Customer Reviews

Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street, Book 1)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

"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.

I'm surprised to see so many less than stellar reviews for this book, because I thought it was great. The Bow Street Runner series (this book, Lady Sophia's Lover, and Worth Any Price) are all very interesting books, and I loved them all. However, I think that the story line in this book is far more intriguing than that of the others.

Grant Morgan makes a truly spectacular hero in this book. Yes, he may not have the best intentions in the beginning when he takes the near drowning victim back to his home, but I totally disagree that he should have known it wasn't Vivien Duvall after a short time. Why would he have any reason to think differently when this woman looks exactly like her? Yes, she acts strangely compared to his knowledge of Vivien, but she also has amnesia... and no one knows that there could be some other possibility. He's not dense, just ignorant of all the available facts like everyone else in society.

I don't think anyone could fault his character because his intentions change very quickly when he begins to fall for this woman against his wishes. He wanted petty revenge, but his mind was overruled by his heart and it all works out to his favor. I think the female character of "Vivien" was absolutely charming and they had a very sweet romance.

In this book we are also introduced to Ross Cannon, the Chief Magistrate of Bow Street, and it is his equally touching story that unfolds in Lady Sophia's Lover.

I would definitely recommend the Bow Street Runner books to any Kleypas fan, because I believe that this series and her new Wallflowers series truly show off her talent as a romance writer. The romances are just lovely and the historical setting is excellent, and I continue to grow my Kleypas collection!

This is another Bow Street Runner novel from Lisa Kleypas. Like the wonderful "Lady Sophia's Lover," and the unbeatable "Worth Any Price," (I'm an unabashed Lisa Kleypas fan...can you tell??), this story features realistic characters from mid-1800's England's burgeoning middle class, and not the usual nobility of the "haute ton." Number 4 Bow Street is the headquarters for the relatively new force of organized police/dectectives, who keeps law and order in London.

Grant Morgan, one of the Bow Street leaders, has made his fortune and fame recovering stolen property for banks, serving as personal guard to the monarchy, and locating abducted heiresses. He is one of London's most eligible and unattainable men. One night he is called to a ferry dock along the Thames to investigate a drowning. The victim turns out to be quite beautiful and alive. Mr. Morgan recognizes and identifies her as Vivian Duvall, a famous courtesan who defamed him some months before. He brings her to his home to recover. Noticing bruises on her neck, Morgan realizes that someone had attempted to murder Vivian. She, however, has amnesia and can remember nothing of her past, neither her own name nor her profession, which seems to disgust her. Morgan is hot on the case of the murderer's identity and motive - and he's hot on Ms. Duvall's case also. He has lusted for her since the moment he met her, and wants to bed her, keep her for a while, and also to exact some revenge for her past scandal mongering.

But Vivian does not live up to her reputation on the one hand, and proves to be much better than expected on the other. Slowly, the secrets of her past emerge, as does the mutual attraction between Vivian and Grant. The mystery is not difficult to figure out, and the plot is undemanding, to say the least. However Ms. Kleypas weaves a story like no on else and her characters, with their sizzling chemistry, keep your eyes riveted to the page.

Lisa Kleypas novels are as addictive as good chocolate - but not fattening. They are super rich, delicious, and you won't put on a pound. Try one! You're in for a treat.

If you're looking for a historical romance that's not focused on gentlemen and ladies of the haute ton, then look no further than Lisa Kleypas' Bow Street Runners trilogy. A world slightly removed from the nobility, they are a group of men both revered and condemned for being a law unto themselves, whose purpose is to rid the London society of its biggest scum. In this introduction, get to meet the most famous of the Runners - Grant Morgan.

When the body of a woman is found floating on the river Thames, Morgan is called to the scene and was astounded to find the woman still breathing. But what's more shocking for him is the discovery of the woman's identity - Vivien Rose Duvall, London's most infamous and sought-after courtesan. Aware that she just survived an attempted murder, Grant takes Vivien home and, as she lies unconscious in his bed, he recalls their unpleasant meeting a few months ago and thinks it ironic how the woman whom he promised to repay for his humiliation has so easily landed in his lap.

