’s it
Thanks for the giveaway!
I have been waiting for this book since “How to Woo a Wild Lady”. I love the Hellion series and can’t wit to see how it works out and the mystery of what happened to their parents solved. Thanks for the chance to win a copy *fingers crossed*
What I love about series involving siblings is that you get to know more about the family and the characters. They become more real and I always enjoy getting caught up on them when they make guest appearances in other books.
Yay! I’ve been following this series too (love her books!) & can’t wait to read this one. The nice thing about reading books that involved siblings is the interaction between them; be it sibling love, sibling rivalry and/or the teasing & humor that typically exists between close siblings. No more enduring love than family!
this looks so good!!
i love reading books that have siblings.. i like finding out the different family aspects.. Julia quinn does some of my favorite ones..
I love to read a series about friends or siblings! I love to find out about their lives and also to see how much they change over time.
I love series and/or involve families. You get to know them more and see different perspectives.
I just love Lord Gabriel Sharpe. I have been waiting for his book. I have even gotten my niece hooked on this series so I will have someone to share my excitement! In books with siblings I love the interplay between the characters. As siblings, they have a lifetime of background and they can beat on each other and still love each other!
I like series about siblings. I like knowing that there are going to be stories about other kids in the family.
Thanks for a great review!
I love series that follows families b/c I’m glutton for the characters that I’ve gotten to know. I love the interactions and learning more about each new character and how they relate to the family. But my favorite is when old and familiar characters have cameos and you get a glimpse of them after the HEA. Same reason I get hooked on a series; love the world but also want more of the cast of characters I’ve gotten to know.
The interaction between the siblings and other family members. I’m not a huge reader of historical romances but Sabrina Jeffries with this series has got my attention:D
I enjoy series involving siblings – as each one gets their own story told, we generally have interaction with the other brothers and/or sisters, so the characters continue to interact and to change and grow.
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
I love reading books about siblings whether it’s Sabrina Jeffries or Linda Lael Miller. It’s all about family and it is good to know when the going gets tough, all the siblings band together to protect one of their own.
I love the dynamics that siblings present – especially when they cross over into each other’s stories! So much room for drama and to learn more and revisit old favorites.
I definitely like seeing how the family dynamics plays out in stories with sibblings. They also provide insight into other family members and I have a better understanding of why they are the way they are. 🙂
I think the interaction between siblings is unlike any other. They may fight & squabble, but Family is all important. The bond is strong.
TO WED A WILD LORD looks wonderful.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I love siblings who truly love one another, but pick at each other, makes for interesting reading.
Would love to win a copy
I have 4 sisters so I like to read sister stories, especially if they actually get along:)
First of all – I love the cover! Secondly, I like siblings’ series because I have two of my own (one older, one younger) and we are close in age, too. We couldn’t be more different from each other than night is to day., so reading a good series about siblings should show their different personalities and how they and the family deals with it. This sets up nicely for good old fashioned family drama that a writer can take anywhere!
MJB
msmjb65 AT gmail DOT com
Oh I just love this series so much! I can’t wait to read Gabriel’s book!
What I like the most about siblings in books is their interaction with each other through a series. The fun banter, the tricks they play on each other, that you already know more about their character from reading about them in other books of the series. I think it adds a depth to the characters and book series as a whole to have siblings we get to know through a series.
I love to see how the siblings interact with each other. The teasing and fighting but also this no-one-will-be-alone feeling. There is always someone who is listening to the other and can help.
What I enjoy most about sibling series is that you get to revisit others in the family once you’ve read their story. The whole family gets a happy ending so no one gets left out. We always want more after the HEA and with siblings that’s what you get.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
yadkny@hotmail.com
Pingback: Review: To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries | Smexy Books
Pingback: Review – A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries | The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter
I can’t wait for the last book to come out! I bought to Wed A Wild Lord and ended up buying the ones before it and reading them. Now I am hooked on Sabrina Jeffries!