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The Blue Raven #4
If I Fall
Every great romance comes with a risk...
After a duke's betrayal, the resilient Sarah Forrester reinvents herself as the Golden Lady: society's leading light, the beautiful and witty life of the party. It's all a façade of course—one that protects her from another intimate disloyalty. When her old friend, Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher, returns to London, he is determined to rediscover the true and trusting Sarah he once knew. It'll take more than a kiss and a promise. It might even call for an innocent and necessary deception.
Then Jackson is enlisted to help capture the lead suspect in a murder—a man who happens to be Sarah's most ardent suitor. Jack must continue the deception, and weathering this newest and gravest betrayal will be Sarah's ultimate test. But as Jack's passion for her grows, he must also reveal his own secrets. And as the killer turns his attention to his pursuers, more than love and trust is put at risk.
After a duke's betrayal, the resilient Sarah Forrester reinvents herself as the Golden Lady: society's leading light, the beautiful and witty life of the party. It's all a façade of course—one that protects her from another intimate disloyalty. When her old friend, Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher, returns to London, he is determined to rediscover the true and trusting Sarah he once knew. It'll take more than a kiss and a promise. It might even call for an innocent and necessary deception.
Then Jackson is enlisted to help capture the lead suspect in a murder—a man who happens to be Sarah's most ardent suitor. Jack must continue the deception, and weathering this newest and gravest betrayal will be Sarah's ultimate test. But as Jack's passion for her grows, he must also reveal his own secrets. And as the killer turns his attention to his pursuers, more than love and trust is put at risk.
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
19 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Kate Noble
27Ìýbooks495Ìýfollowersaka
Kate Rorick
Kate Noble is the national bestselling, RITA-nominated author of historical romances, including the acclaimed Blue Raven series and the Winner Takes All series. Her books have earned her numerous accolades, including comparisons to Jane Austen, which just makes her giddy.
In her other life as , she is an Emmy-award winning writer of television and web series, having written for NBC, FOX, and TNT, as well as the international hit YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Kate lives in Los Angeles with her family, and is hard at work on her next book.
Kate Rorick
Kate Noble is the national bestselling, RITA-nominated author of historical romances, including the acclaimed Blue Raven series and the Winner Takes All series. Her books have earned her numerous accolades, including comparisons to Jane Austen, which just makes her giddy.
In her other life as , she is an Emmy-award winning writer of television and web series, having written for NBC, FOX, and TNT, as well as the international hit YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Kate lives in Los Angeles with her family, and is hard at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 4, 2014
Well, that was unfortunate. The story has potential, and I've liked Kate Noble's books in the past. Somehow, this was all squandered by what I can only assume was a total breakdown in the copy-editing room. Holy fucking shit. At moments, I felt like I was reading one of the self-pubbed new adults I love to loathe. This is not okay, Berkley Sensation. I spent $5.99 on this book. Edit your fucking books. Edit them correctly. Edit them NOW.
I knew something funky was up when I noticed misplaced commas littering the text. The commas, would just insert, themselves into sentences, where they didn't, belong. (<-- an exaggerated illustration) Even worse, Noble's voice was horribly distorted in parts - repetition, awkward phrasing, incorrect word choices. At one point, "per say" is used instead of "per se." -___- The story even seems disjointed at times, like it was left after the first draft with a hapless shrug and a mumbled, "That'll do."
No, that WON'T do. I don't even know if I entirely blame Noble. For a first draft, it's still pretty damn good. But this is a traditionally published book. People get PAID to edit these things. I'm sorry, but if I'm going to hold the self-pubs to a professional standard, then I'm holding this one to it as well.
The only thing that kept me reading was the beta hero. BAVR loves betas. The heroine, Sarah, did grow on me after awhile, but her behavior in the first part of the book was a little too off-putting. Oh, well. I'll probably try another Noble book in the future, but my next one will be from the library.
I love getting this new year off to a grumpy start. :P
I knew something funky was up when I noticed misplaced commas littering the text. The commas, would just insert, themselves into sentences, where they didn't, belong. (<-- an exaggerated illustration) Even worse, Noble's voice was horribly distorted in parts - repetition, awkward phrasing, incorrect word choices. At one point, "per say" is used instead of "per se." -___- The story even seems disjointed at times, like it was left after the first draft with a hapless shrug and a mumbled, "That'll do."
No, that WON'T do. I don't even know if I entirely blame Noble. For a first draft, it's still pretty damn good. But this is a traditionally published book. People get PAID to edit these things. I'm sorry, but if I'm going to hold the self-pubs to a professional standard, then I'm holding this one to it as well.
