Customer Reviews

Surrender to Me

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

STORY BRIEF:
Astrid's father arranged her marriage to Bertram. Bertram spent her dowry then abandoned her with no money to live on. Astrid's parents were dead. Astrid hears that Bertram is in Scotland posing as someone else planning to marry an heiress. Astrid travels to Scotland to try to stop him. Along the way she meets Griffin. Highwaymen and feuding clans cause danger for them. Griffin was raised in Texas and came to Scotland to investigate something his mother told him on her deathbed.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I had trouble liking the heroine Astrid. She was never loved by her parents or husband, so she maintains a cold façade to everyone. Even after Griffin awakens her passionate side, she repeatedly returns to her cold and distant manner. Her coldness causes fights and other conflicts. She repeatedly causes trouble for herself by saying things based on stupid reasoning, for example: she is traveling with Griffin, and they are surrounded by a group of potential bad guys. Griffin tells the bad guys they are married so the men will leave her alone. She stupidly says "we are not married." Another example of poor judgment: a couple is in love, but Astrid takes action and/or tries to influence the girl marry someone else to make the relatives happy. This happens twice, with two different couples. I'm guessing the point is that Astrid was never loved, so she doesn't know how to love or interact with others in a reasonable manner. Somehow, I didn't enjoy reading about her and her predicaments.

Griffin was a good hero: smart, strong, loving and helping others. The author did a nice job with the plot. It was good. The author has a nice voice. I just wish she would have found conflict in ways other than using the woman's unpleasant personality and poor judgment.

DATA:
Story length: 372 pages. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Length of sex scenes: 3 to 12 pages. Total number of sex scene pages: 21. Setting: unspecified time, probably late 1800s England and Scotland. Copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.

I loved Sophie Jordan's other books but this one was a real struggle for me. The heroine was so unlikable for most of the story. She and the hero spent pretty much the entire book at odds with one another. It almost seemed as though they only got along in the middle of sex - 5 minutes after they were already fighting again. I found myself just wanting the story to be over with. I didn't see their love grow and maybe some of their "soul sharing" should have come earlier so the reader might believe they could actually like one another. I couldn't feel emotion for them or between them at all (the opposite is true for Jordan's last book, which was wonderful). This heroine was so stiff backed so much of the story I found myself thinking had I been her husband, I may have run away too. I felt as though I didn't know the hero well enough either - so I could truly care about his fate. It all just didn't feel genuine - the relationship and the story. 2.5 Stars

I thought this story was wonderfully written. Griffin Shaw is so deliciously sexy and Astrid sourly so, but she grows on you. I would not have been able to resist Griffin as long as she did. Wow, though one of their love scene was rather steamy, I had to fan myself. First time I read a scene such as that one in a romance novel, and enjoyed reading it. Hope to find more great characters such as Griffin in other of Sophie Jordan's books.

She won't let it happen again. Not to another woman. Lady Astrid Derring may be penniless and the laughing stock of society but she has her pride. And if her absentee husband, with a false identity, thinks that he can get away with marrying someone else to get the girl's hefty dowry, well he can think again. Astrid is out to expose the wastrel and prevent him from becoming a bigamist. She's made her bed and accepts her life but she won't allow some poor girl suffer from her husbands abuse/lies. So she's off to Scotland to stop a wedding.

Griffin Shaw is on a mission, probably a foolish one but no matter. His mother's last dying words weigh heavily on his mind. Its been a long journey from Texas to Scotland but Griffin is determined to find answers. Only he never expected to run into a beautiful angel along the way. And Duchess no less! Who's icy top loftish demeanor rubs him the wrong? way. The lady may be prideful enough to resist his help but never let it be said that Shaw didn't keep his word -even if he has to drag her to safety kicking and screaming.

I enjoyed this one mostly for the very original plot and the good writing. Although I didn't particularly like the cold Astrid in the beginning (she was wretched to her sister-in-law in Too Wicked to Tame), she grew on me. I especially liked the nice twist -Astrid being married in the beginning. That's different than most historical books. On the other hand Griffin, a rough-around-the-edges Texan, is absolute delight! I loved how he wouldn't take no for an answer and kept coming to Astrid's rescue. And the way he was wounded when she resisted his help -too cute!

The highlanders and their 'how to treat a woman', 'proven breeders' mumbo jumbo is slightly irritating. As well as their lascivious thoughts on how to melt a cold harpy like Astrid. (cold on the outside therefore must be hot on the inside). But I don't read romance for PC so that didn't bother me too much.

