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Men of Danger #1
Mistletoe Magic
A paragon of virtue, Miss Lillian Davenport has an unrivaled reputation. So why has she offered to pay dangerous American, Lucas Clairmont, for a single kiss?Lucas refuses to be molded by society and often walks on the wrong side of right, but Lillian's pure goodness and pale, correct life fascinate him. He senses that beneath the manners there's a woman of rare sensuality.
For Lillian, buying a kiss from Lucas has released a wildness within. Her ordered, virtuous world may never be the same again....
For Lillian, buying a kiss from Lucas has released a wildness within. Her ordered, virtuous world may never be the same again....
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Sophia James
176 books126 followersGeorgette Heyer novels formed Sophia James' reading tastes as a teenager, but her writing life only started when she was given a pile of Mills & Boons to read after she had had her wisdom teeth extracted! Filled with strong painkillers, she imagined that she could pen one, too. Many drafts later, Sophia thinks she has the perfect job writing for Harlequin Historical, as well as taking art tours to Europe with her husband, who is a painter.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 13, 2010
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I was somewhat disappointed. Some parts were a bit dry, and some parts very tantalizing. I wish the balance was more in the latter direction. I have to say I loved the hero, Lucas. He was dreamy! He was a very tortured guy, who hadn't gotten a lot of breaks in his life. I wish that Ms. James had focused on that more. I felt like there was too much time focused on how snobby British society viewed him, and how that affected Lillian's view of Lucas way too much, instead of looking into his heart, and what her heart told him about it. I could understand why, since her mother had ran off with her lover, broken her father's heart, and disgraced her family. She had spent her life trying to be the epitome of a well-behaved lady, the epitome of English gentility. However, she was very unhappy with her life, twenty-five years old, and yearning to be loved. She was tired of being the perfect young lady, the model for others. She just wanted something real for herself. At times, she was almost unlikeable, coming off as being a complete snob at times. Lucas didn't deserve that from her at all. Granted, it took him some time to get back to her after she was ruined when he was caught kissing her hand on the balcony, but he had a good reason for it. She didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt.
I liked the bond and chemistry between Lucas and Lillian. It did seem like a fated, compelling love they shared. The brief love scene was pretty steamy. Definitely some good points for that!
I didn't quite get why the children of Lucas' deceased wife's sister were introduced, but then you didn't hear about them until near the end. I felt like they were more of a plot point than an organic part of the story. This was another area that could have been more developed instead of showing society functions as much as was done. I liked seeing the couple trying to work on their marriage, and interacting with the kids, and I wished there was more of this.
The adventurous climax was too quick and didn't make a lot of sense to me. I would have preferred seeing Lucas and Lillian work on their relationship to this.
All in all, this could have been a better read than it was. I liked Lucas a lot, and the little girls were cute. Lillian disappointed me in her snobbiness, despite my understanding of her issues. I wanted her to 'woman up' sooner than she did. I liked the Victorian setting, and the Christmas elements. But, I ended up feeling mostly let down by this book. Mistletoe Magic wasn't a bad book, but it could have been much better. It had a lot of potential. Sophia James' lovely way with words was evident, this just needed a more cohesive, focused narrative to shine like it had the potential to do.
I liked the bond and chemistry between Lucas and Lillian. It did seem like a fated, compelling love they shared. The brief love scene was pretty steamy. Definitely some good points for that!
I didn't quite get why the children of Lucas' deceased wife's sister were introduced, but then you didn't hear about them until near the end. I felt like they were more of a plot point than an organic part of the story. This was another area that could have been more developed instead of showing society functions as much as was done. I liked seeing the couple trying to work on their marriage, and interacting with the kids, and I wished there was more of this.
The adventurous climax was too quick and didn't make a lot of sense to me. I would have preferred seeing Lucas and Lillian work on their relationship to this.
All in all, this could have been a better read than it was. I liked Lucas a lot, and the little girls were cute. Lillian disappointed me in her snobbiness, despite my understanding of her issues. I wanted her to 'woman up' sooner than she did. I liked the Victorian setting, and the Christmas elements. But, I ended up feeling mostly let down by this book. Mistletoe Magic wasn't a bad book, but it could have been much better. It had a lot of potential. Sophia James' lovely way with words was evident, this just needed a more cohesive, focused narrative to shine like it had the potential to do.
August 10, 2024
Questa serie narra le vicende di tre amici, compagni di scuola dai tempi di Eton e accomunati dall'avere avuto genitori assenti, sconsiderati o addirittura violenti.
Si parte con Lucas, inviato a vivere, ancora adolescente, presso uno zio americano, in Virginia, e che è divenuto uomo in una terra aspra e pericolosa. Figuriamoci quando torna a Londra in cerca di vendetta verso un damerino inglese che gli ha rovinato la vita.
Se gli amici gli sono vicini, la buona società lo emargina. La buona notizia è che questa pecora nera fa colpo proprio su miss perfettina, Lilian, una gentildonna luminosa, faro di assennatezza e giudizio per tutte le sue coetanee.
Avvincente e originale. 5 stelline.
