Customer Reviews

What a Lady Wants (Last Man Standing, Book 2)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I liked it, I couldn't believe how much I did. I think it was the dialogue. Quick witted and fast paced. I didn't give it 5 stars however because the book sorta lost its pacing about 3/4 the way through and I was skipping around a bit.

Defintely a book you'll enjoy if you like Kleypas, or Quinn.

When you wish upon a star......well that's exactly what spinster and ameteur astrologist Lady Felicity Melville does. And for what? For excitement and adventure of course! And if by some magical spell, Nigel Cavendish appears. Mind you he's climbing down from a neighbors window after some...ahem..., but that won't stop our determined heroine. Oh no! She decides then and there that he's the one and they belong together. But he's one of the worst scoundrels and rakes you say? BAH! Reformed rakes make the best husbands didn't you know?! and thats exactly what Felicity is going to do. Now if only Nigel would cooperate and accept the inevitable. Stubborn man!!! She'll just have to *convince* him ;). Maybe with a little help and cleverness on her part.......she'll find out that wishes really do come true.

I really liked this one. The poor hero didn't see it coming! The bigger rake they are, the harder they fall....in love? and what a Lady wants, she gets....well, eventually. And the eventually part was the best! Nigel accepts that there is an attraction between the two and puts up a worthy fight, but ultimately its HIS own foolishness that leads to the marriage (sorry it'll spoil it if I tell you!). And then he realizes that maybe he was wrong, maybe this clever, intelligent and beautiful woman is really the one for him and he's ...gasp!..in love with her??? But is it too late? He's said some nasty things and possibly damaged the relationship beyond repair and lost Felicity's love for good. Whats he to do?! A grand romantic gesture? Now THATS what I wish for in a book!

A witty and whimsical cat and mouse game. It's nice to see the tables turned and have the Lady catch her hero. Some really good romantic fluff!

This is the second book I've read by this author, and technically I bought it on a whim online. Not sure if it was fate but I really enjoyed this book, the pacing was great and the banter between Nigel and Felicity was sharp and witty and laugh out loud in some spots. Ms. Alexander created two very strong and well drawn characters and that is what really makes this book stand out.

Bravo to Ms. Alexander. I am used to certain expectations when I read a Victoria Alexander story. I know there will be a spunky heroine and an off-balance hero and united in the pursuit of love.

But the adventure was a wonderful sparkle - the scene of Felicity and Nigel alone in the ballroom ... oh, my! I was melting like butter in the microwave.

Excellent writing and an adventurous escape from the ordinary life.

Nigel Cavendish is caught in a very compromising position by Lady Felicity Melville. Felicity is in despair of her fifth season that may not net her a happy ending. When she spies Nigel fleeing a pistol toting husband she vows he will be her perfect mate. After all look at his daring and sense of excitement! She has no idea that her husband to be has no desire to ever marry--having gone so far as to enter a wager on the matter. But, no one should discount a determined miss. Felicity knows what she wants and no wager will stand in her way. Falling in love should be so much fun.

I love Ms. Alexander! I have read every title she's ever put out and highly recommend her titles. She creates the most entertaining stories with larger then life characters and romances that are unique and enjoyable. This second title in her gentleman wager series is a fun and fantastic romp, a perfect addition to this series. Felicity and Nigel are endearing characters and their romance is witty and romantic. Secondary characters help bring this wonderful world to life. Ms. Alexander knows how to entertain a reader with her flawed yet endearing characters. This makes them all the more likable. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Alexander does in the upcoming titles. Courtesty of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

When the handsome, Honorable Nigel Cavendish meets with the other two last men standing to discuss the current bet of who will be last to marry, he is the one most firm in his announcement that what happened to their friend Lord Warton will not happen to him. But when he jumps over the fence into the yard of Lady Felicity Mellville while fleeing the husband of his latest paramour, he is immediately taken with the intelligent beauty and her deep brown eyes. Wishes, fate, and a little manipulation from his twin sister Maddy, brings them together at every turn and the passion and desire grows spinning Nigel's ordered life out of control. When he enters her balcony again to steal a family painting she won from him in a card game, Felicity meets him with gun in hand. No matter how he fights his desire, he can't help but kiss Felicity senseless. So senseless that she drops the gun she is holding to ward off the intruder, it goes off and loudly shatters a vase, and Nigel jumps over the balcony and into the thorn bushes below. It is in that position he meets Felicity's father the Earl of Dunbury. The last thing Felicity wants is a forced marriage. She would like to believe it is her wish upon a star or fate that brings them together with eventual love. But when Felicity asks her father if they could just overlook the incident, he replies "A man falling from a woman's balcony after a shot is heard is the sort of thing gossips dream about. Add a midget and a monkey and it would be the stuff legends are made of!" So they are married in haste with Nigel afraid to even mention the words marriage and wife. He announces after the ceremony that his life is going to be as it always has been, minus the other women. Felicity once again obtains the help of Nigel's twin sister Maddy and they scheme a bit to help Nigel wonder what his beautiful wife is doing while he is living his separate life. When Nigel becomes bored at his club and former interests he realizes he misses Felicity's company, but when he follows her to his sister's home he finds out that a bit of manipulation from Felicity and Maddy, not what he feels was fate, intervened to make him a married man. He and Maddy argue with Felicity announcing she will let him have his wish and his freedom. When his father passes on and Nigel moves into the title of Viscount, more responsibilites and circumstances are added to his life and it is then that he comes to realize that love and fate, not manipulation, is what brought he and Felicity together, and that he misses Felicity and wants her back. It may take another trip over the balcony and a shot to go off for things to be settled. But one thing for sure is that the second book in "The Last Man Series" is a delightful, whimsical, fast paced story with entertaining dialgoue between the characters, that is witty, sexy and pure historical romance fun!

