Customer Reviews

Sin and Sensibility (Avon Romantic Treasure)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Ms. Enoch is a truly talented author but her latest offering has fallen a bit short of what she normally provides her readers. Overall this was your typical regency set romance. What was not typical was the unlikable heroine Eleanor.

I wanted to like Nell. I truly did...but she came off as petulant, spoiled, and self serving. These were just some of her finer qualities! She wants one thing but ignores her inner voice when it tells her she is about to partake in a particular activity that perhaps she would be better off avoiding. The fact that she does the exact thing (not thinking and acting like a twit at the ripe old age of 21) that her brothers were "protecting" her from does not increase her "likeability factor" at all. For the entirety of the read she "wants" one thing but doesn't know what it is. Okay. But does she take time to figure out what that "something" is? The answer is no.

Valentine on the other hand is your typical rake hero. He lives a life that is well...rather colorful and he has no real use from woman (this is part of his past) and so when Eleanor's brother calls in a favor and asks Valentine to "watch" over Nell to make sure that she doesn't bring scandal to the proper Griffin name, Valentine is justifiably shocked. He represents "Sin" personified! Now honor demands that he watch out for the impetuous Nell. What he can't understand is why he is suddenly seeing her in a new light.

This was an okay read. Again it's hard to get invested in a read when one or both of the main characters turn you off. I did try to put myself in Nell's shoes and I could understand how she would have felt rather smothered by her protective older brothers. What I couldn't understand was her flaky behavior. There really seemed to be no rhyme or reason for what she did. Valentine was the better of the two and even he at times made me frustrated. Basically this is not the best that this author can do and I can't tell you how hard that is for me to say. I love Ms. Enoch and buy her books simply because her name is on the cover. I will continue to do so and I recommend that if you are new to this author, please don't judge her off of this effort. She has many worthy titles on her backlist that I highly recommend.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

I had bought this book from my local bookstore a while back, and never read it. However, after getting some advice I got it again but this time from my library. I'm so glad that I gave this author another chance. I absolutely loved this book. Enoch gives you such charming dialogue, and witty repartee from both characters.

Eleanor Griffin is tired of having her three brothers dictate every single nuance of her life, so she stages a rebellion. Suprisingly her eldest brother Sebastian, Duke of Melbourne agrees to her terms of independence as long as scandal is never attached to the family name. What she doesn't know is that Sebastian has asked a family friend to watch over her to make sure she doesn't do anything scandalous.

Valentine, Marquis of Deverill does not want to waste his hedonistic days watching over his friends little sister, a girl that he has known since she was quite young. But, he owes Sebastian a favor and so he reluctantly does as asked. He never expects that such a pure naive woman would end up stealing his heart with her little rebellion. But he's so glad that she has.

There are such great romantic scenes between the two main characters. I loved the scene when they were in the pond at midnight in Hyde Park so Eleanor could finally do something that wasn't quite so "lady like"...swim naked in it. Valentine is your typical rake, that gets reformed by a lady of quality, but Enoch does it with such perfection that you can believe that this is how everyone in regency england was. I loved it, and you will too. I now have another author to add to my favorite list.

I, like the other reviewers, am a huge S. Enoch fan. Unlike the other reviewers, however, I found this book to be a delicious page turner. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it, and this does not happen often for me!!

I really enjoyed the setup of the older brother-type having to chaperone his friends' younger sister. Nell was an enjoyable character... a young woman who is trying to experience life under the watchful eyes of her overprotective brothers. Most women can related to an urge to "walk on the wild side" at least once. I also felt that the character of Valentine was well-developed, and that his conflicts (between living up to his "bad boy" heritage vs. forming a loving relationship vs. being loyal to his friends) added depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the developing relationship between Valentine and Nell, and felt that S. Enoch really captured the feelings of falling in love for both characters (and the reader, too!).

In summary, I really enjoyed it. I will be keeping this book to re-read in the future! I cannot understand the complaints of the other reviewers since this one hooked me. I really look forward to reading more stories about these brothers, especially Sebastian (the oldest). If my hunch is right, Nell's best friend may be nurturing a crush on one of the brothers....