The only thing that kept me reading was the beta hero. BAVR loves betas. The heroine, Sarah, did grow on me after awhile, but her behavior in the first part of the book was a little too off-putting. Oh, well. I'll probably try another Noble book in the future, but my next one will be from the library.
I love getting this new year off to a grumpy start. :P
April 7, 2012
I love Kate Noble but not this book.
It just never grabbed me and sucked me in like her others. I found Sarah very off-putting and Jack's attraction to her was baffling. The sexual and romantic tension so well done in her other books was virtually non-existent in this book. Lots of characters from previous books were present, probably too much so. They overwhelmed the romance that I hoped to find. The suspense-spy-action scenes were hard to follow and not interesting. I found myself skimming much of it toward the end.
Noble can write fantastic historical romance so one dud in the bunch is forgivable. She will remain an auto-buy for me.
It just never grabbed me and sucked me in like her others. I found Sarah very off-putting and Jack's attraction to her was baffling. The sexual and romantic tension so well done in her other books was virtually non-existent in this book. Lots of characters from previous books were present, probably too much so. They overwhelmed the romance that I hoped to find. The suspense-spy-action scenes were hard to follow and not interesting. I found myself skimming much of it toward the end.
Noble can write fantastic historical romance so one dud in the bunch is forgivable. She will remain an auto-buy for me.
February 11, 2018
An enjoyable HR with likeable characters and a truly sweet hero.
May 11, 2013
If I Fall is a regency romance with a bit of mystery and espionage thrown in! Written by Kate Noble, who also writes under the name Kate Rorick for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (If you haven't watch these, you need to!)
Humiliated, Sarah Forrester tries to face the Ton with as much dignity as she can, but it’s just too much. She knows what the gossips are saying. Since Jason, The Duke of Rayne, broke off their engagement she's been known as “The Girl Who Lost the Duke�. But as quickly as they can turn against you, they can be turned around. With Lady Worth's guidance that's just what happens, and soon she becomes known as “The Golden Girl�.
When Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher returns to town, he’s not happy with this new Sarah. So he derives a plan to bring "The Golden Girl" down from the pedestal she’s on and back to being the Sarah he used to know by masquerading as “The Black Raven�. This plan leads them both into a world of murder and espionage. As Jack and Sarah try to find the murderer, will they find love in the process? Will Sarah forgive Jack for his deception when she finds out who he really is?
I did have a hard time getting into the story at first. (Which might have been my own fault, due to being too tired to read.) I was almost half way through before I got hooked, but then it really took off! I couldn't put it down. It had me on the edge of my seat and had a nice twist at the end.
I really enjoyed this story. This is the fifth in a series, and is the first I've read. It can be read as a stand alone.
Humiliated, Sarah Forrester tries to face the Ton with as much dignity as she can, but it’s just too much. She knows what the gossips are saying. Since Jason, The Duke of Rayne, broke off their engagement she's been known as “The Girl Who Lost the Duke�. But as quickly as they can turn against you, they can be turned around. With Lady Worth's guidance that's just what happens, and soon she becomes known as “The Golden Girl�.
When Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher returns to town, he’s not happy with this new Sarah. So he derives a plan to bring "The Golden Girl" down from the pedestal she’s on and back to being the Sarah he used to know by masquerading as “The Black Raven�. This plan leads them both into a world of murder and espionage. As Jack and Sarah try to find the murderer, will they find love in the process? Will Sarah forgive Jack for his deception when she finds out who he really is?
I did have a hard time getting into the story at first. (Which might have been my own fault, due to being too tired to read.) I was almost half way through before I got hooked, but then it really took off! I couldn't put it down. It had me on the edge of my seat and had a nice twist at the end.
I really enjoyed this story. This is the fifth in a series, and is the first I've read. It can be read as a stand alone.
January 14, 2025
Nowhere as good as the rest of the series unfortunately
December 25, 2015
On the evening of her betrothal party, the duke Miss Sarah Forrester is set to marry, confesses that he is in love with another. Sarah is instantly named "the girl who lost a Duke" in society and prepares to become a complete social outcast. However, one of the leading ladies in society advises her to reinvent herself, and soon Sarah is known as "The Golden Lady", the glittering, carefree toast of the town. Not everyone is as happy about her drastic changes, though.
Sarah's childhood friend Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher is back in London as the ship he was serving on is too old to sail any longer. While he cools his heels, living with the Forresters, waiting to find out the final fate of his ship, he also determines to breach Sarah's glittering facade and see if there are any traces left of the trusting and adventurous girl he once knew. A truly outrageous scheme involving costumes, lurking in a cupboard and assumed identities leads to a passionate kiss, as well as Jackson being recruited to help solve a high-profile murder. The last thing he wants to do is keep secrets from Sarah, as secrets were what broke up her engagement with the Duke.
