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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lessons on how to reform a rake .........without him even knowing it, February 29, 2008
This review is from: To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
Having grown up and witnessed her mother's disastrous/hate-filled marriage of convenience, Miss Roslyn Loring has decided that only a love match will do. The only problem is -How the devil do you make a man fall in love with you? Regrettably, it seems that most men fall in love with their mistresses, and not their wives. Being an intelligent and logical woman she goes right to the source for information -her friend, an infamous courtesan.
The remarkably handsome Duke of Arden, is known as an extraordinary lover, a man who is able to make women weep with rapture. At the annual notorious Cyprian's ball, fate finds him on the lookout for a new mistress when his eyes catch hold of a beautiful masked shepherdess. He pursues and confronts her in a deserted alcove. But shockingly this woman seems to be immune to his advances. Hmmm...must be a ploy, for she is quite an actress too, pretending to be all innocent. So he *intensifies* his persuasive skills. And just when things become increasingly heated, she declines his offer and turns to flee with Arden left feeling rather stunned......
Weeks later, at her sister's wedding, Roslyn panics when Arden realizes that it was her at the ball. She fears the only way out of her dilemma is to tell the truth. So she assures him that she was only there for ....er...... investigative purposes. She wants to know how courtesans make men fall in love with them. Arden is intrigued. He admires her honesty but thinks its absurd to try and get a man to fall in love with you (if in fact *real love* even exists). And she wants *lessons* from him?.....What the devil? But after he ponders it for a moment, he's more than willing to help the delectable beauty with lessons on how to snare a man's heart....well someone has to be the guinea pig <grin>!
This is the second book in the Courtship War series. Having not read the prequel, I can't comment on that. I had no problems reading it as a stand alone. In fact, aside from some minor points, I very much like this book and LOVE the hero!
This book quite unusual as far as reformed rake plots go. The twist is that Roslyn doesn't even like Arden and she sees him for what he really is -a cynical rogue bent on enjoying the pleasures of flesh and nothing more. So she has no qualms about using him to help teach her how to gain affections of another man. Arden is confused -like a fish out of water. Here is a woman who has no interest in him (a wealthy duke no less!) at all but rather wants him as a teacher? This irks his male pride to no end. Then, when he realizes that he doesn't want Roslyn courting some other man, its Arden who in fact becomes the pursuer. This is takes up the major part -and best part IMHO- of the book.
I think that the characterizations and romance (including sizzling love scenes) are worthy of five stars and based on that I would recommend this book. But there are a couple of irritating points. The book needs a good editing -way too long. It could have been cut down without affecting the story. And still don't understand why authors completely ignore historical convention. Have an infamous courtesan at a society wedding? or a Lady taking in her deceased husband's mistress and all of her illegitimate children? -No way. I have a hard time believing that. But those things shouldn't keep you from reading an otherwise really good reformed rake book.
Recommended.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is for every keeper shelf!, March 4, 2008
This review is from: To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
I just have to say how much I loved this book, the characters were both interesting and myself I find it refreshing that the man does the chasing! If I have to read one more Regency about how the young innocent lady is on her knees for an unattainable rogue I will barf. This heroine is smart, well read and actually unimpressed when others judge her for her beauty alone. The loves scenes are sensual and sexy, the hero and heroine are terrific in that they actually talk honestly with one another. The 'teach me how to make a man fall in love with me' is a ploy that could have so easily fallen flat, but Ms. Jordan does it with such talent in her writing that you not only believe the heroine, you are cheering her on. I loved this book! Can't wait for the third one in this series.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The second book in the Courtship Wars series, April 20, 2008
This review is from: To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
Roslyn Loring is determined to forge her own path of love and happiness. To that end, she engages her friend Fanny, a notorious Cyprian, to help Roslyn learn the art of seduction from a courtesan's point of view, so that Roslyn might snag a husband. Roslyn believes that husbands are generally more enamored of their mistresses than their wives, and she wants more than just a marriage of convenience. However, at the ball, Roslyn encounters the Duke of Arden, a reputed rake and the best friend of Roslyn's future brother-in-law. Attempting to escape his notice, lest he later recognize her as the sister of his best friend's bride, Roslyn escapes to a private room at the party--not expecting that the duke will follow her.
When Drew Moncrief attends a Cyprians' masked ball, his first intention is to find a new mistress. When the only woman he finds himself interested in, an innocent-looking blond temptress, flees his company, Drew finds himself determined to give chase. He attempts to secure the woman as his own, using skilled seduction and soft words, only to find that the woman then flees his company for good. And when he meets up with her again at his best friend's wedding, he realizes why she fled. Roslyn is a lady, not at all the sort of woman who should be in the company of courtesans. And when she asks Drew's help in learning the art of seduction, he finds himself compelled to assist her.
To Bed a Beauty is the second book in Nicole Jordan's Courtship Wars series, following To Pleasure a Lady (Courtship Wars, Book 1). This series is focused on a push-pull relationship between the hero and heroine, keeping tensions high until the pair manage to fall in love. In this book Roslyn was an absolute delight, a strong, confident woman who refuses to settle for anything less than true love. Roslyn is content with her simple life, but wants more for her future than just a marriage of convenience. She saw her parents endure such a union and knows that a marriage full of secrets and infidelity would not suit her. She wants passion, she wants children, and she wants love. To that end, she is willing to do anything to obtain them, even using the more-than-willing duke as her tutor. On the contrary, Drew Moncrief is a man who knows nothing of love. His mother is a purported ice queen, and Drew has been used for his money and title more often than he can count. He agrees to help Roslyn in her attempts to find love, though he finds the idea abhorrent, just so that he can get his hands on the beauty, though he doesn't expect to fall in love.
I liked To Bed a Beauty infinitely more than the first book in the series, and am eager to see how Jordan wraps up the story of the third Loring sister in To Seduce a Bride (Courtship Wars, Book 3). This series is full of confident young heroines who don't need a man to make them happy, but who understand that finding true love will round out their already fulfilling lives. These books can be read out of sequence, but I'd definitely recommend picking up To Pleasure a Lady before reading this book.
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