Suddenly You [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Kleypas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2001

She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn′t about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible...but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.

Jack Delvin′s determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently-bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London′s most notorious businessman, refused to live by society′s rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected...but both soon craved.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting: London 1836

Sensuality: 8

Successful novelist Amanda Briars buys herself a scandalous present to celebrate her 30th birthday. Of gentle birth, unwed, and still a virgin, she contracts with a well-known madam to deliver a lover to her home. When handsome publisher Jack Devlin knocks on her door, it doesn't take him long to figure out that Amanda thinks he's someone else entirely. Intrigued, he stops just short of taking the lady's virginity, for he has other plans for the talented writer.

When she discovers Jack's true identity at a gathering of writers and publishers, Amanda is first angry, then fascinated, as he is a powerful force in the London publishing industry. Jack is determined to court Amanda not only to publish her novels, but also to lure her into his bed, and it isn't long before the two are deeply involved. But their path to happiness is strewn with stumbling blocks: Jack has a past that haunts him, while Amanda's family would be hurt by a scandalous liaison.

Suddenly You is a lush, deeply romantic tale of two free spirits who learn that they are, after all, susceptible to the binding ties of love. The setting provides readers with a different view of London society--the lives of affluent writers and artists rather than the world of the nobility--and a fascinating look into the publishing industry in 1800s London. Once again, Kleypas has delivered a well-written, sensual novel that's sure to hit the bestseller lists. --Lois Faye Dyer

From Publishers Weekly

In this feisty and frolicsome historical, Kleypas (Where Dreams Begin, etc.) proves that turning 30 can signal the beginning of an exciting new decade, even for a 19th-century spinster. Free-thinking Amanda Briars, who writes scandalous tales of romance and intrigue, has resigned herself to a life of solitude, but she feels that her lack of a husband shouldn't preclude her from being intimate with a man just once. On the night of her clandestine meeting with a male prostitute, however, handsome and unscrupulous publishing tycoon Jack Devlin appears at her door instead. Mistaking Jack for the man that she sent for, Amanda shares an amorous moment with him before she recovers her senses and pushes him out the door. One week later, Amanda encounters her nighttime visitor at a London soiree and is mortified to learn that he is her new publisher. A series of delightful exchanges follows as the two attempt to reconcile their need for independence and their growing passion for each other. Although both Amanda and Jack are fully developed characters, it is Jack, the half-Irish bastard son of a lord, who truly shines as he struggles to overcome his dark past. Brisk pacing, witty repartee and memorable protagonists will ensure that Kleypas's newest is well received.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (May 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380802325
• ISBN-13: 978-0380802326
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (174 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She is a RITA award winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women's fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yummy!, March 19, 2002

By 

curvynovelsdotinfo "[e-mail]" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Suddenly You (Mass Market Paperback)

Heroine: self-described as voluptuous on her good days, plump on the rest

I'm a sucker for Historical romances, particularly if they have a British or Celtic setting. Show me a book cover with a brawny man in a kilt or a suit of armor, and I'll show you my wallet. :^) This particular story takes place in London during those years between the end of the Regency period and the beginning of the Victorian era. There are no kilts unfortunately, but at least our hero, Jack Devlin, is half-Irish and a devilishly handsome man with a dark and mysterious past.  

Our heroine is virginal old maid Amanda Briars, a novelist who lives alone after having cared for her ailing parents during their last years. Normally when in her right mind, she's a pattern-card of propriety. Her impending birthday however, has her feeling less than her usual self. She does the unthinkable and approaches a notorious madam in order to procure 'company' for her 30th birthday. On the appointed night she opens the door to find the devastatingly gorgeous Jack standing before her, never suspecting the real reason for his being there. 

What worked for me:
More than anything, I loved reading about a heroine I could relate to attitude and shape-wise. She sounds to be as short and round as I am, yet the author never portrays her as frumpy and dumpy unless it's from Amanda's own viewpoint. Some of the wonderfully descriptive phrases Ms. Kleypas used to portray Amanda: ripe, like a hothouse peach; plump, perfectly so; abundant.

Another thing about Amanda that I liked was the fact that she always seemed to be cold. It just made her seem that much more real to me, that she had that particular quirk. (And yes, this too is something I can relate to.)