This was my first romance by , and I must admit, it was a bit of a hot mess. There were so many different story beats, and it seemed difficult to pin down what the story really wanted to be. There was Sarah's transformation to society "Mean Girl" in order to mask her heartbreak. There was Jackson's struggle to acknowledge that life as he'd known it might be over, and he'd have to get used to a civilian life. There was the preposterous scheme Jack hatched to re-awaken Sarah's sense of fun, which amounted to him disguising himself as "The Blue Raven", a masked spy having worked against the French during the Napoleonic wars, basically Sarah's childhood hero. Then there was the plot to uncover a murderer, which both Sarah and Jack eventually got involved in. Too many things happening, none of which felt like they were really properly committed to.
It didn't help that I couldn't really connect with Sarah. I felt bad that she was jilted, but she clearly didn't love her Duke all that much anyway. The social disgrace and fact that she was no longer going to be comfortably settled seemed to be more hurtful than the fact that her fiancee loved another. "The Golden Lady" is a self-centred bitch and I can't fault Jackson for wanting to make her stop being so dismissive of her sisters and behave better. What I couldn't really see was why he was so determined to "break her cover" or why he fell in love with her. Even when she admits that she behaved badly, she's still not very interesting.
From this book, I learned that after the Napoleonic wars, a huge number of naval officers in England were left without positions, as there simply weren't enough ships for them to serve on. I just didn't particularly care. Then there was the dumb scheme of Jack's, that turned into an elaborate murder investigation and the romance seemed to almost be forgotten.
I've bought a whole bunch of books in e-book sales in the past few years, so at some point I'm obviously going to read them. This is not the first book in the Blue Raven series. I started with this one because it fit in my . One of the books in the series is about Sarah's younger sister, whose hurt that her older sister is completely ruining her first season, and as I liked and sympathised with her a lot more than with the protagonists, I'm hoping that other Noble books engage me more than this one.
Sarah's childhood friend Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher is back in London as the ship he was serving on is too old to sail any longer. While he cools his heels, living with the Forresters, waiting to find out the final fate of his ship, he also determines to breach Sarah's glittering facade and see if there are any traces left of the trusting and adventurous girl he once knew. A truly outrageous scheme involving costumes, lurking in a cupboard and assumed identities leads to a passionate kiss, as well as Jackson being recruited to help solve a high-profile murder. The last thing he wants to do is keep secrets from Sarah, as secrets were what broke up her engagement with the Duke.
This was my first romance by , and I must admit, it was a bit of a hot mess. There were so many different story beats, and it seemed difficult to pin down what the story really wanted to be. There was Sarah's transformation to society "Mean Girl" in order to mask her heartbreak. There was Jackson's struggle to acknowledge that life as he'd known it might be over, and he'd have to get used to a civilian life. There was the preposterous scheme Jack hatched to re-awaken Sarah's sense of fun, which amounted to him disguising himself as "The Blue Raven", a masked spy having worked against the French during the Napoleonic wars, basically Sarah's childhood hero. Then there was the plot to uncover a murderer, which both Sarah and Jack eventually got involved in. Too many things happening, none of which felt like they were really properly committed to.
It didn't help that I couldn't really connect with Sarah. I felt bad that she was jilted, but she clearly didn't love her Duke all that much anyway. The social disgrace and fact that she was no longer going to be comfortably settled seemed to be more hurtful than the fact that her fiancee loved another. "The Golden Lady" is a self-centred bitch and I can't fault Jackson for wanting to make her stop being so dismissive of her sisters and behave better. What I couldn't really see was why he was so determined to "break her cover" or why he fell in love with her. Even when she admits that she behaved badly, she's still not very interesting.
From this book, I learned that after the Napoleonic wars, a huge number of naval officers in England were left without positions, as there simply weren't enough ships for them to serve on. I just didn't particularly care. Then there was the dumb scheme of Jack's, that turned into an elaborate murder investigation and the romance seemed to almost be forgotten.
I've bought a whole bunch of books in e-book sales in the past few years, so at some point I'm obviously going to read them. This is not the first book in the Blue Raven series. I started with this one because it fit in my . One of the books in the series is about Sarah's younger sister, whose hurt that her older sister is completely ruining her first season, and as I liked and sympathised with her a lot more than with the protagonists, I'm hoping that other Noble books engage me more than this one.