Si parte con Lucas, inviato a vivere, ancora adolescente, presso uno zio americano, in Virginia, e che è divenuto uomo in una terra aspra e pericolosa. Figuriamoci quando torna a Londra in cerca di vendetta verso un damerino inglese che gli ha rovinato la vita.
Se gli amici gli sono vicini, la buona società lo emargina. La buona notizia è che questa pecora nera fa colpo proprio su miss perfettina, Lilian, una gentildonna luminosa, faro di assennatezza e giudizio per tutte le sue coetanee.
Avvincente e originale. 5 stelline.
May 13, 2013
Grade: B+
The happy couple....
Lucas Clairmont is a brawny and brawly American in London. Lillian Davenport is a near-spinster revered by the ton as “a paragon of good sense, good taste and good comportment.”
The set-up....
Lillian has a Christmas deadline to bring a man up to scratch, or she will be forced to marry the “eminently sensible, infinitely suitable,” suitor her father has chosen. Just as she’s losing hope, she overhears Lucas threaten to kill her cousin — but before she can sneak away, he makes eye contact and gives her a “licentious and untrammelled” wink.
The conflicts....
Lucas is in England to settle the affairs of his adulterous late wife, and he learns that two nieces he’s never met are now his wards. Lillian’s father is pushing her towards a “safe” husband because his own marriage was volatile and unhappy.
The romance....
The orange flowers. Ohhhhhhh, the orange flowers.
The recommendation....
Yeah, I FELT SOMETHING too. *ahem*
A maid came in with a large unruly bunch of orange flowers and her breath was caught. ‘Is there a card?’
‘Indeed, miss, there is.’ The maid broke the envelope away from a string that kept it joined to the bouquet, speculation unhidden in the lines of her face.
‘That will be all, thank you,’ Lillian said, waiting until the door was shut before she slit open the card.
I FELT SOMETHING.
The words were in bold capitals with no name attached.
The happy couple....
Lucas Clairmont is a brawny and brawly American in London. Lillian Davenport is a near-spinster revered by the ton as “a paragon of good sense, good taste and good comportment.”
The set-up....
Lillian has a Christmas deadline to bring a man up to scratch, or she will be forced to marry the “eminently sensible, infinitely suitable,” suitor her father has chosen. Just as she’s losing hope, she overhears Lucas threaten to kill her cousin — but before she can sneak away, he makes eye contact and gives her a “licentious and untrammelled” wink.
The conflicts....
Lucas is in England to settle the affairs of his adulterous late wife, and he learns that two nieces he’s never met are now his wards. Lillian’s father is pushing her towards a “safe” husband because his own marriage was volatile and unhappy.
The romance....
The orange flowers. Ohhhhhhh, the orange flowers.
The recommendation....
Yeah, I FELT SOMETHING too. *ahem*
August 27, 2018
I have not finished this book yet, it started out strong with interesting characters, but it takes the plot FOREVER to get anywhere and the heroine is so damned wishy-washy. I will probably pick it up again at a later date and amend my review, but for now I’m 46% through it and have just gotten bored with the lack of progression. There really are some strong character moments that I enjoyed, they are just too far apart and too little comes from them to keep the story flowing smoothly.
December 30, 2018
12/24-27/18
April 19, 2024
È UN ROMANZO ROSA DI QUELLI CHE SI VENDONO NELLE EDICOLE QUINDI NON AVEVO ASPETITIVE MOLTO ALTE ED È STATO UN BENE. NON E' UN BRUTTO LIBRO E ANCHE LE SCENE SPINTE, CHE
IO NON SOPPORTO MINIMAMENTE, NON CI SONO. QUELLO CHE PERÒ MI FA STORCERE IL NASO È LA SOLITA, NOIOSA TRAMA. SIAMO IN INGHILTERRA A METÀ DELL'800 E LA PROTAGONISTA LILLIAN È UNA GIOVANE DONNA DI VENTICINQUE ANNI CASTA, PURA, VERGINE E PERFETA CHE DEVE
SPOSARSI CON IL RICCONE DI TURNO MA NON VUOLE. ARRIVA IL BAD BOY DALL'AMERICA, LEI GLI CHIEDE DI BACIARLA PAGANDOLO E SI INNAMORA ARRIVANDO A BUTTARE ALL'ARIA TUTTO PER LUI. POI I DUE LITIGANO, PERCHÉ LUI VIENE RAPITO DALLA ZIA E DAL CUGINO DI LEI E LEI PENSA CHE NON LA VOGLIA PIÙ VEDERE. ARRIVANO A UN MATRIMONIO PRATICAMENTE FORZATO E SI TRASFERISCONO IN UNA PROPRIETÀ DI LUCAS DOVE ABITANO LE SUE PUPILLE, DUE BAMBINE ORFANE, CHARITY E HOPE. IL FINALE NON L'HO APPREZZATO. C'È LA RESA DEI CONTI TRA LUCAS E IL CUGINO DI LILLIAN DOVE SI COMBATTONO CON LE PISTOLE E PER POCO NON AMMAZZANO ANCHE LEI. FOSSI IN LILLIAN SAREI SCAPPATA CON LE BAMBINE E SE LUI MI AVESSE RINTRACCIATA COL CAVOLO CHE AVREBBE RICEVUTO IL MIO PERDONO MA CONTENTA LEI, CONTENTI TUTTI.
