Customer Reviews

Destined to Last

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

She should be the Ton's top gem of the season, but alas Lady Kate Cole is not. Men avoid her as if she has the Black Plague out of fear of her propensity for accidents could harm them too. Kate knows she is the klutz of the century, but tries her best to avoid accidents. Yet no matter what she does, nothing goes right.

Government agent Andrew Hunter is the only exception to the male populace when it comes to kissable Kate. He wants her as his and actually enjoys the fact that she is a diamond in the rough. Andrew is assigned to watch over her at a party, an assignment he relishes. As he brings her into his smuggler's investigation, Andrew has so much material things he can provide to her; Kate only wants one thing in the world; a man who loves clumsy her as much as she does him.

The key to this humorous delightful Regency is the heroine who is so different than the usual sub-genre females. Kate makes the tale with her clumsiness that has every male running away from her as she is a hazard to one's health. The exception is the hero who is used to dangerous adventures and believes a lifetime with his beloved will prove the most satisfying dangerous adventure of them all. This is a terrific tongue in cheek historical as Alissa Johnson lampoons the perfect Regency female.

Harriet Klausner

I loved this story! It's cute and funny how they come together. I loved Hunter's intense and planned pursuit of her and that he thought he was withholding his heart. Kate is just adorable! She is warm hearted and beautiful inside and out. I like how pleasantly surprized he is that she is quietly, actually very intelligent and gifted.I liked how he likes her clumsiness and encourages her dream of composing music, while everyone else does not. The attraction between Hunter & Kate is strong, and most of the story is about them. There is an interesting storyline dating back to when Kate was five, which only adds to the romance. This was a very enjoyable romance with humor and heart. I highly recommend this book.

Andrew Hunter was once an orphan living on the streets and now he works for the War Department, rich from being a smuggler and rubs shoulders with Ton. He was been asked to protect Lady Kate Cole from admirer who could be involved with war crimes and smuggling. Mr. Hunter wants Lady Kate for his wife and slowly tries convince her... He can promise her a life of luxury but not love. Lady Kate can't stand Mr. Hunter and wants what all her family has a love match or no marriage at all... LOVED this book - LOVE this author - run out and buy it....

If you are looking for a great new author and great series I would suggest the Providence Series; As Luck Would Have It (Leisure Historical Romance) , Tempting Fate (Leisure Historical Romance) and Mcalistair's Fortune (Leisure Historical Romance).

Ms Johnson has created a whimsical heroine in her latest offering Destined to Last. She incorporates many other characters from her previous novels who do not take away from the lead's story. This novel moves along at an unsteady pace though, and sometimes the characters actions seem a bit, well, off especially the hero's.

Lady Kate is klutz, this girl always does something to ruin a dress, break a vase or trip walking across a room and everyone knows it. She can dance beautifully though but is unable to transfer this ability to walking and she composes symphonies but is unable to keep the basic time in her head of one foot in front of the other without causing a mishap. Beautiful Kate has not married but someone is very interested in gaining her hand, Andrew Hunter.

Hunter grew up as a thief and pickpocket and is now one of the wealthiest men in the realm. He also works for the War Office. He describes himself as wicked but I never saw this in his actions with Kate as he was a gentleman for the most part around her. He would have been a much richer character if he had been a bit more wicked and irreverent. He should have been more interesting than Kate but she really outshined him.

Hunter is assigned to protect Kate at a house party where the War Office believes a smuggling operation is in full swing. Here the two leads form a friendship which turns into something more. The lead's relationship at first consists of Hunter gently teasing Kate and she bristling at his actions, Kate's sense of humor extended initially only to her clumsiness. She does not take herself too seriously when it comes to locomotion. Hunter is a bit secretive and Kate is proper and this plays out throughout a good portion of the story as they keep a very respectable distance from each other physically and emotionally. The story slowed during this section.

This novel improves considerably when the leads are trying to ferret out clues in the smuggling operation. Otherwise they were rather on the boring side, their conversations were not overly scintillating, there was not a lot of passion in their words or actions until later in the novel. When they were excited about a clue or even arguing about the case, this novel was much more interesting. Overall not a tension filled page turner but not a waste of time either, the leads are quite enjoyable when they are put in perilous situations or forced to confront feelings.

Well written. I like that the heroine, while beautiful and wealthy, is not perfect. She is clumsy and has "un-ladylike" aspirations to publish her music. Sensual romance. This is almost as good as the first book in the series