Read
July 18, 2018A sweet friends-to-lovers story mixed with a bit of espionage adventure. Noble does a great job, as always, with building nuances into her character's feelings and actions, her espionage plot is above average (if still not too complicated nor too difficult to guess the secrets and mysteries) and embedded into Real! Life! History!, and she makes smart decisions in writing a masked caper: namely, the character trying to pull off an assumed identity knows it's ridiculous and he's doing it for the wrong reasons, but then things get out of hand). Friends-to-lovers is my favorite romance plot, so I was super excited for this aspect, as well as the navy stuff (what, I love ships and sailing), and I really loved the unique way that the childhoods of Sarah and Jack intertwined.
I also enjoyed the story's thematic work with identity. Both Sarah and Jack had to deal with losing, and changing, what other people thought of them and how that affected what they thought of themselves. Whether it was Sarah trying to be the Golden Lady (and not the Girl Who Lost a Duke), or Jack dealing with no longer being with the navy and yet getting snide looks from the ton in regard to his career, the idea of how to be who you were, knowing who that was, and dealing with who other people wanted you to be, that was all well-done. The additional layer of assuming the identity of the Blue Raven added a lot of extra fun, and I didn't realize how much I missed the Blue Raven intrigue aspect of Noble's series, and I liked where this book took that angle.
On the downside, the book started off slowly, and I'm not really a fan of Philippa (sorry! she's my least favorite of Noble's heroines!), so her presence and orchestration of Sarah's rise to the top of the ton was a bit tedious and unappealing to me. On the other hand, speaking of returning characters, Marcus has a lot to do here, was murdered omg and there were plot consequences, and there was a nice scene with Byrne hitting multiple shady characters over the head with his cane. I love that guy. I also liked the quiet implied reference to his addiction (a reference that was for the readers, since it went over the main character's head) and that it was something he was still dealing with, because that's reeeeeally true to life. See, I like the sense of realism that pervades Noble's books, knowing that a HEA for these characters doesn't mean that everything is rainbows and roses, but it does mean that they're in love and committed to their partners. I kind of love that the returning characters do things like argue really angrily (Philippa and Marcus, and I totally think Philippa was in the right).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I have a hard time describing the tone of Noble's books; they're not quite on the fluffier side of historical romances, despite having a good sense of humor, and they're not particularly steamy or steadily sexy, though I think the characters have interesting romantic dynamics. I think they're very character-driven books despite (for the most part) also being very embedded in espionage and political suspense plots. So. It's a mixture that succeeds for me, but I can see it not working for other readers.
I also enjoyed the story's thematic work with identity. Both Sarah and Jack had to deal with losing, and changing, what other people thought of them and how that affected what they thought of themselves. Whether it was Sarah trying to be the Golden Lady (and not the Girl Who Lost a Duke), or Jack dealing with no longer being with the navy and yet getting snide looks from the ton in regard to his career, the idea of how to be who you were, knowing who that was, and dealing with who other people wanted you to be, that was all well-done. The additional layer of assuming the identity of the Blue Raven added a lot of extra fun, and I didn't realize how much I missed the Blue Raven intrigue aspect of Noble's series, and I liked where this book took that angle.
On the downside, the book started off slowly, and I'm not really a fan of Philippa (sorry! she's my least favorite of Noble's heroines!), so her presence and orchestration of Sarah's rise to the top of the ton was a bit tedious and unappealing to me. On the other hand, speaking of returning characters, Marcus has a lot to do here, was murdered omg and there were plot consequences, and there was a nice scene with Byrne hitting multiple shady characters over the head with his cane. I love that guy. I also liked the quiet implied reference to his addiction (a reference that was for the readers, since it went over the main character's head) and that it was something he was still dealing with, because that's reeeeeally true to life. See, I like the sense of realism that pervades Noble's books, knowing that a HEA for these characters doesn't mean that everything is rainbows and roses, but it does mean that they're in love and committed to their partners. I kind of love that the returning characters do things like argue really angrily (Philippa and Marcus, and I totally think Philippa was in the right).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I have a hard time describing the tone of Noble's books; they're not quite on the fluffier side of historical romances, despite having a good sense of humor, and they're not particularly steamy or steadily sexy, though I think the characters have interesting romantic dynamics. I think they're very character-driven books despite (for the most part) also being very embedded in espionage and political suspense plots. So. It's a mixture that succeeds for me, but I can see it not working for other readers.
March 3, 2013
I'm new to this author and didn't realize If I fall was the fourth book in a series. It was on offer on Amazon and I bought it.
I wonder if reading the other three books would have meant I'd stick with this book. I'm not sure, as the plot seems self-contained. Maybe the affection for previous characters would have compelled me to keep going on.