I adored the way Jack went after Amanda; desirous of her extremely curvaceous body, yes, but also drawn to her keen intellect and sharp wit. Their banter was enjoyable, and their love scenes were wonderful; very sensual, but tastefully done rather than becoming all-out erotica. Still, I was grateful that I had the A/C on as I was reading some of those passages.

What didn't work for me:
There were times that the standard romantic fiction 'formula' showed through in the writing, and that jolted me a bit: Insert hero's devastating past here, add heroine's introspection here, time for the forced marriage, etc etc.

I understand with a name like "Briars" that virginal Amanda would be 'prickly,' but for me there was a bit too much missishness in her character and it slowed down the story for the sake of creating friction between hero and heroine. I also had some trouble understanding how she wrote books that were on the fringe of acceptable when she had never been with a man. True, the books were meant to show what deep-down she wished to experience, but how could she express these ideas if she really didn't understand what she was missing?

Overall:
A good read. There were some interesting twists in the plotline, particularly how Jack and Amanda came to meet, as well as the ensuing problems from that first meeting. In my opinion "Suddenly You" is worth keeping for those days I feel plump rather than voluptuous and need to hear a handsome man raving about luscious curves. :^) 

If you liked "Suddenly You" you might also enjoy "The Bride and the Beast", "The Accidental Bride", or "The Fire-Flower".

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Most Sensual Romance of the Year", June 8, 2001

By 

AAR alumna (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Suddenly You (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm so happy I took a break from reading Nora Roberts' works long enough to try new authors. This is my first Lisa Kleypas book, which transported me to a romantic, meticulously detailed world enlivened by an electrifying plot. It starts with the most memorable scene I've read in a long while: Amanda opens her door to Jack, whom she mistakes for the male prostitute she has sent for on the night of her 30th birthday.

In a woman's perspective, it's difficult to make a love scene between two complete strangers believable--despite an undeniable physical attraction between them--but Ms. Kleypas pulls it off. Aptly dubbed "The Most Sensual Romance of the Year", Suddenly You sustains the momentum of the initial pages with touching, dissolve-in-a-puddle-of-hormones-as-you-read love scenes.

Of course the connection between Amanda and Jack is more than just sexual; their story would make you alternately laugh out loud and cry, so real are their personalities although they are essentially archetypal characters. Jack is a wounded, needy hero whose efforts to claim Amanda are chronicled in touching scenes--from something as subtle and evocative as Jack refastening Amanda's dancing shoe on her foot (weeks after she refused to see him again for fear of society's reprisal), to a wild incident in which he simply carries her off and passionately demonstrates why they belonged together. (For one intense moment in bed, he demands "Who do you belong to?", to which she could only answer breathlessly, "You. You, Jack.")

Suddenly You goes beyond many romance books whose culmination is that exchange of elusive "I love you's". Just when I thought Amanda and Jack were cruising along that requisite happy ending, destiny intervenes to reveal yet another facet of their relationship. It's full of vicissitudes that would twist your heart and keep you absorbed, until you just cannot do anything else but finish it... by which time you'll want to start re-reading it.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner for Lisa Kleypas, June 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Suddenly You (Mass Market Paperback)

Lisa Kleypas' new book, Suddenly You, delievers a face-paced, witty story with a strong independent heroine and a hero who isn't afraid of her intelligence or success. One of the great things about Kleypas' writing is that her books are not retreads of the same idea over and over again. Suddenly You opens---with of all things---the heroine, novelist Amanda Briars, trying to hire a prostitute as a gift to herself on her 30th birthday. Because of a matchmaking madame, her new publisher, Jack Devlin, arrives at the appointed hour. Despite his less than sterling reputation, Devlin is truly a gentleman and doesn't take (much) advanatage of the situation. The two begin a friendship and professional relationship that becomes much more. The dialog is frist-rate, the secondary characters charming, and the passion begins in the first few chapters and doesn't stop. Although there are some misunderstandings between the lovers, this aspect of the story isn't drawn out or senseless as in some other books. Moreover, Amanda is beautiful but not rail thin, a model or clingy. Jack is rough around the edges, not perfect, but is strong in that he views Amanda as his equal (and more but that would ruin the ending). If you are a long-time fan of Kleypas, your wait is over and the book doesn't disappoint. If you have never read a Kleypas before, this book is a great place to start and should be followed by her earlier works like Someone to Watch Over Me and Stranger in My Arms. A historical romance with modern themes. Another winner for Kleypas--and readers.