Very, Very Good. Sensual. A real turn-on, and turn-pager too.

I too buy books just because they are by Suzanne Enoch and once again I was not disappointed. I thought it was a great read. I agree that Nell might appear immature, but that is how girls at 21 y/o who are sheltered are going to be. She was likeable, because she was not perfect and you did want to give her a good shake. The "hero" of the book was the typical rake hero, but again likeable. The electricity between them did really build up, and not too fast either. I thought it flowed well, read it in one day. I think the characters are familiar, formula is familar, but works.

I thought Enoch had done her best in "England's Perfect Hero", but this one is even better. Her ability to write engaging dialogue amazes me - both main characters are intelligent and witty (often at the same time), and I never found myself bored during their frequent conversations. Eleanor had my sympathy from the beginning - she perfectly portrays a young woman frustrated by the rigid rules placed on her by society merely because of her gender, while at the same time consumed by longing for an adventure she doesn't know how to have. Valentine is glorious as a rake struggling with feelings of true respect and friendship for a woman for the first time. He seems so genuinely confused by the whole thing, while also torn by loyalty to the very few men he is willing to call friends - her brothers. He is sweet and charming and comic as he sorts through his myriad of emotions. I love that Enoch makes it hard for the hero and heroine to realize they are both changing for the better and becoming the right people for one another to have a lasting relationship with. Toss in a realistic villain to add just the right amount of conflict - it doesn't weight the story down, but also keeps it from being too fairy-tale cute - and you have a dynamite tale kept me reading for hours straight. A definite keeper.

This is the 2nd book by author S.E. that I have read in the past year. I also read "London's Perfect Scoundrel" (pretty good). My next book, "Sin & Sensibility" was enjoyable as well. While I agree with many other reviewers this book was not deep, complicated or earth shattering to read...it was still charming and enjoyable in all it's simple ways.

The main characters, Eleanor and Valentine each had their plus and minus points. Eleanor was kind, open minded, adventurous and attractive. On the other hand...she was also a bit sheltered, spoiled with money and attention and didn't seem to have made up her mind who she was and what she wanted in life. These negatives were easy to over-look as over-all she was an appealing character. Valentine in turn was handsome, worldly, charming, naughty and bold. On the other hand...he was also a bit coarse, self-fish, good for little besides playing and sexing it up and was in the middle of his life with little direction as to who he was and what he wanted in life. Fortunately, his negatives became easy to over-come as well. Why? Because both Eleanor and Valentine were simply going through the motions of life until they finally "saw" each other for who they really were as people. In that spark of real interest and attraction, they slowly began to change each other into better people and in turn, themselves. They complimented one another well and that allowed their good points to shine and their drawbacks to be minimized.

Eleanors wish to become a woman of the world and full of spirit via "adventures" was a good idea but, a bit weak in this book. She bought sexy gowns from a famous designer, went on independence strike against her brother's domination, she had dinner alone with a man, drove his carriage, went to a gaming club and drank too much and then went swimming naked in the park. I guess for the times, these outings would be viewed with shock and awe should someone find out what and why she was doing things but, I guess these outings were a bit tame for me. I've seen other writers put their heroines on journeys of adventure and discovery that were much more interesting and believable than this. So...nice idea, just dull development.

The intimacy scenes between Eleanor and Valentine were fine. Warm and passionate and very open but...seeing how many woman Val had wooed and slept with over the years, I didn't find anything in their coming together that put fireworks in the sky or bedroom. Their attraction and appeal to one another was real enough, I just wished for more "sizzle" between the two. I bought the friendship, attraction and warm feelings but, the intimacy could have been further developed.

Although I enjoyed Val turning himself around from a serious rake to a one woman man by the end...I thought his page after page of self disclosure and self professed love and adoration of Eleanor was a bit much. For a guy who never liked, loved or disclosed himself before...I think his spilling of the guts went a little over-board. I like a hero that can soften and gentle to a woman's love but, I don't want him becoming a pansy. Val was bordering on going too far in a few passages but, the story ended before too late. I did like that he saw his ugly side and wanted to put that to rest for good and only be a better man with Eleanors love to help him along. One thing I thought was odd...Val thought about loving Eleanor and once he acknowledged it, he acted on it and later told her he loved her. I don't remember Eleanor telling Val of her feelings? She thought it herself of course. She told him said she liked, admired and wanted to marry him but, I don't remember any declarations from her to him about "loving him"? Either I forgot it or it was missed. Interesting.

