Never Kiss a Rake (Scandal at the House of Russell, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

From the Bookshelf of Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group…

Never Kiss a Rake (Scandal at the House of Russell, #1)

Anne Stuart

Start date: July 15, 2015

Finish date: August 15, 2015

Discussion: Group Reads

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 9 topics — 106 comments total

Group Reads

* Group Read Selection/Nomination Guidelines
By Danielle The鈥� , Loves 'Em Lethal · 6 posts · 136 views

last updated Dec 19, 2012 08:46AM

* Group Reads to Date
By Danielle The鈥� , Loves 'Em Lethal · 3 posts · 80 views

last updated Jan 06, 2012 03:40PM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jul 29, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-pcs, read-in-2013, hero-is-a-gamma, genre-historical-romance, arc-for-review, arc-net-galley

"Oh, my love," he said softly, "you terrify me."

Oh, the wonderful world of an Anne Stuart novel...

Despite the fact that Stuart's typical ultra gamma hero was lacking a bit in his gamma-ness, this was still a fantastic story. Bryony, the heroine, is in search of the man who killed his father, stole his money, and left his daughters not only destitute, but shunned from society due to the cloud of suspicion hanging over their family name. The Earl of Kilmartyn was his business partner, and due ...more

48 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2013 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: in-disguise, hot-and-steamy-romance, victorian, kindle-book, favorite-or-autobuy-author, reformed-rakes-make-the-best-hubbie, hero-i-want-to-lick, employee-employer-relationship, brothers-and-sisters, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue

Reread on Audiobook Fall 2018:

It was great listening to this on audiobook. Xe Sanders is a lovely narrator, with a talent for female and male voices. She endowed Adrian with all the roguish sensuality that his character emanates. She also captures Briony's mix of no-nonsenseness and vulnerability.

Casting Choices:

Liam McIntyre as Adrian, Lord Kilmartyn

Claire Foy as Bryony Russell

Previous Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is sly, sensual, humorous and firmly ensconced in the p Reread on Audiobook Fall 2018:

It was great listening to this on audiobook. Xe Sanders is a lovely narrator, with a talent for female and male voices. She endowed Adrian with all the roguish sensuality that his character emanates. She also captures Briony's mix of no-nonsenseness and vulnerability.

Casting Choices:

Liam McIntyre as Adrian, Lord Kilmartyn

Claire Foy as Bryony Russell

Previous Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is sly, sensual, humorous and firmly ensconced in the period. Even if I wasn't the biggest Anne Stuart fan on earth, I will still have found this book utterly enchanting.

I was really nervous with the storyline because I hate adultery with a burning passion. I'm happy with how things unfolded. There was no line crossing in this book that I couldn't live with. While Lord Kilmartyn is supposed to be a sleazy rake, I was completely in love with him quite early on in the book. I found him very seductive and I could see why Bryony fell for him, despite being a very sensible young woman. I liked the importance of his Irish heritage to his persona, and how it had gotten him into a shaky situation of late, but defined him in a way that he couldn't turn his back on. I wish that Ms. Stuart had delved more into where his marriage went wrong, but I got the impression that he wanted to be a good husband to his wife at some point, and he loved her, but now he hated her. In some books with the unrepentant, adulterous rake, I question the character's ability to remain faithful to the heroine, but I have no doubt that Kilmartyn would be capable of that with Bryony. His caring for her when she was in need was very touching and showed more than words.

I also loved Bryony as a character. Her pain in feeling unloved and unattractive because of her smallpox scars made sense. While it scarred her self-esteem, she was still a strong-minded person and no fainting flower in the face of her family's recent change in fortunes. I like her pluck and how her natural personality comes out in her interactions with Kilmartyn. I rooted for her to get him, and win him over in a way that didn't cross the line into adultery or illicit affair territory and I was glad Ms. Stuart gave her that happy ending with no compromise in that area.

The secondary characters are a fun addition to the book, with a little bit of the "Upstairs, Downstairs" vibe as Bryony gets engrossed in the world of the servants and they take her in, especially Mrs. Harkins the kindly chef.

I confess I read the last book before this, so I sort of know how it ends, but it didn't spoil things for me. There is still plenty of mystery in the storyline with what happened to Bryony and her sisters' father to keep the story interesting. That is if steamy romance with a soon-to-be reformed rake isn't enough to keep things exciting.

Never Kiss a Rake is a promising start to this newest historical romance series by Ms. Stuart. She brings all the steamy romance and engaging characters that make her books delicious reads for me. I hope to read Never Trust a Pirate very soon. ...more

36 likes · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2014 Beanbag Love rated it really liked it

I had a sudden craving for historical romance and, lo and behold, an Anne Stuart trilogy was advertised on my Kindle. I decided to try it.

Now, I鈥檝e only ever read one other Anne Stuart book, but I do like her writing. I think she creates improbable, but satisfying stories and I figured I鈥檇 be getting something I could at least enjoy for a few days.

I was right, but only just. The premise of the series is that three sisters 鈥� heiresses to a shipping magnate鈥檚 fortune 鈥� are ruined and thrown to the I had a sudden craving for historical romance and, lo and behold, an Anne Stuart trilogy was advertised on my Kindle. I decided to try it.

Now, I鈥檝e only ever read one other Anne Stuart book, but I do like her writing. I think she creates improbable, but satisfying stories and I figured I鈥檇 be getting something I could at least enjoy for a few days.

I was right, but only just. The premise of the series is that three sisters 鈥� heiresses to a shipping magnate鈥檚 fortune 鈥� are ruined and thrown to the mercies of the world because their father supposedly embezzled all the money from his business and then managed to kill himself in a carriage accident while trying to get away. So no one will have anything to do with them and all their money and belongings has been confiscated. The evidence against their father is thin and they want to find out who the real culprit is, restoring their standing in society and clearing their father鈥檚 name.