As it is, I couldn't stomach past 30%. Nothing in this story makes sense. I understand how she became a "viper" (she's not really, but she's a queen bee). I could not buy what the hell his problem was. If I met a childhood friend, I would be sorry if she had become jaded. I would not stage a war on this. There's no rhyme nor reason to his behaviour.
(And sorry Ms Nobel but I honestly think that a childhood friendship is an oxymoron. A friend is what you get when you grow up and face life. S/he is the person that stayed with you through difficult times. They are not the children that played with you. Not really, even if we remember them with affection...)
When after a fight, he starts behaving as a child so she can remember their childhood, I went banana and deleted the book.
I really can not stand a character (from the military moreover) playing children games and stumbling in a theatre closet so he can assume the part of a pirate/spy...
I can't stomach women who become dumb when interested in a man, why should I accept the same for a man? Above all, as I said, because he had no frigging reason to do so. He wasn't a friend, he wasn't in love with her. Yes, he has plenty of time and no future, would this be an explanation enough? Nope.
The pace doesn't help. It so slow that nothing happens outside a broken engagement (prologue) and the conquest of the ton (30% of the book...), and well yes his arrival in town (wow). I do not know it it ever becomes more interesting. I doubt it.
Megan loved it, though.
I wonder if reading the other three books would have meant I'd stick with this book. I'm not sure, as the plot seems self-contained. Maybe the affection for previous characters would have compelled me to keep going on.
As it is, I couldn't stomach past 30%. Nothing in this story makes sense. I understand how she became a "viper" (she's not really, but she's a queen bee). I could not buy what the hell his problem was. If I met a childhood friend, I would be sorry if she had become jaded. I would not stage a war on this. There's no rhyme nor reason to his behaviour.
(And sorry Ms Nobel but I honestly think that a childhood friendship is an oxymoron. A friend is what you get when you grow up and face life. S/he is the person that stayed with you through difficult times. They are not the children that played with you. Not really, even if we remember them with affection...)
When after a fight, he starts behaving as a child so she can remember their childhood, I went banana and deleted the book.
I really can not stand a character (from the military moreover) playing children games and stumbling in a theatre closet so he can assume the part of a pirate/spy...
I can't stomach women who become dumb when interested in a man, why should I accept the same for a man? Above all, as I said, because he had no frigging reason to do so. He wasn't a friend, he wasn't in love with her. Yes, he has plenty of time and no future, would this be an explanation enough? Nope.
The pace doesn't help. It so slow that nothing happens outside a broken engagement (prologue) and the conquest of the ton (30% of the book...), and well yes his arrival in town (wow). I do not know it it ever becomes more interesting. I doubt it.
Megan loved it, though.
April 26, 2013
I'm not sure how this book ended up on my holds shelf at the library, but it did, so here I am reading it.
Turns out this is #4 in a series. I'm thinking it would have been better to start with #1. And, seeing as how I'm finding myself completely charmed by this book, I do believe I'm going to go find #1!
Sarah and Jack are childhood friends who have lost touch for the past six (or was it nine? doesn't matter) years - (he's been on board ship as Lieutenant for the Navy during the Napoleonic war) and they reconnect. This plot has been used many times before, sure, but this time it felt more real. Instead of cute little anecdotes, this felt believable. Even more unusual, Sarah and Jack do not feel an immediate attraction to each other. Their relationship grows naturally, their clashes and misunderstandings are believable (well, I thought they were anyway - yes, he is a jerk when he thinks he knows what's best, but people really ARE jerks sometimes, and he realizes it, and apologizes).
On the other hand, this book never GRABBED me and never inspired me to stay up way too late reading - I've had a lot of other things going on lately, and by the end of the day I'm exhausted. So, not 5 stars from me, but I think that may be more caused by my own life than by any failings of the book.
Or maybe it's just that the wrap up to the mystery was so PREDICTABLE. Ugh.
Turns out this is #4 in a series. I'm thinking it would have been better to start with #1. And, seeing as how I'm finding myself completely charmed by this book, I do believe I'm going to go find #1!
Sarah and Jack are childhood friends who have lost touch for the past six (or was it nine? doesn't matter) years - (he's been on board ship as Lieutenant for the Navy during the Napoleonic war) and they reconnect. This plot has been used many times before, sure, but this time it felt more real. Instead of cute little anecdotes, this felt believable. Even more unusual, Sarah and Jack do not feel an immediate attraction to each other. Their relationship grows naturally, their clashes and misunderstandings are believable (well, I thought they were anyway - yes, he is a jerk when he thinks he knows what's best, but people really ARE jerks sometimes, and he realizes it, and apologizes).