When Vivien regains consciousness, she wakes up with no recollection of who she is. As Grant becomes aware of her condition, he decides to take advantage of her memory loss. But as he invents stories about their relationship, he starts feeling guilty about lying to her especially when he finds himself drawn to her seeming innocence, for gone is the smug superiority of the old Vivien. Now replaced with such vulnerability and sweetness, he finds himself becoming more attached to her and overcome with the need to protect her. And as his feelings for her grows stronger, he worries that he might be falling for another one of Vivien's games, something that he won't be able to endure should it turn out to be so.

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME is quite an intriguing story of two characters drawn together by an act of crime. Although set in the Regency era, it is not your typical story of the aristocratic society, which I found to be totally refreshing. He may not be a titled gentleman but Grant Morgan is every bit as dashing as the usual lords found in other books, with a little bit of roughness that I thought was just sexy. I liked how he changed from a man intent on taking revenge to assuage his pride, to an enchanted man overcome with his love for the heroine.

With a mixture of mystery, romance and hot love scenes, this book is an enjoyable introduction to the Bow Street trilogy. It is interesting to have an insight on the works of the Runners and it was great to see an author take a chance by steering clear of the glitz and glamor of the Regency ballrooms, and create a story of the so-called "commoners" in that era. And another bonus is the involvement of Sir Ross Cannon, the chief magistrate, who's just so mysterious and sexy.

The other books in the series are LADY SOPHIA'S LOVER (Ross Cannon's story) and WORTH ANY PRICE.

I have loved all of the books so far in Kleypas's Bow Street Runner series. Although this is the first book in the series, I read the third book, Worth Any Price, first and the second book, Lady Sophia's Lover, second. I think it would be more enjoyable if you could read the series in order but it did not lessen the overall appeal of any of the books. I still savored every one of them and believe they can all be stand-alone reads.

Grant Morgan is an infamous Bow Street Runner and reaps great financial benefit from it and his private investigations. He is celebrated as a true hero as his cases are written into very popular penny novels. Grant is a really tough guy with bad childhood memories that haunt him and the ever-present determination to never marry and certainly not believe in such a thing as love. As is often the case with Kleypas's books, Grant is not a member of the ton and has no desire to even be accepted by high society. He first meets Vivien, the heroine, at a ball where she is looking for a new provider. She is a member of the demimonde and known for her beauty and her heartlessness. Grant is attracted to Vivien until he gets a chance to visit with her personally and determines that she is as heartless as rumored. He rejects her further advances and Vivien, true to her unkind nature, circulates the rumor that She has rejected Him. She also tells all that will listen that Grant was very upset by her rejection. Grant is irritated by these lies but cares little for his reputation and pays little heed to the gossip.

One night, while on duty, he is called out to the scene of an attempted murder by drowning of an unknown woman. Grant recognizes the attempted murder victim as Vivien and brings her to his home to recover. Once he determines that she has lost her memory, he decides to exact his revenge on Vivien by using her and then rejecting her. He does not feel sorry for her in the least and is given quite a few pages to show us how much of a heartless guy he can be.

Vivien is very frightened at her loss of memory and is horrified when she discovers that she was a member of the demimonde and is known for her cruel nature. Even Grant soon becomes uncomfortable with the situation as Vivien behaves with only kindness and consideration and there is no sign of her former hateful demeanor. Thus the stage is set for this intriguing romance.

Someone to Watch Over Me is a book with a driving plot that does not drag for a single page. It is fascinating as we watch Grant gradually evolve from the famous street hardened and cynical Bow Runner to a man of compassion and love. Of course, Grant is not as hard as he would like to believe. He is very well respected and liked by his co-workers and friends. Vivien, on the other hand, seems to have no friends or family that care enough to look for her. Watching these two grow closer and discover their feelings for one another is fun and captivating reading. Kleypas always provides her leads plenty of time to develop their relationship and it allows us to savor these many special times. We also do not have to endure any silly misunderstanding or lies. There are a few sensual scenes that spice up the book and rate about a 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). Kleypas is good at writing these scenes and they only add to the overall appeal of the book.

