Customer Reviews

A Season To Be Sinful

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

 

 

This is only the second book of Jo Goodman's that I have read, but clearly I have been missing something. "A Season to Be Sinful" is a wonderfully rich and complex Regency historical romance of the type that is unfortunately too rare these days. The writing is intelligent and evocative, the characters complex and memorable and the plot interesting.

The story at first glance seems a little bit contrived--a young woman disguised as a scruffy boy rescues a rather stuffy young viscount from an assassin's knife in Covent Garden. Summoned to her sick bed by three adorable street urchins (named Pinch, Dash and Midge), Viscount Sheridan (called Sherry) discovers that the young woman has taken the knife than was meant for him and is gravely ill. He quickly realizes that she is more than she seems upon hearing her gently-bred speech. Lily, the heroine, is actually in hiding in the slums of London after fleeing from the ever-so-evil Baron Woodridge, a pervert who had taken her from a French abbey purportedly to be his children's governess and then used her as his own sexual plaything. This is pretty heavy stuff for a historical romance and likely will not be to all reader's taste, but romance lovers who like character driven romance and prefer grittier, more complex stories will be rewarded for their effort in "A Season to Be Sinful". Jo Goodman transforms this plot (which admittedly has "bodice-ripper" overtones) into a nuanced story of healing and discovery between her well-matched hero and heroine.

The characters of both Lily and Sherry and finely drawn and wonderfully deep. Sherry (and his name to me sounded not feminine as suggested by another reviewer, but *terribly* British upper class) is a remarkable hero--attractive, intelligent and full of dry wit, but also rigidly correct and emotionally restrained. It is a pleasure seeing Sherry gradually open himself up to Lily and the three boys and to peel back the layers of his complex character. Lily is a worthy heroine, damaged but not broken by her horrible past, she begins to slowly and realistically heal her wounds under Sherry's care. The story unfolds gradually as Lily and Sherry learn to trust each other and share the secrets of their pasts. Their developing romance is sweet and believable and the love scenes are not only wonderfully sensual but also integral to the plot and to Lily's healing.

The book is not perfect in that the plot has a few too many coincidences for my taste, and the villain is a little too relentlessly evil; however, the dialogue is so sharp and intelligent, the writing is so beautiful and descriptive and the characterizations so marvelous (even the children are engaging despite their rather "too cute" names) that I found myself overlooking the few flaws.

Highly recommended for lovers of richer, darker, and more complex historical romance.

This is the first book I read about this author. I have such mixed feelings with this book. I wouldn't say that this book was terrible, but I also wouldn't say that this book was captivating.

I think that the first half of the book was excellent. The author really shows you how Lily and Sherry fall in love. The secondary characters are adorable. All of the actions are so believable.

Somewhere in the middle, all the beauty book possessed fizzled. The author's descriptions of Lily's past was so cruel and horrid. I was just so disgusted by what men did to her in the past that I literally had bad dreams in the night. Also, the first love scene between the two characters were not as romantic and emotional as other ones are in other romance books. It seemed so dry as if it were out of a textbook. Later on, the story focuses more on the mystery than their love for each other.

Then the ending was good, but it wasn't touching as other endings in romance books. So I think that this book wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't say that I loved this book. There were moments in this book where I sighed, but there were also moments where I was just bored or annoyed that I skipped pages.

I think that Goodman has the potential to write much more romantic books if she just focused more on the drama between the two characters instead of all the mystery. For historical romances that are truly romanctic, I'd suggest reading Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Pamela Britton, and Lorraine Heath.

Sometimes it is so long between truly wonderful historical romances that I forget why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. Jo Goodman's "A Season to Be Sinful" reminds me.

A great historical romance will have highly developed main characters and only slightly less developed secondary characters, which "A Season to Be Sinful has". In this book, not only do I care about the hero, Sherry and the heroine, Rose, but I also care about their three wards and Sherry's godmother. The plot is complex enough to show us who the hero and heroine are the shadows and the light. And why they are that way.

It is a bit darker than one would expect in your typical romance, I don't think I'm giving away too much that you can't ascertain in the first chapter, but the heroine is forced into sexual bondage. So, if that is just a place you don't want to go, I'd recommend not picking up the book.

Wow! I just finished the book and was moved by how complex the story was. When I first began the story I thought it would be the typical Regency romance. However, I was surprised (and pleased) to discover that this book went down some realistic, dark paths that life sometimes leads people down.

