I think i understand why Younger Lexie considered this so sublime - the idea that as an older sibling you make sacrifices for your younger siblings was a notion I was i obsessed with. Putting aside the psychological reasoning there, I admired Tess.

That said, I cared very little for any of the sisters and while Draven certainly cut a nice figure (and James' sexy scenes were, as always, well done) this doesn't hold my interest now.

I found myself annoyed that Tess spends so much time worried over what was going on with Imogen, when Imogen treats her badly. Mostly not intentionally, but it felt ill done of her.

Overall a nice memory from the past but no longer a keeper. ( )

This book is so ridiculous and so all over the place that I couldn't help but grab hold and read till the end. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. It was silly, romantic, sexy, and just plain fun. At the same time, James discusses some pretty deep topics such as grief, loss, addiction, and familial love and obedience. Even if you're not looking for something emotional and philosophical, you'll come away with something from this book.

That said, I would BARELY classify this as a romance. In the author's note, James says she wanted to write a book that was about more than a woman's life being forever changed because a man walked into it. She wanted to show women camaraderie in the face of love, and while that's noble, it detracted from the romance. I actually couldn't tell who the hero was even supposed to be until a third of the way into the book. James's constantly shifting POV also made figuring that out difficult because everybody had something to say.

I got used to the writing style, and I figured out whom I was supposed to root for in this book, but it was the ending that truly annoyed me. It was hardly an ending. The ending of a romance novel is supposed to be the moment when the hero and heroine realize they love each other body and soul, but there was still so much unresolved by the end of this book to the point where I felt the heroine was back where she started. The family issues between Lucius and his parents aren't resolved. The hero and heroine still spend most of their days apart despite her clearly wanting to be more involved in his life, and the only thing that's really changed is when the two of them get it on. The first couple sex scenes were great, but it was starting to get repetitive before long.

Overall, if you want something fun and light, sexy and somewhat emotional, this is the book for you. But, if you need something a little more serious or consistent, maybe you should take a pass on this. ( )

849646332X

I can't say I particularly enjoyed this. I generally love Eloisa James but this was bland. I didn't really feel a connection to any of the characters. There was some funny banter but not enough to overcome the lack of depth. Which was kind of surprising anyway because this was really long. Too long without really going anywhere. A lot of the action happens at the end and isn't really resolved. i.e. the rift between Imogen and Tess over Draven's death, the fate of Something Wanton (the horse), Lucius' relationship with his parents, etc. There's also no real sharing of dreams or thoughts or conversation between Tess and Lucius. They really connect on anything more than a superficial level. So not my favourite Eloisa James book. 2 stars. Edging on the lower side of 2. ( )

Una chispeante comedia romántica de enredo. Casarse cuanto antes y casarse bien: esa es la meta de la joven huérfana Tess Essex. Sólo de esta forma, podrá encontrar los maridos más adecuados para sus tres hermanas: la hermosa Annabel, la romántica Imogen y la pequeña Josie. Sin más dote que un caballo de carreras, con el único apoyo de un tutor tímido y borrachín y los sabios consejos de sus hermanas, Tess se lanzará a la caza y captura del esposo ideal. Pero, ¿cómo decidirse entre sus dos pretendientes? Si se casa con Garret Langham tendrá asegurado un lugar preeminente entre la flor y nata de la sociedad... pero muy poca pasión. Y, por otra parte, ¿qué hacer con el atractivo y peligroso Lucius Felton? ¿Sabrá escoger Tess entre el deber y el placer?