Love Was Never Wise [Kindle Edition]

LK Rigel (Author)

Book Description

No head ever ruled a human heart ... and love was never wise.

When tragedy alters Susan Gray's standing in society, she's forced to accept a position as housekeeper of the Duke of Gohrum's London mansion. There the kind underbutler Matthew Peter falls in love with her, but Susan loses her heart to Leopold Singer, a handsome foreigner who reminds her of her former life as a gentleman's daughter. 

When Mr. Singer returns to London with a pretty new wife, Susan opens her eyes to Matthew's virtues, but things aren't that simple. 

Delia, Duchess of Gohrum, was twice rejected by Mr. Singer, first for that slut of a housekeeper Susan Gray and now for the beautiful nobody he married. Delia wants revenge, and she'll use Susan to get it. Desire, jealousy, careless pleasure - and love - set events in motion to bind the fates of all in a tale that spans continents - and generations. 

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= 

[Formerly titled The Loves of Leopold Singer]

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an amazing romantic historical epic... the kind of book you want to pack for those long vacations because it plays out like a great TV miniseries. The multi-talented L.K. Rigel leaves her usual venue of fantastic future worlds and faeries to delve masterfully into Georgian and Regency times. You will be thinking about this book for a long time after reading it. - author T.M. Roy

A sweeping family saga that masterfully weaves together the stories of two families brought together by one fateful encounter -- set in the Regency period, this romance takes place over two generations of love, loss, and intrigue. - BookBub

From the Author

Book length is equivalent to 475 pages by standard page count methods.

Product Details

• File Size: 680 KB
• Print Length: 355 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Beastie Press (January 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006YYW51S
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,002 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Loves of Leopold Singer January 22, 2012

By Delphina TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I admit, I got this book because I love the author. It was the only book of hers I did not have. That being said, it is not at all my normal read. I love to read about futuristic societies, vampires, werewolves, space, all sorts of thing in the "it could never happen" category. If this had been another author, I probably would not have given it a second look and it would have been 100% my loss.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The way the character's lives intertwined over the years was fascinating. I especially loved seeing how the woman's lives were shaped by their birth, location, and standing. Spanning multiple generations and continents, this book gave an amazing view of these woman's lives. Do not let the title fool you. This is not a book where the main character is having adult fun with tons of woman. It is, at it's core, the story of a group of strong woman and their lives. It has birth, death, adventure, romance, pretty much everything. I am not a historian (shhh, do not tell the college that gave me a degree in social sciences), but the details seemed very accurate and part of the reasons I tend to stay away from historical works is because it bugs me when books are not. This book filled the void as I anxiously await the sequel to her amazing book Give Me. It is one of my most anticipated books of this year!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Family Saga January 22, 2012

By Christine A. Gomez

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

At first I was reluctant to read a book of this size...I know how my ADD mind works, I lose interest quickly. It's not uncommon for me to put a book down and never pick it up again, not because it is awful, but more likely because it just can't keep my mind engaged. That was not a problem with this book.

Maenad: The Loves of Leopold Singer is a fantastically written historical romance. The book is cut up into a bunch of mini stories that come full circle in the end. It takes a look at the many loves of Leopold Singer and how he affected their lives. It also delves into the sordidness of bastardism and how it molded the lives of so many during that era.

As I got to the end, I was beginning to wonder if there was any way to connect the dots of the lives of so many. But, as the characters began to give up their secrets, it showed how intertwined their live really were, without even knowing. I would highly recommend this book. And even though it is laced with sex (non-graphic) it would make a fantastic Book Club book!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bang for the buck! January 24, 2012

By Kristin B

Format:Kindle Edition

Definitely getting your monies worth out of this book! Lots of ups and downs as you follow different families through finding love, losing love and making a place for themselves in the world. You can see/read the hard work and complexity it took to write this super-sized novel. A good recommendation for a long road-trip read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One Step At A Time :) April 26, 2012

By ADDwhat?

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book has a reality outlook, and the settings historical with a slant towards the supernatural. Seeing as how I usually lean towards present day romance's, I was shocked when I found myself intrigued by this novel.

Don't let the title fool you. This is not a book where the main character is having adult fun with everyone! It's the story of a group of independent woman and their lives. It has birth, death, adventure, romance, a nice mix of everything! I'm also in a book club with some of my friends and it was my turn to choose the book! Imagine their shock when I brought my kindle in and showed them that I wanted to do this one! Great read! Easy to follow and shows great talent! :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Historical epic May 26, 2012

By Margaret (Literary Chanteuse)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This story is very much in the style of classic epic novels and it slowly reels the reader in very early on. There is quite a lot of characters, not wholly unexpected in this type of saga but closer to the end there is a possibility of becoming somewhat overwhelmed. Regardless the main characters have a very strong presence which linger in your mind. Having expected this to play out a bit more in the romantic genre it is surprisingly not sugar coated by any means. It shows a side of historic society with all it's faults, secrets and hangs it's dirty laundry out for all to see. The size of the book may be daunting but worth a read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and Compelling May 6, 2012

By Laura Eno

Format:Kindle Edition

This sweeping saga of intertwining lives spans two continents and three generations, weaving a rich tapestry of love, lies, deceit, loss and victory. Rigel brings each of her complex characters to life within the framework of history in such a manner that you'll experience the hidden constraints of even the most powerful people - and squirm at the choices thrust upon everyone else. Small details smoothly anchor the historical setting and place the reader in the moment.

What grabbed me the most was the utter instability of people's lives from one moment to the next, the precarious shifting of patterns where dreams can be torn away with nothing to fall back on. It was terrifying. Rigel plunges the reader into the uncertainties of the times, the miscommunications based on social mores, the harsh realities of rigid behavior. It is a compelling story that will linger in my mind for some time to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better the second reading July 30, 2012

By Reads alot

Format:Kindle Edition

Some books you read once and that is enough. This book is one of the rare ones that you will want to read and then revisit and reread several times. It starts out like a braid. Each chapter seems to be unrelated. Then they begin to braid, crossing over one another and then seperating again. Although there are a lot of characters I felt like I knew them all. The author lets us hear their thoughts. We get to know their desires, hopes and guilts rather quickly. Although not a completely 'happy ending' book I was very content that all loose ends were tied. I would definitely read any other historical works by this author.

More About the Author

Sign up to find out when new L.K. Rigel books come out: http://goo.gl/9fYhZ

In the pipeline -- more stories in the Tethers and Apocalypto series. Next up, Tethers: The War of the Wyrd

L.K. has been a newspaper reporter, a singing waitress, a public school teacher, and a court reporter. Her work has appeared in Literary Mama and Tattoo Highway. Her creepy short story "Slurp" about an author with muse problems is included in DEADLY TREATS, Anne Frasier's Halloween anthology published by Nodin Press.