Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First of the terrific Bow Street Trilogy but not the best, March 10, 2003
This review is from: Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Grant Morgan is a gruff, jaded but effective Bow Street Runner called to the docks to investigate a body pulled from the Thames. It's a woman who's obviously been violently attacked - strangled and left to drown. But Grant recognizes the woman as infamous demimondaine Vivien Duvall, a woman Grant has no liking for since she started untrue rumours that he was desperate to have her and she refused him. On closer inspection he finds that she's not dead and, on impulse, takes her to his home to recuperate. When she regains consciousness, it's clear that she's got amnesia. Grant decides to take some petty, childish revenge by using Vivien while she's vulnerable then dumping her. But he does not count on the effects of the amnesia on her. She's so different from the woman he and the rest of Society know. She's sweet, unassuming, kind and he reluctantly finds himself growing more and more attracted to her - and not just sexually. Meanwhile, she is completely incredulous when Grant tells her of the depraved life she leads, but with no memory she has no choice but to believe him. And now she must allow herself to be used as bait to catch the person who so obviously wanted her dead. What a frightening prospect for a woman who has no memory of anyone she meets! Her attempted killer could be anyone! Though I enjoyed the story, I did feel that the lead characters were a bit one-dimensional and could have been better developed. And Grant's petty anger over a fairly innocuous bit of gossip from a courtesan was a bit irrational. But I did like Grant's gruff protectiveness and felt compassion for her unenviable confusion and fear. I really enjoyed this trilogy - this was followed by Lady Sophia's Lover and then Worth Any Price. I was fascinated by the workings of Bow Street, the political opposition to it and the power (and the way he did not abuse it) of the yummy, dreamy, sexy Sir Ross Cannon. Recommended.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, but too predictable..., June 18, 2006
This review is from: Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
I read and enjoyed two Lisa Kleypas novels before picking up Someone to Watch Over Me. I thought the plot seemed interesting and the fact that the heroine is believed to be a prostitute makes living alone with the hero much more plausible. However, the somewhat predictable course of the story kept me from enjoying this one to the full. More on that later. Grant Morgan is the most successful and respected Bow Street Runner in London. The gentry feel a mixture of fear and disdain for the tall, dark and handsome runner, which is why he gets upset when a notorious courtesan tells everyone she has rejected his advances when it had in fact been the other way around. Grant wants revenge against the ruthless wench, and he has the opportunity to do so when he pulls her out of the waters of the Thames, unconscious and with bruises around her neck, an obvious attempt at her life had been made. He plans to seduce, use and humiliate her and then tire of her, and the fact that she has amnesia won't stop him from doing just that. But Vivien Duvall, in her amnesic state, is nothing like the shameless hussy he had met at the ball. She is now sweet, intelligent and seems genuinely naive. He nevertheless knows what she does for a living and rages in jealousy whenever he thinks about the amount of men she's bedded. Grant is nevertheless falling for this new Vivien, but he cannot let his feelings get the best of him. After all, she will recover her memory and return to her sordid lifestyle... or will she? There are some twists throughout the novel.
The novel is nice and enjoyable and I wasn't bored (much) as I read the book. But, as said earlier, the story is a little too predictable and the things that happen I saw coming from a mile away. The "twist" involving Vivien wasn't at all shocking and I knew who had tried to kill her long before the information was revealed. I have no idea if Kleypas had wanted these to be surprising or not, but even if she hadn't intended to make this unpredictable she could have at least tried to make the story seem a little less... sketched out. One thing I could say in favor is that the storyline of how the hero and heroine come together is more believable this time. There are no gently-bred, albeit commoner unmarried women walking the streets of London alone at night researching gambling clubs (Dreaming of You) or traveling alone in a carriage with a rake late at night after attending a party by herself (Suddenly You). Even though I had enjoyed those novels, I nevertheless had a difficult time accepting the aforementioned things because they simply couldn't have happened in nineteenth century England. The heroine in this book is believed to be a courtesan, and so I didn't have to suspend much disbelief this time around. The only thing that doesn't ring true is Vivien being unsure about marrying Grant after they've been involved. This isn't believable because no woman of that time period would allow herself to remain unmarried and ruined. She'd marry him in a heartbeat, insecurities or no insecurities. Women of that period didn't have the luxury to choose to remain single after bedding a man. Vivien's reasoning sounded more like the relationship angst of a modern-day woman. Should I marry him or stay single? Ludicrous emotional conflict in a Regency. As for the protagonists, Vivien is a little too sweet at times, but I liked her. Grant is gorgeous and alpha male-ish, which is always sexy, though he got on my nerves at times. I give Someone to Watch Over Me three stars because, anachronisms and banality aside, I enjoyed the book. However, this one falls more in the enjoyable-while-you-read-it-but-forgettable-once-you've-finished-it category.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite Kleypas, May 26, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
"Someone to Watch over Me" was my first Lisa Kleypas book and is still my favorite, although by now I've read them all. The hero, Grant - a Bow Street runner - is strong and sexy without being so boneheaded that he resists love until the end of the book. The heroine, whom we know as Vivien, is poignant in her search to regain her memory while falling in love with the man who seems to protect her. The story is well-plotted, and has enough unpredictable twists to keep you turning page after page. The love scenes are steamy and compelling, and the ending is sweet. I really loved this book and highly recommend it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