A good read that I recommend for anyone looking for a unique plot away from the ballrooms and drawing rooms of London. Similar books that I've enjoyed;
Beware a Scot's Revenge (School for Heiresses, Book 3) -Scottish setting in roughly the same time period
Surrender to a Scoundrel -set during the annual regatta in Cowes, England

Lady Astrid Derring has been alone for years, abandoned by her wastrel husband. She has survived hunger, threadbare gowns and has endured public humiliation. She thought her husband dead - but an anonymous letter confirms he is indeed alive in Scotland and is engaged to be married to a wealthy heiress under another name.

Astrid has hidden her emotions all these years under a façade of cool demeanor - schooling her expressions to only cold, unfeeling demeanor. Yet the public scorn she has faced in London's drawing rooms has only been tolerable by her supporting friends. However, she will not permit her husband to ruin an innocent woman's life and allow him to commit bigamy.

She sets off to Scotland to stop the wedding and confront her husband for the fraud he is. On the way, her coach gets set by Scottish highwaymen and is almost killed, but for the timely arrival of Griffin Shaw.

Griffin hears women screams and dashes to the rescue, killing the brigands but sustaining a blow to the head that leaves him unconscious. Astrid can't leave her protector by the roadside and manages to get him into her coach to take him to a nearby posting inn.

Griffin Shaw has traveled all the way from Texas to Scotland to see if he can find answers to his mother's dying words. He hasn't counted that along the way he would find a snooty, cold and unfeeling English woman, who disdains his offer to assist her at every turn. The fact that she is a Duchess should deter him along with her lofty demeanor - but there is something that draws him to this distant and forbidding woman.

Astrid has had her emotions so tightly locked for so many years that the openly spoken, rugged Texan makes her bristle over his coarse manner, always rubbing her the wrong way. Yet, she cant deny that for all his ungentlemanly conduct that Griffin has gone out of his way to protect her and finds that oddly touching, since she has never received one ounce of care from any of her relatives, specially not her absent husband. Her icy reserve is soon melting at the heated manner in which Griffin looks at her.

Some readers may think that the manner in which Astrid succumbs to Griffin's sensual assault and loving manner may be contrary to her behavior. Her mouth says one thing - but her body another. She becomes a wanton in his arms, having never realized the beauty of carnal pleasures. Her proper façade descends, as she is humiliated and horrified that she has allowed herself to behave in such an un-proper fashion.

The relationship between Astrid and Griffin is explosive. Astrid thaws under Griffin's attention and she melts every time he touches her. The plot in SURRENDER TO ME is fresh and so different that I swallowed the book in a day! Very fast paced story, with two flawed characters, but Astrid more so than Griffin, this is a rare gem of a book - set in the Regency period but away from the glittering ballrooms and tea parties of the Ton that one is accustomed in novels of this genre.

This was a fabulous book. Miss Jordan is definitely becoming a favorite author that I plan on reading again and again!

I have read other books by Sophie Jordan and enjoyed them. This one however was absolute torture to read. Astrid Derring featured in an earlier book was a screw-faced cold hearted woman married to a man who had little love or respect for her and the pressure of her station (a Duchess) did little to thaw her out or bring her any other relief from the responsibilities of a derelict, abusive husband and a bankrupt title.

Enter Griffin Shaw an American in search of his long lost relatives and when he happens upon Astrid and her maid in distress he rises to the occasion to aide them from a disastrous violation and end.

From the beginning, this book reeked! Big strong, handy Griffin couldn't fight his way out of a pillow fight. He is felled by a rock to the head during the rescue and not only captured once, but twice and then he could not make lemonade with lemonish Astrid who tried too damn hard to be miserable. Romance is supposed to offer the reader some sense of escapisim, but the escape I wanted was away from this book. Unfortunately, I have this nagging little crisis that occurs when I dump eight bucks on a book... I have to read it or die trying. And guess what... I may have preferred the die trying part.

The ending was rushed and somewhat ridiculous with a murder and rape being shrugged away and a wrong against her relative (Portia) from the previous book wiped away like bread crumbs from a piece of toast. The characters of Griffin's grandfathers were overly cartoonish and the fact that they acted like 6 year olds fighting over a toy had me rolling my eyes and begging to be put out of my misery.