Good premise, but the use of TSTL behavior on the parts of the heroines (and in some cases the heroes) in order to further the plot was a real problem for me.

In this first book, Never Kiss a Rake, the oldest sister, Bryonny manages to secure a position as housekeeper to the notorious rake, Adrian Bruton, the Earl of Kilmartyn. He鈥檚 a married man and his wife is a lunatic and shrew who sleeps with most men who cross her path and who lives to make Adrian鈥檚 life miserable.

Bryonny has been a recluse since she was 12-years-old due to some leftover pock marks on one side of her face. Other than that, she and her sisters are raving beauties. But Bryonny鈥檚 mother was adamant that Bryonny was hideous because of the scars and no better than a burden. Which, understandable, distorted the young woman鈥檚 view of herself.

The story ends well, but unresolved, which is why you must read the next book. The overriding arc of investigating the three possible villains (according to the sisters) is what ties all the stories together.

It鈥檚 not bad. It鈥檚 Anne Stuart, after all, but I really don鈥檛 like unbelievably stupid behavior as a plot devise. There are so many things that can happen organically if a little bit of thought goes into it, I just don鈥檛 have patience for the making someone a moron even if it鈥檚 just for one scene so the Big Event can happen. It鈥檚 annoying.

I鈥檓 giving this one 4 stars, although it鈥檚 more of a 3.5 鈥� 3.75. I think some of the action could have happened in a more believable manner, but I did like the leads and I was happy for them to end up together. There was some nice dialog and Stuart writes enjoyable love scenes. And since I was craving historical romance at that time, it did hit the spot.
...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2013 Keri rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2010s-read, romance-historical

2.5 Stars. Now going into this review I want to say I have nothing but mad love for Anne Stuart and some of my most treasured books in my collection have her name on them. But I didn鈥檛 love this book and I really wanted to. I didn鈥檛 think that Bryony or Aiden were particularly likable characters. Bryony, more for her attitude about her pox scars and how it affected her perception of herself. I mean, I felt that drug on too long in the book. Aiden, who is married btw, for his part was a one dimen 2.5 Stars. Now going into this review I want to say I have nothing but mad love for Anne Stuart and some of my most treasured books in my collection have her name on them. But I didn鈥檛 love this book and I really wanted to. I didn鈥檛 think that Bryony or Aiden were particularly likable characters. Bryony, more for her attitude about her pox scars and how it affected her perception of herself. I mean, I felt that drug on too long in the book. Aiden, who is married btw, for his part was a one dimensional rake. Through most of the book, he looked at Bryony as nothing more than someone to play games with and good for a tup, because he was a rake and that is what rakes do. Then when he had his epiphany about Bryony鈥檚 dad and what a mentor he was and how honest he was, but prior to that he fully believed that her dad did the deed. Never even gave a thought about his mentor or his three girls. Huh??? I could never understand how two banks folded trying to support this embezzlement scheme, but yet Aiden鈥檚 stock was never affected, but yet he was a partner??? Double huh??? Then his guilt about something that he supported in Ireland, but in the end turned out to cause some deaths. Well were you sending support and help to the families you impacted? I understand feeling guilty, but what were you doing to belay the guilt, just whining about it. Then how his wife blackmailed him into marrying her because of it. I didn't have enough context to be able to get an understanding on how that happened.

Then his dealing with Bryony once he magically put it altogether in his head about who she was. He was constantly back and forth, I should play the good guy, but she is alone and no one will know and I can buy her off 鈥n and on. (This only reinforced that I didn鈥檛 care for him.) The marriage aspect was just a small part of the book and Aiden鈥檚 wife was so darn mean, I wanted to kill her myself. I warmed up to Bryony eventually, but I never bought into to the love angle. It just wasn鈥檛 there for me. Yes, for the most part Aiden did the right thing, but it wasn鈥檛 because he really wanted to. I also hated the paperback format, but that had no impact to my rating. The ending is a bit odd, but this is going to be a story arc that will span all three books, so I expected it. Having said all of this, I still intend to get the next book in the series but I sure hope this was just first book, first series syndrome. ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2021 Juliana Philippa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 0-own-as-an-ebook, hr-hero-early-to-mid-30s, hr-hero-titled, 0-reviewed-short-and-sweet, 3-75-stars, romance, series, romance-series-book-1, hr-heroine-head-of-family, hr-mistaken-identity-impersonation

He didn't have much of a conscience left, but what remained seemed to belong to Bryony.

3.75 stars
Pros:
- main characters
- bantering and chemistry between them
Cons:
- mystery subplot
- some character actions didn't really make sense

鈥淢r. Peach will start work on your bedroom today, and promises he should be finished by Saturday. I will need to make arrangements for an alternative bedroom for you, and I wondered if you have a preference.鈥�

He was shuffling papers absently, like any employer force

...more

Like · see review

Jan 12, 2014 Nisha rated it liked it

Shelves: historicalromance, married, frenemies, rake-player-heroes, dangerous-or-bad-boys, hot-hero-award, disabled

This is a solid 3.5star book. It had all the signs of being different and interesting, but somehow makes a mess of it with mystery murder subplot. It's as if this storyline was added just to get the heroine into the house as the housekeeper, and it was half-heartedly completed to get certain inconvenient people out of the way.

I really enjoyed the hero, and he managed to be unabashedly sexy and gamma-hero like. Byrony, was a contradiction and her motives however explained didn't feel legit. I'm n ...more

Like · see review