On the other hand, this book never GRABBED me and never inspired me to stay up way too late reading - I've had a lot of other things going on lately, and by the end of the day I'm exhausted. So, not 5 stars from me, but I think that may be more caused by my own life than by any failings of the book.
Or maybe it's just that the wrap up to the mystery was so PREDICTABLE. Ugh.
abandoned
February 11, 2014My time ran out and the book was zapped back to digital library land last night. Boring, boring boring, but I really was lost when the hero had to face a bunch of men waiting around the heroine's front door and they were referred to as the .
Life's too short, moving on.
Life's too short, moving on.
April 11, 2012
Despite some excellent writing, the characters felt very one-dimensional. There was a lot of potential for emotional depth that was never realized. I just wish I had liked this more, since I enjoyed many of her previous books.
September 15, 2022
Somehow I skipped this one and read book 5. Whoooops. I did promise to backtrack and read this one since it should be read before you read book 5.
Here we follow Sarah and Jackson. Sarah reinvents herself after the duke's betrayal. She becomes the Golden Lady. She is society's leading light and the life of the party. It is all fake though. Jackson returns to London and reunites with Sarah and her family. He had pretty much grown up and been raised by them. He is determined the true Sarah and bring her back to the light. It might even call for an innocent and necessary deception. In the meantime, Jackson is enlisted to help capture the lead suspect in a murder...the same man who happens to be an ardent suitor for Sarah's hand. Jack must continue the deception and put Sarah to the test.
Poor Sarah. The Duke's betrayal really hurt her emotionally and her reputation. She was known as the Girl Who Lost a Duke. I don't blame her AT all for reinventing herself. It was the only way to survive the ton and move on with her life. Maybe find a guy who won't betray her.
In comes Jackson. I simply loved how he could so easily see past her mask. I get WHY he wanted to try and force the real Sarah out, but I don't think he was being fair with what he did. He didn't even try to understand WHY Sarah was faking it until she could make it. He finally does understand (no spoiler...that is just how HR works) and he feels like crude. GOOD. You should.
Oooo I loved seeing Marcus and Philippa again! They were from the first book. Philippa is called in to help Sarah get back on her feet and trick society. It was wonderful seeing them again. And then there is Marcus who pulls Sarah and Jackson into the fray to solve the murder and some more dangerous stuff. No spoilers from me ;)
The mystery was fantastic. The baddie was fantastic. TOTALLY didn't see it coming. Like Sarah I was all "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA?". Super good.
Now...I will say I was bored here and there. It seemed to take forever for things to actually happen. Some parts needed to be shortened or more drama added? But yes, I even sped up the audio through those parts to just get through the lulls.
I did do the audio of this. Which worked well. The narrator is fantastic! I believe she did book 5.
In the end, there were a few lulls, but I did enjoy this. Loved our new characters and seeing a couple oldies show up. The mystery and the baddie reveal blew me away. I'll stamp this with 3 stars.
Here we follow Sarah and Jackson. Sarah reinvents herself after the duke's betrayal. She becomes the Golden Lady. She is society's leading light and the life of the party. It is all fake though. Jackson returns to London and reunites with Sarah and her family. He had pretty much grown up and been raised by them. He is determined the true Sarah and bring her back to the light. It might even call for an innocent and necessary deception. In the meantime, Jackson is enlisted to help capture the lead suspect in a murder...the same man who happens to be an ardent suitor for Sarah's hand. Jack must continue the deception and put Sarah to the test.
Poor Sarah. The Duke's betrayal really hurt her emotionally and her reputation. She was known as the Girl Who Lost a Duke. I don't blame her AT all for reinventing herself. It was the only way to survive the ton and move on with her life. Maybe find a guy who won't betray her.
In comes Jackson. I simply loved how he could so easily see past her mask. I get WHY he wanted to try and force the real Sarah out, but I don't think he was being fair with what he did. He didn't even try to understand WHY Sarah was faking it until she could make it. He finally does understand (no spoiler...that is just how HR works) and he feels like crude. GOOD. You should.
Oooo I loved seeing Marcus and Philippa again! They were from the first book. Philippa is called in to help Sarah get back on her feet and trick society. It was wonderful seeing them again. And then there is Marcus who pulls Sarah and Jackson into the fray to solve the murder and some more dangerous stuff. No spoilers from me ;)
The mystery was fantastic. The baddie was fantastic. TOTALLY didn't see it coming. Like Sarah I was all "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA?". Super good.