All the brothers Griffin (Sebastian, Charlemagne (Shay) and Zachary). They were highly protective of their sister and it showed. But...it was nice to see siblings caring about one another and they were certainly a loud, boisterous and interesting group of guys. As many other readers noted, perhaps we will see their stories in the future. They all needed to find a mate and find love still so...maybe there is a future story out there for each one.

Even though I nit picked on a few things that weren't great in this book, I would still recommend this author for casual regency romance reading. She has a light but, historical touch and her books always please. Characters, plots and story lines are appealing for the general reader. I would give this one 3 1/2 stars if I could. Not quite good enough for a 4 or 5 but, still good. Do enjoy!

This was not Ms. Enoch's best story, but I think Valentine Corbett is my favorite rake to date!

The plot is outlined most thoroughly in the other reviews, but I just wanted to add that I thought the tension between Eleanor and Corbett simply sizzled.

I don't consider it a waste of my money and plan to read it again.

Lady Eleanor (Nell) Griffin felt stifled. With three elder brothers, including His Grace, the duke of Melbourne, it seemed she couldn't make a move without their approval while they kept a watchful eye on everyone she met, or spoke to - at least the ones that were even allowed within her sphere. Nothing was her decision, and at twenty-one she knew they would soon be picking out some totally boring and crusty old lord for her to marry. Finally Nell decided to assert herself. She was of age and announced her own `declaration of independence' in that she was going to make her own decision as to whom she would, or would not, marry.

Her brother, the Duke of Melbourne decided he would allow her streak of independence only on condition that her actions did not result any scandal be attached to the Griffin name, otherwise she would be married to whomever he chose for her. He called in a favor from an old school chum, the renowned rake, Valentine Corbett, the Marquis of Deverill, to keep tabs on his spirited sister. If it seemed like he was letting a fox into the henhouse, Melbourne knew and counted on his best friend acting honorably towards his sister.

Nell had secretly harbored a crush on the dashing Marquis for years and secretly wanted to emulate the freedom and lifestyle he had - within boundries, of course. Alas, she knew she wanted an adventure, just wasn't sure what that adventure entailed, and Valentines sudden friendship was perfect as he seemed willing to be her guide in whatever adventure she choose. Val hadn't counted on how painful paying off his debt to Melbourne was going to be, as he began to see Nell in a new light and his body was reacting to her as more than just the little sister of his best friend!

*** Enoch has created another entertaining and risqué regency tale with a delightful set of protagonists that I thoroughly enjoyed. While it held no surprises as to the outcome, her engaging dialogs, fresh and vibrant writing style, and likeable characters made this experience a real pleasure. Valentines metamorphous from callous rake to discovering he had a heart was truly lovely and his declaration of love - very romantic. Frankly, I totally enjoyed the entire brood of Griffin siblings, especially six-year old Peep, and certainly hope that the author has plans to capitalize on continuing with stories for Sebastian, Charlemagne, and Zachary who now should concentrate on getting their own love lives in order.

--- Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com ---

This book features two of the most immature characters that I've read in quite some time. The heroine is tired of being "protected" by her brothers and longs to live her life with the freedom she had as a little girl. So, to prove how she is grown up and can make her own decisions, she buys a lot of dresses from a couturier who outfits the demimonde. Then on her first day of freedom, she goes off with a disreputable fortune hunter to a disreputable ball and is drugged and almost raped. She is rescued, though, by the second paragon of immaturity, our alpha hero. He's been hurt and his father brought in a bunch of high flyers after his mother died so all women are evil and conniving with no redeeming qualities ... except our young ingenue reaches some vulnerable corner of his jaded soul. This persists for some 300 pages before we get our happily ever after at which point you cannot wait for these two to go rusticate on some remote estate. I've read other novels by this author and enjoyed them, but I would give this one a wide berth.