Sheridan (Sherry) and Lily were wonderful, strong characters, who definitely deserved each other. Lily, a young girl, runs away from a convent in France (to escape the clutches of a cruel man looking for a "governess"), and ends up living the hard life in the streets of London as a pick-pocket. I'm not going to explain how she ended up in this life, as that is part of the journey you take as a reader.

Sherry, a toughened Viscount who has seen the harsher aspects of life during war, literally runs into Lily and her three pick-pocket crew and the story takes off from there. In the story, Sherry is uncharacteristically benevolent and decides to bring Lily and her three waifs into his home, after Lily is stabbed by a knife, trying to prevent Sherry from getting robbed. If Lily hadn't prevented the robbery, this story would not have occurred, as Sherry wouldn't have given a second glance to her or her young boy thieves.

As the story evolves, the reader explores the backgrounds of each character -- how Lily ended up living in the streets, why Sherry became so hardened in life, who tried attacking Sherry, and why Sherry was the target of a robbery, etc...... Very interesting how the puzzle just comes together during the last chapters of the book.

I strongly recommend this book. If you like Regency romances, there is plenty of romance in this book to keep you reading; however, if you like a touch more reality and "meat" to your storyline and your characters, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you!!

When you read a book like this you really appreciate what a truly great romance book is - and why so many I have read recently fall short. Both Sheridan and Lily had so much to overcome in their lives. It is a little hard to understand why Sherry had gotten himself involved in such treacherous dealings - actually his history was even more dark than Lily's - no wonder he was able to forgive and overlook all that Lily had gone through. Their story is beautifully told and made even better by the scoundrels. For me secondary characters can often get in the way if not written perfectly. Goodman makes these 3 just the perfect addition to this tale. They all have so much heart mixed with their mischief. And the way Sherry takes to them almost immediately shows how much heart he has too. Then there is Aunt Georgia - she was the perfect compliment to this story - just the right amount of "ton" mixed with her own mischief and compassion. You truly feel the love between Sherry and Lily and the darkness of their paths did not intrude on the hope for their future.And yes their love scenes were highly erotic and well written. I especially loved how Sherry deals with Woodbridge - that was such an intense scene - very very compelling. I was glad the bad guys seem to all get their just desserts. I only wish Goodman wrote more books more often - I absolutely love her romances!

Witty young Lily has had a rough life and is definitely the "damaged heroine" cliche. She is orphaned and has suffered horrible abuse- physical, psychological, sexual and more. She crosses paths with Viscount Sheridan when she saves his life, only to be left clinging to hers. Sherry does the "right thing" in taking care of Lily- meaning to nurse her to health. In doing so, he begins to fall for Lily and her entourage of orphaned children (who yes, are completely adorable).

The story that follows is one of healing and growth and is actually quite lovely. This is definitely a character driven plot- there is little action that occurs. Despite that, I found myself absorbed in the book as it flowed along. Viscount Sheridan is rather hysterical- I really enjoyed his dry sense of humor, his wit and his generous spirit. He seemed so stiff and angular at first but he really won me over. Halfway through the novel I came to see him as a sexy hero in his own right. =) Lily matches Sherry wit for wit, and I really enjoyed their rapid banter as they get to know each other.

This novel really deserves four stars because the parts that are done well are done very well. But, I had some issues with it. The plot itself, and there isn't much of one, is extremely coincidental. I, of course, wouldn't give away spoilers but I'll just say that the way it all connects at the end frustrated me. I kept thinking, "Really?" But still this novel would have earned four stars because I know that what defines a romance is coincidence, so I can usually overlook a contrived ending. However... this particular ending really bugged me- see below.

What was up with the title anyway? It drives me nuts when the title of the story has absolutely nothing to do with the book. Considering what this particular book is about, the title actually seems creepy or even an insult.

I would LOOOOOVE to see a romance trilogy feature the three orphan boys as men.

***SPOILER ALERT****

The ending of the novel wouldn't, or shouldn't, have been possible had the hero had the heroine guarded. Her obsessive attacker is in the neighborhood and he leaves her unsupervised? Further, the very idea that Sherry would have been able to have a long chat with her attacker and THEN let him go quietly into the night was all very hard to believe. He does come though in the end but I was so frustrated by then.

This is one of my favorite stories. It is very satisfing and pulled me into it right away.