This is certainly a book for my keeper shelf. I have yet to read a Kleypas book that was not enjoyable. I ration her books carefully, allowing myself one about every month or two as I gradually work through her backlist. Take time and read this series. The order is Somebody to Watch Over Me, Lady Sophia's Love, and Worth Any Price. I have written a review on each of these books. I believe that Kleypas is still writing this series and hopefully we will see another one soon. Believe me - I will be buying it as soon as it is published.

I have been reading Lisa Kleypas books for over a dozen years now - since the early 90's. I discovered her early in my reading of romance novels and always found her books to be a sure hit (less one story so far I didn't like). She is a gifted author and has strong talents in planning detailed plot lines, intricate characters and bringing out heart warming emotions by the end of the story.

"Someone To Watch over Me" was a good book. I wouldn't rate it great and I wouldn't rate it bad. The reason I couldn't give it more stars....I didn't really buy throughout most of the story that "Viven" was who she said she was. It seemed apparent to anyone paying attention that clearly the person everyone THOUGHT was Viven couldn't possibly be. Even though she lost her memory after almost being killed and pulled from the river half dead...she had none of the characteristics that everyone said she had before (was a high priced, well known prostitute, ½ the men in town had slept with her at one time, all the women hated her, she was cold blooded, devious, out for her own good and she was a seriously twisted sex style maniac). Suddenly...Viven looses her memory after the water trauma and acts sweet, tender, kind, naïve, appalled by sex and virgin like. Why it was like she was another person! Because...she was!!! I couldn't buy that all these Bow Street Runners were such great security and detectives in town - often working for the crown - yet...they couldn't do a little research on the real Viven and look at her history, family, where she grew up etc. and find out there was TWO children - twins - and thus, that is why the girls were so vastly different from one another. You mean no one in town or where they grew up talked about this twin issue? If Viven was so well known and notorious throughout the land for her beauty and sexual escapades...wouldn't someone have put two and two together over time? NO...it took Grant sleeping with Viven to find out she is a virgin and this girl was someone else altogether. She was Victoria - the other twin. I was guessing from early on that she was either a sister, twin or even the daughter of a woman who looked like her. It didn't take a lot of guessing and I was unhappy that I figured things out so easily and was so disappointed none of the great detectives in the book could figure it out! Hire me next time, not them!

Although I liked over-all the characters of Grant and Victoria - they seemed a lot like many other characters that Lisa Kleypas has written about in previous books. Our hero has a hard luck history - often from the streets - clawed his way out of a bad past to find a career to prosper, make money, get some power but, he is always alone and on the fringes of high society. In turn, our heroine Victoria is a sweet natured, thoughtful and kind girl on the verge of womanhood who finds herself in a dangerous situation and she puts herself in the hands of the hero for safe keeping. Thus...their attraction and love build. Nice but, nothing new. Nothing fresh. Nothing super interesting. When I look back at some of her earlier works - I see a lot of similarities - Sara and Derek in Dreaming of You - Logan and Madeline in Because You're Mine, Julia & Damon in Somewhere I'll Find You, and so on. Now don't get me wrong...I like these characters she created but, I don't want them to seem so alike in their personalities, backgrounds and attributes. I haven't read these books in years but, I just feel like "I've been there before" when I finished this newest book.

I felt that Victoria forgave Grant a bit early for his revenge plot and deception to her. She was rightly mad at first and wanted some space but, it didn't take long for her to forgive him and take him back for his bad ways. In turn, everyone seemed to go easy on Viven in the end for all the trouble and difficulty she caused with her actions and behavior. These two things could have been played out a bit more for my taste.