Unfortunatley, when buying this book, I also purchased 2 more of her books strictly on the basis of the 4 stars other reviews on Amazon gave them. But Aaahhhh! I saved the receipt.

A great story of Scotland, romance, English Duchess and Texan. Giffin and Astrid find themselves saving each other lives throughout an adventure through Scotland. I likes how Astrid took logical time to thaw!

If you like this genre I would also suggest my lastest finds;A Highlander Never Surrenders , A Rake's Guide To Pleasure (Zebra Historical Romance) , Scandalous by Night (Carlisle Family, Book 4) and Something Reckless (Avon Red).

the premise of the novel was rather original and i was relieved that the obstacle involving astrid's husband was not drawn out and did not dominate the novel. the hero was very likable, in my opinion more so than Heath Moreton (hero of "Too Wicked to Tame"). Unfortunately everything that I didn't like about Heath (stubborn, makes unfounded sometimes implausible assumptions) started nagging me about Astrid by the end of the novel. Astrid's reluctance and coldness (that, as another reviewer pointed out, were only shed during their physically passionate moments) toward Griffin were fine at the beginning, but they were only shed in the last 15 pages of the book. For me this translated into a rather unsatisfying transformation for Astrid. Her character was likable, don't get me wrong, but 275+ pgs of very slow emotional progress between the hero and heroine became just a tad tedious.

Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend getting from the library. I liked it better than the last one and besides the slow pace of emotional progress, I really did like the main characters and secondary ones. Also, although I rather frequently find that some authors let secondary conflicts detract and distract from the main plot, Surrender to Me was quite refreshing with believable obstacles.

After reading Sophie Jordan's other books, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately, finishing "Surrender to Me" was a real struggle. I couldn't find anything likable about Astrid, the heroine, and just thought she was very annoying. On top of that, I couldn't find a reason for the hero, Griffin, to be attracted to her. The only time they weren't fighting was when they were having sex and even then I was left thinking, Huh? It wasn't the worst I've ever read and yes, I did want to see what would happen in the end, but that was mainly because I kept waiting for Astrid to show a side of herself that any man, including Griffin, would find attractive & lovable. However, even in the end, I was sitting there thinking, "What? You suddenly love each other? When did THAT happen?" I'll still give Sophie Jordan's next book a chance, but I hope it is a vast improvement over "Surrender to Me."

Abandoned by her shiftless husband, Lady Astrid is left behind penniless and discredited in English society. She struggles to make ends meet and maintain some semblance of dignity, refusing offers from would be `protectors' and the like.

When an anonymous letter discloses her estranged husband's current location, along with the tidbit that he is set to enter into a bigamist marriage to a young heiress, Astrid sets off for Scotland to put a stop to his devious ways and save the young woman from a fate similar to her own.

Once there, her plan goes horribly awry when her husband ends up dead shortly after she finds him, and she is the prime suspect in his murder.

Enter Griffin Shaw. This hero in the making may have traveled to Scotland to find his own answers, but he is more than willing to delay his plans when he meets the beautiful Lady Astrid, appointing himself the unwilling Lady's champion.

But proximity proves Astrid is not as unwilling as she might like him to believe, and it isn't long before the pair find themselves unable to resist the attraction they share...

Lovers of historical romances will find a lot to like about Sophie Jordan's newest release, SURRENDER TO ME. This gem of a romance stars a British heroine paired with a Scottish hero raised in the wilds of America. Needless to say, Griffin is tough, capable, and oh-so-sexy. He is just the kind of man who can break through the wall that Astrid has built around her heart.

The man is relentless, and deliciously so. He knows he wants Astrid from the moment he meets her, and the only thing standing in his way is the little matter of her husband. Once he is out of the picture though, all bets are off. The man has honor, but is no prude... Seeing beneath Astrid's icy exterior, he is determined to draw out the fiery woman she is hiding away.

Lady Astrid maybe seem cold, but her reserve is understandable given what this woman has suffered. Living life penniless and near starvation, she has managed to keep her chin up as she muddles along after the disgrace her husband has left her in. While she travels to Scotland looking for her wayward husband, she finds something so much more - a fresh start, a new life, and the love she never expected for herself.

There were some very interesting twists in SURRENDER TO ME, and I quite enjoyed them. In the end, we find happy endings for not just our intrepid couple, but even for some of the supporting characters we meet along the way. Sophie Jordan has delivered an enjoyable story that has a very satisfying finish.

**Courtesy of Wild on Books**