One of four street urchins, who is not what he seems to be, is seriously wounded. He is championed by the other three who, unafraid, confront the hero what 'as done their mate in. The story goes on from there with mysteries, plot twists, an unseen villain, chuckles and laughs.

Goodman is really wise in developing the supporting characters and making them as important to the story as the hero and the heroine. I have read every thing Goodman has written; she writes complex interesting stories with great charater developement.

This tale of Lily, and Viscount Sheridan (Sherry to those close at hand)..is well written and an enjoyable read..altho I must say a bit long...but with a good ending.....
The additional antics of the three lads,..Pinch, Dash, and Midge...really made it even more enjoyable. Go ahead and read this one...

In 1810 the local Bishop sends the Right Honorable Lord Woodridge to "hire" a governess amongst the younger residents. He initially selects Lilith Sterling, but her limp makes him believe she is an abomination. The Abbess persuades him otherwise, but Sister Mary Joseph knowing that the English aristocrat uses, abuses and discards young teenage girls sends Lily to England for her safety.

Five years later, Lily sees three thugs ready to assault an aristocrat; one of the felons carries a skiff. She intercedes, but is stabbed for her efforts. The intended victim Viscount Wyatt Grantham assumes that she was the thief, but her compatriots took her away. Not long afterward three urchins, Pinch, Dash, and Midge arrive at Wyatt's home demanding money since his knife stabbed Lily so they can take her to a physician. He denies the knife was his, but intercedes and takes Lily into his home to heal. As they become acquainted they fall in love, but she remains unsafe amidst the Ton because Lord Woodridge will kill to keep his perversion and something even more shocking a secret.

A SEASON TO BE SINFUL is a delightful Regency romance starring a courageous young woman and the noble who admires and loves her. Her three street wards add a different flavor to the typical sub-genre story line yet Wyatt measures them as worthy because they hold in common with him a willingness to die to keep Lily safe. Though the final confrontation seems weak, fans will receive immense pleasure from this wonderful historical.

Harriet Klausner

Solid writing, good intrigue, mature characters (for the most part) and a very absurd, nonsensical ending outlines my experience of Jo Goodman's A SEASON TO BE SINFUL. As you can tell, the end ruined the book for me. I thought the good intrigue with some interconnected plot threads stunted and choked into a nonsensical and protracted ending. I could not understand the hero Sherry's actions at the end. He wants to ensure the villain's silence and force him into exile? He feels no anger for the man who physically and emotionally abused the woman he loves? Huh? When the villain Woodridge denigrates Lily right in front of him, Sherry feels no anger? How can Sherry live with himself letting the man who not only terrorized Lily but other young women, just walk away? By letting the villain to live, Sherry only ineptly stretches the ending and allows the villain a chance to return and terrorize some more! For a hero that's believable for the most part, the finale he maneuvers to contrive was pretty dumb. The book contains some entertaining and humorous banter, witty dialogue, and suspenseful plots of intrigue. Unfortunately, I thought the hero and heroine desperately lacked chemistry even though they enjoyed some witty banter.

Interaction between the lead pair was weird, off . . . forget about any equal ground here, appeared as though Lily went out of her way to ensure she was the dominant persona between herself and her hero Sherry. Didn't seem like a romance or an empowering love between the two, seemed more like Lily jostling to come out on top in every way. Poor Sherry, he honors Lily, respects Lily, never goes against any of her wishes or obscenely violent demands, voices the words I-Love-You early, mouths heartfelt words of affection early and often, and yet, Lily grinds him to dust. I understand Lily has been through a lot prior to meeting Sherry, but the relationship between Lily and Sherry seemed too much of a one-way street. Sherry definitely loves Lily much more than the other way around, even at the end when both are supposed to love and trust each other and after both are married, I thought Sherry's love for Lily dwarfed Lily's love for Sherry. It almost seems like Lily enjoyed having Sherry debased before her. I liked that Lily is aggressive sensually and didn't melt at Sherry's every touch so typical of romance novels, but it seemed to go beyond just aggression.

This book belongs to Lily and the three "scoundrels," orphaned entrusted Lily takes responsibility for. The hero Sherry cheers them on from the sidelines for the entire book. What is the hero Sherry's trivial purpose in the novel? Well, Sherry stages the scene towards the end which allows Lily and the 3 children to play their dangerous roles while Sherry timidly steps aside. It's Lily who pummels and scratches the villain Woodridge. It's Lily who cripples Woodridge when he returns later on. The children play key (but dangerous) roles stripping Granville of his weapons and then having the foresight to recognize Woodridge will return when Sherry lets him go alive.