I found Sir Ross Cannon - the magistrate and runner friend of Grant's to be a very interesting fellow. He was aloof, cool and powerful but, kind. The loss of his wife and one love seemed to take a big toll on him as a person. I almost wonder if LK has a book out there on his story (maybe the next in the series)? Would make for interesting reading. You don't get to read often about a man's first love - a healthy love - and how difficult it is once they pass on for him to find new hope, joy and beauty in another and put the past behind.

I would like to give four stars but, I just didn't feel it was warranted. Not unique or creative enough to warrant more praise. I am already forgetting parts to this books and I've only been done for a day! That tells me...it was a decent read when I was engrossed in the story but...it fades quickly once done because it simply wasn't that great. The author herself and her history get 5 stars for talent and ability but, this story gets 3 to 3 1/2 at best.

If you have not read LK books yet, do so - they are appealing. With the exception of "Only With Your Love" (which I didn't care for at all - yuck! - see my review there), all her other books won't disappoint. Early ones seem best - Somewhere I'll Find You, Because You're Mine, Dreaming of You, Stranger In My Arms, Then Came You, Only In Your Arms, Midnight Angel and Where Dreams Begin. All winners. I am still reading her newest books of the last 3-4 years as I took off some time and came back again. I still enjoy this author and believe you will too. Happy reading!

Someone To Watch Over Me is my first Lisa Kleypas book. I must say I really did enjoy this book. This is the first Historical Regency I have read where the hero's profession is a Bow Street Runner. Instead of the normal nobility, as seen in many of the Historical Regencies, Kleypas wrote about commoners.

Grant Morgan loves his profession. As a very successful Bow Street Runner, he has amassed a large fortune to let him live in style. Though only a commoner by birth he has been tolerated by the ton and is one of the most eligible bachelors in London.

One night a body of a woman was found floating in the Thames. A waterman called upon Grant Morgan and expecting to find a lifeless body, he was surprised to find out that the woman was still alive. He was taken aback when the woman turns out to be Vivien Duvall, one of London's scandalous beauties and sought after courtesan. Vivien, as Grant discovered, was strangled and left for dead but survived the attack. Grant then decides to take Miss Duvall to his home to care for her personally.

Vivien Duvall wakes up and finds out that she is suffering from amnesia. Vivien cannot seem to believe that she has led a life of a courtesan and refuses to believe Grant that she is a schemer and would do anything, including sell her body, for money. Grant on the other hand is also confused, because even though this woman has the face of Vivien Duvall, she does not seem to act like her. The Vivien he has in his house is actually nice and very likeable and Grant feels very attracted towards her. Meanwhile he is also trying to uncover the name of the person who tried to kill her before he could strike again.

Even though the mystery part was easy to solve, Someone To Watch Over Me is a joy to read. Grant and Vivien are wonderfully romantic together! The contradicting feelings of Grant towards Vivien are very believable. Vivien is also a great heroine; she is charming, helpful and sweet. She wins the heart of the servants and everyone she comes in contact with including Grant. No big misunderstanding element is this book. The only thing is....... is she really Vivien or someone else?

To find out how the rest of the story goes, I recommend you to read this wonderfully written book by Lisa Kleypas!

This book was great! I loved it. I've read almost all of Lisa Kleypas's novels, and this one is one of the best.

After well-known courtesean Vivian Duvall spreads rumors about Grant Morgan, he vows revenge. Never did he realize his chance would come so quickly. Bow Street Runner Grant Morgan is called to the docks to see a drowning victim, only to discover the victim is Vivian Duvall, and she is very much alive. Upon further investigation, Grant discovers someone was attempting to murder Vivian, unsucessfully. What's Grant to do, but bring her to his own home to protect her.

When Vivian wakes up, she realizes she not only knows her name, but she also can't believe that she was a prostitute. Grant uses this against her and informs her that they had an "arrangement."

Throughout the next few weeks Grant and Vivian work together to find who tried to murder her, and they also fall in love along the way.

Overall this was a great book. I started reading this book Wednesday afternoon and by midnight I was 3/4 of the way through. Unfortunately, 5 a.m. comes early, especially when I'm dreaming about the characters in my latest book.