Now...I will say I was bored here and there. It seemed to take forever for things to actually happen. Some parts needed to be shortened or more drama added? But yes, I even sped up the audio through those parts to just get through the lulls.
I did do the audio of this. Which worked well. The narrator is fantastic! I believe she did book 5.
In the end, there were a few lulls, but I did enjoy this. Loved our new characters and seeing a couple oldies show up. The mystery and the baddie reveal blew me away. I'll stamp this with 3 stars.
December 5, 2023
This book took FOR-EV-UR to get going.
Like, the first half of the book, I'm like, "Is this the entire plot of the story?!"
Right around the 50% mark it picks up quite a bit, hence the 4-stars (I was at a solid 3-star up to this point), and the plot really starts to take shape. I loved Jack's deception with Sarah and how that all played out. Definitely went "M. Night Shylaman" in the 3rd act conflict and everything unraveled and it was NOT the way that I was thinking it was going to go. Everyone's "roles" become VERY clearly defined by that point.
They said that Byrne (Blue Raven) had a struggle that he had a hard time dealing with, if he was not around his wife and children. That threw me for a bit of a loop, because it's not really discussed in other books. Sex addiction? Gambling? Alcoholism? That was kind of a puzzle.
All in all, it's aiight. The book before is DEFINITELY better.
Like, the first half of the book, I'm like, "Is this the entire plot of the story?!"
Right around the 50% mark it picks up quite a bit, hence the 4-stars (I was at a solid 3-star up to this point), and the plot really starts to take shape. I loved Jack's deception with Sarah and how that all played out. Definitely went "M. Night Shylaman" in the 3rd act conflict and everything unraveled and it was NOT the way that I was thinking it was going to go. Everyone's "roles" become VERY clearly defined by that point.
They said that Byrne (Blue Raven) had a struggle that he had a hard time dealing with, if he was not around his wife and children. That threw me for a bit of a loop, because it's not really discussed in other books. Sex addiction? Gambling? Alcoholism? That was kind of a puzzle.
All in all, it's aiight. The book before is DEFINITELY better.
February 18, 2018
Probably my least favorite of this Blue Raven series- but still such a damn good read that even it being the last still makes it better than a lot of other romances out there. Sarah was just a little too boring for me, her sisters were always so much more interesting. But her romance with a childhood friend turned Naval hero is my kind of catnip and I made sure to lap this story straight up!
The entire series is full of wit and humor. Our heroines are sensual and powerful- smart, no-nonsense women who make the knees of our flawed heroes buckle until they're realizing the error of their ways and clambering to show our heroines their true colors. They're such fun reads and should be read, in any order, by everybody who loves romance!
The entire series is full of wit and humor. Our heroines are sensual and powerful- smart, no-nonsense women who make the knees of our flawed heroes buckle until they're realizing the error of their ways and clambering to show our heroines their true colors. They're such fun reads and should be read, in any order, by everybody who loves romance!
October 11, 2020
I am plowing through this series from audible plus. Each of these books start off slowly with a not particularly likeable heroine who then grows on me. Sarah, the jilted girl from the previous book has become the Golden girl of the season, coached by Philippa from the first book. Our hero, Lieutenant Jack Fletcher comes home after 9 years at sea to discover his childhood friend has turned into a cold person. He wants to see the "old" Sarah of his childhood memories. His way of doing this is to pretend to be the blue raven, which leads to all kinds of fun complications.
May 14, 2017
I wish I had read these in order! After reading of Sarah's heartbreak and misery (leading to her reinventing herself as The Golden Lady), I don't want to read about Jason's HEA (since he is the one who broke her heart).
Maybe someday, I'll want to read his story, if only to make sure he isn't quite the blackguard I make him out to be.
Besides, I have a thing about finishing series ... and I want to read Philippa's, Byrne's, and Bridget's stories, too.
Maybe someday, I'll want to read his story, if only to make sure he isn't quite the blackguard I make him out to be.
Besides, I have a thing about finishing series ... and I want to read Philippa's, Byrne's, and Bridget's stories, too.
August 30, 2018
The weakest in an admittedly flawless series. I was glad we got to know Sarah and her family. They are really delightful.
The love interest was kind of blah, but some blue raven stuff with The Worths really gave this book a shot in the pants. The last star is only for the sheer amount of time we get to spend with the Worths and their unusual relationship.
The love interest was kind of blah, but some blue raven stuff with The Worths really gave this book a shot in the pants. The last star is only for the sheer amount of time we get to spend with the Worths and their unusual relationship.