Set in London, 1854. Of the three remaining bachelors, Nigel Cavendish is the one most prone to outlandish behavior. Usually it involves married or widowed women. He knows that he must wed some day to produce an heir; however, he assumes he has many years before the drastic action must be taken. Nigel meets Felicity while escaping via the bedroom window of Felicity's neighbor. His short conversation with her leaves him intrigued, to say the least. He wrangles an introduction at a ball shortly thereafter and realizes that the lady might be the most dangerous female he has ever met. Her forthright manner and intelligence keeps him coming back, just to chat, or so he thinks.

Lady Felicity Melville is the only daughter of Lord Dunbury. She may be an amateur astronomer, but she is actually WISHING upon a star on the night that her life changes. Felicity wishes for "a future that is not staid and boring and ordinary. A man who will make the rest of my days an adventure. The grandest of adventures." When she hears a gunshot and sees someone slipping over her garden wall, she decides not to be meek and call for someone to help her. Instead, she starts up an odd conversation with the handsome rogue that climbs up her trellis, then tells him how to escape the area unseen. She immediately decides Nigel will do. He will need some reforming though. To do this, Felicity seeks out Nigel's twin sister, The Countess "Maddy" of Windham.

After meeting Felicity, Maddy is convinced that the young lady is perfect for her rascal of a brother. She becomes the perfect ally for Felicity. While the women plan their strategies, Nigel's Viscount father "Edmund" executes a plan of his own. Nigel will turn thirty-one in six more weeks and Edmund is handing over management of all the family's accounts, assets, investments, and properties to Nigel. During those six weeks, Nigel must study it all, but may come to his father for questions, help, and advice. It seems that Nigel's philandering ways are about to end.

***** When Felicity wished for the grandest of adventures, she got more than she bargained for. Unlike most heroines in recent Historical Romances, Felicity is intelligent as well as sharp and devious. Maddy's character is extraordinary also. I was delighted every time she entered the story. Author Victoria Alexander not only gives readers the romance they desire, but also hands them a story that they will never forget. I can hardly wait for the third novel in this series. OUTSTANDING! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Victoria scores again! This is a wonderful novel and a wonderful follow up to "A little bit wicked". Victoria's charachters are wonderful, especially her damsels who might think they are in distress but are actually funny, smart and self-sufficent ladies who know exactly what they want and how to goet it.

My only criticism is that she can't produce books fast enough to keep me satisfied! keep them comming! I look forward to the next one!

Lady Felicity Melville wants what every woman of some intelligence wants, not to lead a boring life. So one night with one fateful wish she changes the course of her life. Her wish for an adventurous life is granted in the form of Nigel Cavendish. When, straight from his dalliance with the neighbor, he climbs up her balcony. She is immediately drawn to him, obviously he is not a dull man, and what follows is an entertaining journey to life long love.

While Nigel doesn't believe he should get married any time in the foreseeable future, Felicity believes she is the one he should marry, and quite boldly tells him so. It's entertaining to watch what lengths Nigel will go to to try and prevent the inevitable. The inevitable does occur, but not without scandal. And even after this Nigel tries to preserve his lifestyle while Felicity tries to show him his life would be much better with her.

The secondary characters are also wonderful. In fact, I would love to read the story behind Felicity's parents, it sounds quite interesting. I own everything Victoria Alexander has written and I am definitely looking forward to the third book in this series.

If you like the romances where the heroine tricks or coerces the clueless hero into falling in love with her/marrying her, with the assistance of a gaggle of giggling girlfriends, then this is the book for you. For me, it is hard to read the numerous scenes where she has cornered him into doing something that he doesn't want to do, but, once he does it, it supposedly advances their relationship. If you like these kinds of scenarios, this book is for you. Otherwise, I would skip it, because it will drive you nutty.