Sherry is clueless and his actions (or lack thereof) indicate a complete void of sense and intelligence. Any normal hero wouldn't be able to look at Woodridge after what he's done to Lily, much less talk to him at length. The entire time Sherry attempts to wring a confession out of Woodridge I'm thinking, how can you even bear to look at Woodridge considering what you know he's done to the woman you love?!? Sherry has nothing to do when Woodridge returns to Granville later at night and terrorizes Lily once again. Sherry thrusts a stiletto in Woodridge after Lily already maimed and incapacitated Woodridge [laughs]! So basically, Sherry talks to Woodridge at length knowing this is the man that abused the woman you love, shrugs off a disparaging remark aimed at Lily, allows him to live despite the potential for him to return and terrorize, secures his oath and exile, but in the end, endangers the children and Lily anyway. Way to go there, Sherry, really bright of you there!

Needless to say, A SEASON TO BE SINFUL highlights a horribly-contrived ending after some intriguing plot threads, and makes Sherry look pretty inept and dumb just so Lily and the children can shine. I think Sherry should start a 19th-century cheer leading squad.

The Story.

Sixteen year-old Miss Lilith "Lily" Sterling fosters at the L'Abbaye de Sacre Coeur, a convent in France after her parents died more than 10 years ago. The insidious Wycliff Standish, Baron Woodridge, visits the abbey seeking a governess for his children. Woodridge's intents for the potential governess extend beyond normal duties and into the realm of servicing his and friends' carnal pleasures. Lily's good friend and mentor Sister Mary Joseph arranges Lily's escape to London before Woodridge can snatch Lily.

More than five years later, we find twenty-one year-old Lily in London at Covent Garden as a common thief saving the life of Viscount Sheridan ("Sherry"), Alexander Grantham. Dressed as a boy and having her dark auburn hair dyed black, Lily takes a shiv in her side instead. Before Sherry can react, three boys haul Lily off while Sherry escapes unscathed. When Lily's condition deteriorates, the three boys ("scoundrels" as they're affectionately referred to) come to Sherry's home for succor. Sherry spares no expense enlisting a physician's aid to bring Lily back to health. Sherry himself cares for Lily and takes up vigil by her bedside for many nights.

In the process, Sherry comes to care for the three orphaned children ("scoundrels") as they never leave Lily's side either. A SEASON TO BE SINFUL features the scoundrels quite a bit in humorous subplots. In fact, I'd say the scoundrels Pinch, Dash and Midge overshadowed every plot and character in the book except for Lily.

As Sherry and Lily spend more time together, Sherry discovers more about the incident back at Covent Garden when Lily saves him. Sherry also glimpses into Lily's very dark and tortured past, as she reacts violently to many seemingly innocuous things. Despite Lily's attempts to prompt him into throwing her out and taking on the children into his household, Sherry begins to care for Lily and the children quite a bit. With everyone's permission, Sherry whisks everyone away to his far-away seat at Granville and has Lily teach the children as a proper governess. Sherry doesn't do anything without their permission of course even if it for their own good. Lily agrees on the condition that she's allowed to leave whenever she wishes, no questions asked.

While Sherry and Lily rendezvous more and more intimately, Lily also reveals more of her tortured past and what happened to her the 5 years between leaving the abbey in France and saving Sherry in London. I realize Lily's reservations and trust issues, but I still thought it took too long for Lily to trust Sherry as Sherry regales her with his affections and words of love.

The various threads of intrigue all come together and it seemed like every thing and everyone is interconnected, and the attempt on Sherry's life in London was no coincidence. Sherry's clandestine confederacy under the English Crown, Lily's parentage, Lily's wounded soul, Lily's secret history, her running, Woodridge, France, Nopolean, and Sherry's godmother the Lady Georgia Pendelton, Countess of Rivendale, all come a head. That was all good. What wasn't good was Sherry's contrived end-game delivering them from the villain Woodridge. As I mentioned before, it showed Sherry's complete lack of sense and intelligence. It also highlighted Sherry's apathy for the harm inflicted upon the woman he loves. A veritable ruse of an ending concocted to have Lily and the children play their dangerous parts, parts Sherry's negligence and provincial mind sanctions.

Ah good writing, intriguing plots, and for the most part, mature characterizations completely ruined by a dumb ending and the hero's lack of foresight.