IO NON SOPPORTO MINIMAMENTE, NON CI SONO. QUELLO CHE PERÒ MI FA STORCERE IL NASO È LA SOLITA, NOIOSA TRAMA. SIAMO IN INGHILTERRA A METÀ DELL'800 E LA PROTAGONISTA LILLIAN È UNA GIOVANE DONNA DI VENTICINQUE ANNI CASTA, PURA, VERGINE E PERFETA CHE DEVE
SPOSARSI CON IL RICCONE DI TURNO MA NON VUOLE. ARRIVA IL BAD BOY DALL'AMERICA, LEI GLI CHIEDE DI BACIARLA PAGANDOLO E SI INNAMORA ARRIVANDO A BUTTARE ALL'ARIA TUTTO PER LUI. POI I DUE LITIGANO, PERCHÉ LUI VIENE RAPITO DALLA ZIA E DAL CUGINO DI LEI E LEI PENSA CHE NON LA VOGLIA PIÙ VEDERE. ARRIVANO A UN MATRIMONIO PRATICAMENTE FORZATO E SI TRASFERISCONO IN UNA PROPRIETÀ DI LUCAS DOVE ABITANO LE SUE PUPILLE, DUE BAMBINE ORFANE, CHARITY E HOPE. IL FINALE NON L'HO APPREZZATO. C'È LA RESA DEI CONTI TRA LUCAS E IL CUGINO DI LILLIAN DOVE SI COMBATTONO CON LE PISTOLE E PER POCO NON AMMAZZANO ANCHE LEI. FOSSI IN LILLIAN SAREI SCAPPATA CON LE BAMBINE E SE LUI MI AVESSE RINTRACCIATA COL CAVOLO CHE AVREBBE RICEVUTO IL MIO PERDONO MA CONTENTA LEI, CONTENTI TUTTI.
June 6, 2011
This was the first Harlequin romance I ever read, and for the most part, I found it agreeable. I grew up thinking that all Harlequin romances were full of illicit sex scenes. I can now report that I was wrong.
First of all, I am a sucker for a Christmas story. To make it better, it is England in the 1800's. Welcome to the perfect setting for a story. I loved Lily and Luc. Their chemistry was awesome, and I was glad they waited to have their bedroom romance after their wedding. I also appreciated the Bilical references throughout and that the language never got too foul.
My plan had been to give this a 4-star rating until I reached the last 20 or 30 pages. It would seem that the author ted to tie up loose ends too quickly at the end. This caused the book to lose a lot of it charm and attraction for me.
I will reserve commenting on how good it is compoared to other Harlequin romances, but as compared to other romances, it is just average.
First of all, I am a sucker for a Christmas story. To make it better, it is England in the 1800's. Welcome to the perfect setting for a story. I loved Lily and Luc. Their chemistry was awesome, and I was glad they waited to have their bedroom romance after their wedding. I also appreciated the Bilical references throughout and that the language never got too foul.
My plan had been to give this a 4-star rating until I reached the last 20 or 30 pages. It would seem that the author ted to tie up loose ends too quickly at the end. This caused the book to lose a lot of it charm and attraction for me.
I will reserve commenting on how good it is compoared to other Harlequin romances, but as compared to other romances, it is just average.
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January 9, 2010Delightful!
I couldn't think of a single word to describe this book better. Miss Lillian Davenport has tried all her life to be perfect in every way to please her father. Then on an impulse, she buys a kiss from the American Lucas Clairmont. She just wanted to have a reference to what a kiss felt like. She never expected the wildness it would release in her. Lillian completely facinates Lucas. He dreams of discovering what other little secrets she has kept hidden, even from herself. However, she is still a very proper lady and getting her to explore is a challenge. One Lucas definitely enjoys, most of the time that is.
Definitely a fun book with a touching love story to make it a perfect read.
I couldn't think of a single word to describe this book better. Miss Lillian Davenport has tried all her life to be perfect in every way to please her father. Then on an impulse, she buys a kiss from the American Lucas Clairmont. She just wanted to have a reference to what a kiss felt like. She never expected the wildness it would release in her. Lillian completely facinates Lucas. He dreams of discovering what other little secrets she has kept hidden, even from herself. However, she is still a very proper lady and getting her to explore is a challenge. One Lucas definitely enjoys, most of the time that is.
Definitely a fun book with a touching love story to make it a perfect read.
July 30, 2012
I read this book as someone mentioned it to be one of their top three favourite romances. Whilst I liked the characters, and I enjoyed the freshness of having a character caught between the cultures of his birth and adopted countries, I felt that not all the conflicts were fully played out, and that emotional progressions weren't smooth. However, this book will not stop me reading more by Sophia James, who is, by all reports, a talented author.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews