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Brides of Nevarton Chase #1
Tempting a Proper Lady
This is a brand-new Victorian-set series from Debra Mullins about the chaos that can ensue when a finishing governess and a dashing gentleman join forces to stop the wedding of the year!
A MOST IMPROPER ALLIANCE
Two years ago, dashing Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared without a word. But he's resurfaced in London a wealthy man, only to discover his fiancé planning to wed another. Now Samuel needs to restore his good name and expose a villain--and tempting, temptable Cilla seems an ideal accomplice.
Priscilla Burke knows the marriage of her charge, Annabelle Bailey, to the Earl of Raventhorpe must be perfect. It would be madness for her to even consider doing anything that would mar this beautiful day and destroy her fledgling career as a wedding planner. Why then is she so drawn to this irresistible stranger who insists she help him sabotage the impending affair?
But a proper lady's desire is nothing to toy with. And a man whose character has been questioned cannot allow himself to dream of happily ever after. This not-so-innocent seduction may have unforeseen consequences.
A MOST IMPROPER ALLIANCE
Two years ago, dashing Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared without a word. But he's resurfaced in London a wealthy man, only to discover his fiancé planning to wed another. Now Samuel needs to restore his good name and expose a villain--and tempting, temptable Cilla seems an ideal accomplice.
Priscilla Burke knows the marriage of her charge, Annabelle Bailey, to the Earl of Raventhorpe must be perfect. It would be madness for her to even consider doing anything that would mar this beautiful day and destroy her fledgling career as a wedding planner. Why then is she so drawn to this irresistible stranger who insists she help him sabotage the impending affair?
But a proper lady's desire is nothing to toy with. And a man whose character has been questioned cannot allow himself to dream of happily ever after. This not-so-innocent seduction may have unforeseen consequences.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Debra Mullins
23 books133 followers(from website)I hate writing bios. They always seem so cut and dried. But you came to my website to learn more about me, so here goes.
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 8, 2021
***UPDATED REVIEW***
Going through my original review of the book,I realized that this book took me a terribly long time to read the first time around as well. At the risk of sounding far too blunt...it was almost painful this time around. I had to force myself to finish it with the promise that I could read something fun as soon as it was over.
The plot had SO much potential! The idea that an American heiress was being taken advantage of by an evil, impoverished English lord and the only one who can save her is her former fiancé, a dashing American sea Captain, is fun and exciting. The way everything played out felt too forced. There were good bones, but not enough substance. Everything felt like it started off great, but then it fell to the wayside for a half-baked romance between Cilla and Samuel. Their attraction was sudden, but the ease with which Cilla allowed Samuel "liberties" lost me. She wasn't all that "proper" now, was she? It was too quick. The abruptness of it all left a funny taste in my mouth. The ease with which Samuel and Cilla embark upon their "romance" did not sit very well with me. I think one of the biggest issues was that I didn't care enough about the characters.
The attraction between Samuel and Cilla felt unrealistic and very superficial. Part of the problem was that we essentially knew VERY little about Samuel other than that he was born a bastard, loved the Baileys as if they were his own family, and he became a sea captain. That's it. We know none of his hobbies, no anecdotes, nothing beyond his desire to save Annabelle from a disastrous marriage to the man who'd tried to kill him. He was horribly underdeveloped. As I noticed during my first reading of this book back in 2013, I didn't fall even a little bit in love with him...and that's the downfall with any book in this genre. Readers have to care about the male leads; we have to be attracted to them; we have to have the opportunity to find things we love about them - whether a personality quirk, something they do that's sexy, or even the steamy image we generate in our own minds...I had none of that with Samuel. I don't even think I ever got a good description of him beyond that he had tanned skin and dark hair. For the life of me, I don't even know what color eyes he had. Cilla was pretty much the same. She had a bit of a better backstory; perhaps because a great deal of the book was told from her perspective. This may have also contributed to my issues with Samuel; maybe if more of the story had been from his perspective, then I might not have found his character so lacking. Unfortunately, Cilla still fell a bit short for me. She was nearly as hollow as Samuel. The fact that she'd fallen from grace by running off and marrying a man against her family's wishes, she was forced to work for wages, and yet she was still invited as a GUEST in high society was extremely unrealistic. This, and the informality which all of the characters seemed to speak and address one another felt a bit amateur. Some of the wording in the dialogue felt off as well (some of it was even too modern to suit the story). I don't know if it was an attempt to make the Americans seem different, but it was more abrasive than realistic.
Additionally, there was a huge revelation about Raventhorpe in Samuel's investigations regarding the lord's underhanded business practices and possible human trafficking...and it was brushed off...almost forgotten and didn't feel as weighty as perhaps it should have.
The story's pacing felt a bit wonky as well. I flew through the first part, excited to see where the story was going to go. Then...everything slowed down. No exaggeration, this book took me months to finish because of this. And then, all of a sudden, there were 20 pages left in the book and it all came about rather abruptly. Where was the development? Where was the real building of a relationship between Cill and Samuel that DIDN'T focus around bedroom antics? WHY did they fall in love?! Overall, I was a bit frustrated with this book. As I mentioned, it had so much potential, but it simply didn't live up to what it could have been. I have enjoyed books by Mullins in the past, so I don't know why I struggled so terribly through this one.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
I began this book about a year ago, actually. I'm ashamed to say that it took me this long to finish it. Those who have read my other posts know that I have a habit of devouring books fairly quickly. Part of what took me so long to read this book was my busy schedule and the other is the fact that the story (and its characters) were a little bit unbelievable. (The most telling thing here is that I use my busy schedule as a poor excuse, but I know deep down that nothing can really keep me from finishing a good book.) It was pleasantly interesting, but nothing that made me salivate to read more. I did not care nearly enough about the male lead in the story, Samuel. This, I truly believe, is one of the things that makes or breaks a romance novel. In order to lose herself in a book such as this one, the reader needs to fall head-over-heels for the "hero." She has to believe that this is the most wonderful (if flawed) man in the world and she has to think he is the dreamiest and most charming and passionate person she could possibly imagine spending her life with. She has to wish she were in the "heroine's" place. This book did not make me feel strongly enough for Samuel and this was perhaps where it fell most short. There was definite effort made to create sympathy for Samuel, but it was just shy of where it needed to be in order to make the book a success. Priscilla's character was along the same lines. I felt a bit more for her than I did for Samuel, but not by that much. She fell a little bit flat for me as well. Her story was a little bit sad, but could have been made tragic with a bit more effort. The relationship between these characters was too...contrived for me to enjoy. I feel like it was too obviously fictional for me to truly lose myself. Lord Raventhorp was a good villain, but he wasn't in the book very much for so much of the plot to be revolving around his nefarious plans.
This is not the first Debra Mullins book I've read, but I don't recall having these issues with that one... I just went back and checked. I've read two other books by Debra Mullins and actually seemed to have really, absolutely enjoyed them... Interesting... Those books were fun and the characters had fire. I think those were the things that were missing from this book. The fire was lacking even in the most intense of scenes. The ending itself was even a bit anticlimactic. Overall, the characters were a bit on the shallow side, the plot was a bit unbelievable, and the ending was a bit hollow. This won't prevent me from reading other Debra Mullins works because I've obviously enjoyed them in the past; see the following links HERE and HERE. I realize that tastes change over the years, but not this drastically.
Going through my original review of the book,I realized that this book took me a terribly long time to read the first time around as well. At the risk of sounding far too blunt...it was almost painful this time around. I had to force myself to finish it with the promise that I could read something fun as soon as it was over.
The plot had SO much potential! The idea that an American heiress was being taken advantage of by an evil, impoverished English lord and the only one who can save her is her former fiancé, a dashing American sea Captain, is fun and exciting. The way everything played out felt too forced. There were good bones, but not enough substance. Everything felt like it started off great, but then it fell to the wayside for a half-baked romance between Cilla and Samuel. Their attraction was sudden, but the ease with which Cilla allowed Samuel "liberties" lost me. She wasn't all that "proper" now, was she? It was too quick. The abruptness of it all left a funny taste in my mouth. The ease with which Samuel and Cilla embark upon their "romance" did not sit very well with me. I think one of the biggest issues was that I didn't care enough about the characters.
The attraction between Samuel and Cilla felt unrealistic and very superficial. Part of the problem was that we essentially knew VERY little about Samuel other than that he was born a bastard, loved the Baileys as if they were his own family, and he became a sea captain. That's it. We know none of his hobbies, no anecdotes, nothing beyond his desire to save Annabelle from a disastrous marriage to the man who'd tried to kill him. He was horribly underdeveloped. As I noticed during my first reading of this book back in 2013, I didn't fall even a little bit in love with him...and that's the downfall with any book in this genre. Readers have to care about the male leads; we have to be attracted to them; we have to have the opportunity to find things we love about them - whether a personality quirk, something they do that's sexy, or even the steamy image we generate in our own minds...I had none of that with Samuel. I don't even think I ever got a good description of him beyond that he had tanned skin and dark hair. For the life of me, I don't even know what color eyes he had. Cilla was pretty much the same. She had a bit of a better backstory; perhaps because a great deal of the book was told from her perspective. This may have also contributed to my issues with Samuel; maybe if more of the story had been from his perspective, then I might not have found his character so lacking. Unfortunately, Cilla still fell a bit short for me. She was nearly as hollow as Samuel. The fact that she'd fallen from grace by running off and marrying a man against her family's wishes, she was forced to work for wages, and yet she was still invited as a GUEST in high society was extremely unrealistic. This, and the informality which all of the characters seemed to speak and address one another felt a bit amateur. Some of the wording in the dialogue felt off as well (some of it was even too modern to suit the story). I don't know if it was an attempt to make the Americans seem different, but it was more abrasive than realistic.
Additionally, there was a huge revelation about Raventhorpe in Samuel's investigations regarding the lord's underhanded business practices and possible human trafficking...and it was brushed off...almost forgotten and didn't feel as weighty as perhaps it should have.
The story's pacing felt a bit wonky as well. I flew through the first part, excited to see where the story was going to go. Then...everything slowed down. No exaggeration, this book took me months to finish because of this. And then, all of a sudden, there were 20 pages left in the book and it all came about rather abruptly. Where was the development? Where was the real building of a relationship between Cill and Samuel that DIDN'T focus around bedroom antics? WHY did they fall in love?! Overall, I was a bit frustrated with this book. As I mentioned, it had so much potential, but it simply didn't live up to what it could have been. I have enjoyed books by Mullins in the past, so I don't know why I struggled so terribly through this one.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
I began this book about a year ago, actually. I'm ashamed to say that it took me this long to finish it. Those who have read my other posts know that I have a habit of devouring books fairly quickly. Part of what took me so long to read this book was my busy schedule and the other is the fact that the story (and its characters) were a little bit unbelievable. (The most telling thing here is that I use my busy schedule as a poor excuse, but I know deep down that nothing can really keep me from finishing a good book.) It was pleasantly interesting, but nothing that made me salivate to read more. I did not care nearly enough about the male lead in the story, Samuel. This, I truly believe, is one of the things that makes or breaks a romance novel. In order to lose herself in a book such as this one, the reader needs to fall head-over-heels for the "hero." She has to believe that this is the most wonderful (if flawed) man in the world and she has to think he is the dreamiest and most charming and passionate person she could possibly imagine spending her life with. She has to wish she were in the "heroine's" place. This book did not make me feel strongly enough for Samuel and this was perhaps where it fell most short. There was definite effort made to create sympathy for Samuel, but it was just shy of where it needed to be in order to make the book a success. Priscilla's character was along the same lines. I felt a bit more for her than I did for Samuel, but not by that much. She fell a little bit flat for me as well. Her story was a little bit sad, but could have been made tragic with a bit more effort. The relationship between these characters was too...contrived for me to enjoy. I feel like it was too obviously fictional for me to truly lose myself. Lord Raventhorp was a good villain, but he wasn't in the book very much for so much of the plot to be revolving around his nefarious plans.
This is not the first Debra Mullins book I've read, but I don't recall having these issues with that one... I just went back and checked. I've read two other books by Debra Mullins and actually seemed to have really, absolutely enjoyed them... Interesting... Those books were fun and the characters had fire. I think those were the things that were missing from this book. The fire was lacking even in the most intense of scenes. The ending itself was even a bit anticlimactic. Overall, the characters were a bit on the shallow side, the plot was a bit unbelievable, and the ending was a bit hollow. This won't prevent me from reading other Debra Mullins works because I've obviously enjoyed them in the past; see the following links HERE and HERE. I realize that tastes change over the years, but not this drastically.
March 9, 2012
It was an okay read. Interesting/captivating beginning but the beginning seems to promise a bit more than what you actually get from the book. Perhaps I was a bit distracted while reading it but I didn't feel like there was enough emotions in the words when it came to the drama parts (robbery, kidnapping, attempted murder). Those parts of the book had potention but to me they were not very captivating, they could have been played out better.
April 6, 2011
I enjoyed this book - a solid read. The writing was a bit clunky in the beginning with some of the characters actions a little out of context with the period, however, I haven't read much from the late 19th Century...
June 4, 2024
Bro made my panties melt😭
April 28, 2011
Captain Samuel Breedlow had returned home after being missing for nearly two years to find his fiancee announcing her engagement to another man, a man he hates, the Earl of Raventhorpe. As he storms forward to announce that Annabelle is his fiancee, Priscilla Burke sees her future as wedding planner to the ton going up in smoke. She tries to dissuade Samuel but he know the true nature of the Earl, after all, it was he who left Samuel for dead on a deserted island. Samuel finally leaves the party but not without giving a few glances to the lovely Cilla.
Cilla has her own reasons for her first wedding as the wedding planner to go off without a hitch. She needs the income that the position would give her as her husband has passed away and she refuses to marry again, as she was burned badly by her husband. So when Samuel comes to her and proposes that they stop this wedding, she is appalled. But Samuel persists and is able to show some of the true evil colors (really low, vile things) of Raventhorpe to Cilla. Cilla realizes she must help Samuel as she cannot allow her friend to marry this villain so she proposes a plan to Samuel...he will teach her the ways to please a man so she may become a mistress if her wedding planner job falls through.
I very much enjoyed this book. Watching the attraction turn from lust to love was very well done (and quite steamy!). There is a wonderful set of secondary characters that add just enough to the story without overpowering it but leave you ready for more of their stories. (And I am happy to see that Samuels friend, John Ready is the hero for the next book, Too Wicked to Love.) Overall, this is a good romance book with a bit of intrigue and suspense to help it move along but not overwhelm the storyline of two people who are not looking for love but finding it anyways. This was my first Debra Mullins book and I will be looking for more! 4 stars
Cilla has her own reasons for her first wedding as the wedding planner to go off without a hitch. She needs the income that the position would give her as her husband has passed away and she refuses to marry again, as she was burned badly by her husband. So when Samuel comes to her and proposes that they stop this wedding, she is appalled. But Samuel persists and is able to show some of the true evil colors (really low, vile things) of Raventhorpe to Cilla. Cilla realizes she must help Samuel as she cannot allow her friend to marry this villain so she proposes a plan to Samuel...he will teach her the ways to please a man so she may become a mistress if her wedding planner job falls through.
I very much enjoyed this book. Watching the attraction turn from lust to love was very well done (and quite steamy!). There is a wonderful set of secondary characters that add just enough to the story without overpowering it but leave you ready for more of their stories. (And I am happy to see that Samuels friend, John Ready is the hero for the next book, Too Wicked to Love.) Overall, this is a good romance book with a bit of intrigue and suspense to help it move along but not overwhelm the storyline of two people who are not looking for love but finding it anyways. This was my first Debra Mullins book and I will be looking for more! 4 stars
April 5, 2011
This story was a 5 most of the way through it but towards the end the story got a little iffy and the storyline got a little "this doesn't quite seem right".
Captain Samual Breedlove, an American crashes his fiances engagement ball. He has been missing for 2 years without word so this fiance Annabelle Bailey and her family had thought he had moved on because he was too much of a coward to break the engagement.
He tells a story of how he was marooned on a Carribean Island and left for dead by Annabelle's new fiance. Is he telling the truth or not that is what Priscilla Burke wants to know. Cilla is working for the Bailey family to help them negotiate the English peerage system and customs especailly an Annabelle has found herself an Earl. She is also hoping to launch a career as a wedding/party planner with a successful planning of this wedding, if there is to be one.
She make a deal with the captain to help him stop the wedding and the same time he is show her about relationships. This was the fun part - I think this was quite well done.
I enjoy Debra Mullins books and I look forward to more.
Captain Samual Breedlove, an American crashes his fiances engagement ball. He has been missing for 2 years without word so this fiance Annabelle Bailey and her family had thought he had moved on because he was too much of a coward to break the engagement.
He tells a story of how he was marooned on a Carribean Island and left for dead by Annabelle's new fiance. Is he telling the truth or not that is what Priscilla Burke wants to know. Cilla is working for the Bailey family to help them negotiate the English peerage system and customs especailly an Annabelle has found herself an Earl. She is also hoping to launch a career as a wedding/party planner with a successful planning of this wedding, if there is to be one.
She make a deal with the captain to help him stop the wedding and the same time he is show her about relationships. This was the fun part - I think this was quite well done.
I enjoy Debra Mullins books and I look forward to more.
March 11, 2016
Historical English romance set in London with a mix of Americans, titled English folks and a widow that links all the folks together while planning a wedding.
Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared two years ago. He is back and shows up in London to get his fiancé back, or at least protect her from the evil Earl of Raventhorpe.
Samuel doesn't really know what he wants until he starts up a sexual relationship with 'Cilla' on Friday afternoons. Mrs. Priscilla Burke or 'Cilla' is trying to take care of herself after being widowed by a terrible husband that left her nothing but heartbreak. So she was married for years, but knows nothing about love or sexual gratification so here enters lonely Samuel.
Miss Annabelle Bailey and her great parents are like a new family to Cilla, as they were two years ago, they were the adopted family of Samuel.
Second chances plot for Cilla who gets to do romance right her second time around, and Samuel gets back his adopted family and gets rid of one evil guy.
This was an okay historical romance with a crazy white slavery plot hanging around in the background which was the scariest part of the book.
385 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared two years ago. He is back and shows up in London to get his fiancé back, or at least protect her from the evil Earl of Raventhorpe.
Samuel doesn't really know what he wants until he starts up a sexual relationship with 'Cilla' on Friday afternoons. Mrs. Priscilla Burke or 'Cilla' is trying to take care of herself after being widowed by a terrible husband that left her nothing but heartbreak. So she was married for years, but knows nothing about love or sexual gratification so here enters lonely Samuel.
Miss Annabelle Bailey and her great parents are like a new family to Cilla, as they were two years ago, they were the adopted family of Samuel.
Second chances plot for Cilla who gets to do romance right her second time around, and Samuel gets back his adopted family and gets rid of one evil guy.
This was an okay historical romance with a crazy white slavery plot hanging around in the background which was the scariest part of the book.
385 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
July 16, 2010
My cynical reader's mind was prepared to scoff at this book's obvious climax scene of the two lovers being caught together so when a new chapter would begin without the teary scene, I found myself getting more and more interested. I liked the characters' honesty, and that it really was honesty instead of the woman playing the "honest but not really still very emotional" creature most romances end up writing. However, I was prepared to skewer this book for its predictability. Score a win for Ms. Mullins that the scene I thought so inevitable ended being invisible - it wasn't there. It actually never happened! I am so excited that she didn't take that obvious road that I am so tired of seeing fifty miles away. The actual climax of the story was one that, while definitely possible, I'd not actually considered since I was too busy being wrapped up in my own predictions. It was a great read, and one that showed all of the characters growing (Annabelle). Now I am very interested in the next book which will hopefully feature Annabelle, Black Bill, and John Ready.
December 8, 2012
I found a copy of Tempting a Proper Lady by author, Debra Mullins,at my local Dollar Tree. I was was floored--they never carry great historical romances. This was a great buy, and definitely fits into being a great historical romance.
I immediately feel in love with all the characters, minus the villain of course. Both Cilla and Samuel were awesome.
Debra Mullins did a fantastic job of balancing the plot with action and sensual romance. Some parts were HOT, HOT, HOT! Definitely sensualicious!!!
The book left me wanting to read the next book in the Brides of Nevarton Chase Series.
I recommend that you check this book and this author out. A winning combination!!!
Happy Reading, Y'all!
I immediately feel in love with all the characters, minus the villain of course. Both Cilla and Samuel were awesome.
Debra Mullins did a fantastic job of balancing the plot with action and sensual romance. Some parts were HOT, HOT, HOT! Definitely sensualicious!!!
The book left me wanting to read the next book in the Brides of Nevarton Chase Series.
I recommend that you check this book and this author out. A winning combination!!!
Happy Reading, Y'all!
August 9, 2022
This would ordinarily be a 3.5 star read but it pulled me out of a reading slump, so Tempting a Proper Lady can have a generous 4 stars!
This had so many things I love: Cilla is a widowed heroine who had a terrible first marriage, and after being shunned by society and left penniless she is forced to work for herself. She's never experienced pleasure, so she strikes up an arrangement with Samuel who'll teach her the skills of the marriage bed.
I really loved Samuel Breedlove as the hero trying to make himself heard, win his girl back, but realising that maybe he didn’t really love her. Also we stan a pirate king!
I also really enjoyed how dark the Raventhorpe storyline was - I need more historicals that tackle dark subject matter like this.
Holy hell though, Annabelle’s family are a major reason why this could never be 5 stars - they were so annoying and wilfully ignorant that they made me wanna claw my fucking eyes out.
This had so many things I love: Cilla is a widowed heroine who had a terrible first marriage, and after being shunned by society and left penniless she is forced to work for herself. She's never experienced pleasure, so she strikes up an arrangement with Samuel who'll teach her the skills of the marriage bed.
I really loved Samuel Breedlove as the hero trying to make himself heard, win his girl back, but realising that maybe he didn’t really love her. Also we stan a pirate king!
I also really enjoyed how dark the Raventhorpe storyline was - I need more historicals that tackle dark subject matter like this.
Holy hell though, Annabelle’s family are a major reason why this could never be 5 stars - they were so annoying and wilfully ignorant that they made me wanna claw my fucking eyes out.
July 30, 2010
While the beginning of the story is not that captivating, it does get better as the story progress. Soon enough, you'll find yourself turning the pages rapidly, wanting to know if their scheme will succeed. There were moments in the story where you'll find how naive and blind-sided one can be by a person's title and wealth. So much so that I couldn't believe the stupidity of such characters, and yet I acknowledge such characters do exist in today's world.
Cilla and Samuel are really good together, both in and out of bed. Speaking of bed, Debra Mullins is a master in writing explosive love scenes without being too graphic.
Now I'm praying that she'll write a story for Samuel's mysterious sidekick, John Ready. I have a feeling that I'm going to love his story just as much if not more if Mullins would give him a chance ;)
Cilla and Samuel are really good together, both in and out of bed. Speaking of bed, Debra Mullins is a master in writing explosive love scenes without being too graphic.
Now I'm praying that she'll write a story for Samuel's mysterious sidekick, John Ready. I have a feeling that I'm going to love his story just as much if not more if Mullins would give him a chance ;)
September 11, 2012
Now this one gets a five star rating purely for the uniqueness of the characters, story line and for the twists and turns. I winced however, when reading the hero's name, 'Breedlove' sounded to me like a bad pun. It didn't distract from the rest though! If I hadn't read the back, I would have assumed right from the beginning that he was going to end up with one person, but instead he goes for the unconventional choice in these historical romances I so fancy, and goes for the Widow instead. It felt like a fresh take, and I enjoyed reading their romance and seeing the end of dastardly Raventhorpe. I see this is currently a two part series, I will have to read the second one as I wish to see what happens with Annabelle and with some of the other characters also.
June 2, 2010
I wasn't sure about this one after reading the blurb. I'm not a huge fan of love-triangles and I thought this might head that direction. I'm happy to report Mullins took it somewhere else.
I really liked the way the relationship between Samuel and Cilla developed. At first they didn't care for each other and she was very suspicious of him. It didn't take long for each of them to realize they needed to work together - in more ways than one. Once they committed to each other the story really progressed. I understood both their reasons for holding back, and appreciated the way they came together.
I really liked the way the relationship between Samuel and Cilla developed. At first they didn't care for each other and she was very suspicious of him. It didn't take long for each of them to realize they needed to work together - in more ways than one. Once they committed to each other the story really progressed. I understood both their reasons for holding back, and appreciated the way they came together.
November 10, 2016
4.5 stars. Well written, well plotted, good character development and backstories, good chemistry, good momentum, good intentions. It's not entirely plausible that they would believe the nefarious earl simply because he's an earl -- but only because this earl-villain is one-dimensional (if he'd been depicted as a proud and seemingly irrefutable earl in action, then it might have been more solid). The bargain the protagonists strike is likewise perhaps not sufficiently motivated. The half point taken off is because the book doesn't possess a certain deftness to interior character painting -- but what it lacks there, it makes up for in movement and vitality. A strong romance genre novel.
August 10, 2012
I'm sure this would be a good, satisfying read if ONLY I could actually force myself to slog through it focus and read it. I think the whole murder/sinister plot just bores me. I just want to read the H/h's romance. Although the story has been written so that it would have been impossible for the H/h to meet repeatedly and fall in love if it weren't for the Evil Lord. Anywhoo, right now it's just sitting in my kindle -- maybe one day I'll finish it :P
October 26, 2010
Samuel was to wed AnnaBelle but was marooned on a Caribbean island because of Lord Raventhorpe and now he comes home and finds that the evil Lord is engaged to his fiance. Cilla who is an employee of AnnaBelle's parents teams with Samuel to save AnnaBelle and fall in love while doing so.
July 31, 2010
Not enough of sexual chemistry...and it felt like the book didn't offer anything new (as in story plot) for me
April 23, 2015
The story was quite good but I was not to thrills with some of the character names - Samuel Breedlove and John Ready. Other names were fine.
December 6, 2015
Just didn't do much for me. I will read the next book because I want to find out what's John Ready's story.
September 11, 2012
Liked it so much I had to buy Genny and John's story :)
Read
November 22, 2018Having survived a murder attempt and marooning in the Caribbean, Captain Samuel Breedlove is finally returning to the fiancée he left behind two years prior. The only problem is, Annabelle Bailey, his fiancée, is on the very of marrying another man; and not just any man, the Earl of Raventhorpe – the man who tried to kill him and left him for dead. Samuel is determined to win back Annabelle before she marries a monster, and to do that he’ll need the help of the only person who seems to be willing to listen to him – Annabelle’s wedding planner.
Priscilla Burke knows just how badly a poor marriage can damage a woman. After being disowned over her choice of husbands, then left with nothing but debts once she was widowed, Cilla wants to be dependent on no man. That’s why it’s so important that Annabelle’s wedding to the earl go off without a hitch – it will jump start Cilla’s career as a wedding planner. But when the dashing American captain arrives with tales that make out Annabelle’s intended to be a monster, Cilla knows she cannot allow the young woman to make a possibly deadly mistake in choosing a husband. As Cilla works to uncover the truth, she’s finds herself more and more drawn to Samuel. But love between a socially disgraced Englishwoman and a wealthy American captain could never be possible…could it?
Love, desire, danger, and friendship fill the pages of the charming Tempting a Proper Lady. Debra Mullins has created two protagonists that are incredibly easy to like because of their sensibility, maturity, and innate goodness. It was easy for me to become invested in Cilla and Samuel’s story because they were both kindhearted people who deserved to find happiness with one another. Both have had their hearts broken in various ways in the past, so I admired the special kind of courage it took for them to open their hearts once again.
Tempting a Proper Lady is the first book in Ms. Mullins’s Brides of Nevarton Chase trilogy and I confess I finished Tempting a Proper Lady incredibly eager to read the next two books. I am hoping Annabelle’s story is one of them, for she is a bright and loving character that quickly endeared herself to me. As to who her hero would be, I could not begin to guess, but I cannot help but not-so-secretly wish it is either Samuel’s mysterious best friend or a certain dashing highwayman whose brief appearances in Tempting a Proper Lady intrigued me greatly. Tempting a Proper Lady is a highly enjoyable story and I guarantee I’ll be back for more with the next Brides of Nevarton Chase book!
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Priscilla Burke knows just how badly a poor marriage can damage a woman. After being disowned over her choice of husbands, then left with nothing but debts once she was widowed, Cilla wants to be dependent on no man. That’s why it’s so important that Annabelle’s wedding to the earl go off without a hitch – it will jump start Cilla’s career as a wedding planner. But when the dashing American captain arrives with tales that make out Annabelle’s intended to be a monster, Cilla knows she cannot allow the young woman to make a possibly deadly mistake in choosing a husband. As Cilla works to uncover the truth, she’s finds herself more and more drawn to Samuel. But love between a socially disgraced Englishwoman and a wealthy American captain could never be possible…could it?
Love, desire, danger, and friendship fill the pages of the charming Tempting a Proper Lady. Debra Mullins has created two protagonists that are incredibly easy to like because of their sensibility, maturity, and innate goodness. It was easy for me to become invested in Cilla and Samuel’s story because they were both kindhearted people who deserved to find happiness with one another. Both have had their hearts broken in various ways in the past, so I admired the special kind of courage it took for them to open their hearts once again.
Tempting a Proper Lady is the first book in Ms. Mullins’s Brides of Nevarton Chase trilogy and I confess I finished Tempting a Proper Lady incredibly eager to read the next two books. I am hoping Annabelle’s story is one of them, for she is a bright and loving character that quickly endeared herself to me. As to who her hero would be, I could not begin to guess, but I cannot help but not-so-secretly wish it is either Samuel’s mysterious best friend or a certain dashing highwayman whose brief appearances in Tempting a Proper Lady intrigued me greatly. Tempting a Proper Lady is a highly enjoyable story and I guarantee I’ll be back for more with the next Brides of Nevarton Chase book!
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
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