December 14, 2017
Good but not amazing. While I'm happy they followed the story of Sarah. I also really liked that they had a lot more interaction with the previous sets of couples and characters in this as well. The romance was a little less enthralling than some of the others but still the story was pretty good.
January 26, 2022
I can't get enough stories that bring friends together as lovers! This one did not disappoint me in that regard. I like that it tied back in with the first two novels by bringing the Blue Raven back into the picture in a way.
June 27, 2020
x-rated. Funny lines and situations. Scary spies in danger. The retired Raven returns to help Jack and Sarah unmask a traitor. Typos:
15.19 council IS counsel
2.11 who felt IS who fell
15.19 council IS counsel
2.11 who felt IS who fell
June 28, 2020
Great suspense, humor, romance, spy story!
April 23, 2021
Even though it has a lot of action and adventure it is mostly romance and relationships.
Read
May 12, 2021This was fine, but yet another book in this series that doesn’t live up to the second one. The premise of this one was also truly ridiculous.
December 17, 2021
Not bad.
February 9, 2022
It was ok
February 23, 2018
I was sure that I read this, but I couldn't remember a thing about it. So I pucked it up and was about 20% of the way in before I could be sure that I did read it a few years ago. I still don't remember what happened, but I figure if it wasn't worth remembering it's not worth rereading. On the flip side, I don't remember hating it... I'm leaning towards slight sneer "meh?"
August 18, 2016
To begin this review we must first set the scene and take a step back to the final chapters of the previous book Follow My Lead. At the close of that story, the hero Jason finally understands his true feelings for the heroine Winifred, running off from a ball to declare his love. Sadly, the ball he abruptly left is his own engagement ball, and at the same time that Jason and Winifred are about to start their lives together there is one person that was left with her own heart breaking: Sarah Forrester, Jason’s fiancé. And so the curtain rises on the next act of Kate Nobel’s Blue Raven series with the book If I Fall, giving us the opportunity to see what happened to Sarah after she looses her Duke.
Sarah had done everything correct in her engagement to Jason. She was open with him, allowed him his pursuits, and looked forward to starting her life in earnest. When the engagement is broken she finds herself emotionally lost, slowly trying to rebuild her identity in the ton. Sarah is given the strength and means to survive by a sudden friendship with Lady Phillippa Worth (heroine of the previous book Revealed), who advises Sarah to never allow the ton to know her true self. With that sage wisdom, Sarah reinvents herself into The Golden Lady of London, the woman who sets the trends, knows all of society, who every woman wants to be and every man wants to be with.
Enter onto the stage Jackson Fletcher, an old family friend of Sarah and her sisters, who has returned from a nine-year tour serving the Royal Navy. His ship has returned to London to be assessed by the War Department for possible decommission, his own Lieutenant commission depends on being redeployed to another ship of the fleet, and his youthful quest for adventure has been tempered by maturity. He is a man who is reluctant to face the questions of “What next?� Upon his return to meet the Forrester family he is shocked to see how closed off Sarah has become from the girl he had been so close to. She is cold in her remarks, distant in her relations, never letting him see the light of her personality. Not believing that Sarah could have changed so dramatically from one woman to another, it becomes his quest to break through her façade.
To execute his plan, Jack uses his intimate knowledge of Sarah’s past infatuations to impersonate the legendary Blue Raven, super spy for England during the Napoleonic Wars. Within this fantasy Jack creates for Sarah, she does allow the walls to slowly fall around her, getting the two of them closer than either ever expected. Unfortunately reality can sometimes intrude into fantasy, and Jack is slowly pulled in a direction that could cost him this new relationship with Sarah and destroy any chance of him being with her as himself.
What is wonderful about this story is that the love between the two characters has always been there since they were children. Initially it was a bond of friendship and the closeness of family, maturing into a teenage fascination that was arrested when Jackson deployed for military service. When they meet again as adults, with so many layers of life experiences covering that emotion, it takes time and a few misunderstandings for them to rediscover it. Sarah had been terribly hurt by her fiancés betrayal, so trusting anyone with her heart is too frightening to comprehend. She can’t go through that hurt again or it would destroy the woman she has become. Jackson too is reluctant to look at his own life to see that one chapter of it has come to an end but there can be many more adventures ahead of him if he takes a chance at life. By the end of the story, each character has faced down the demons of their past to let the other person see what light truly exists inside of them. All walls have fallen, all masks are removed, and Sarah and Jackson are left with the truth of their love for one another.
Sarah had done everything correct in her engagement to Jason. She was open with him, allowed him his pursuits, and looked forward to starting her life in earnest. When the engagement is broken she finds herself emotionally lost, slowly trying to rebuild her identity in the ton. Sarah is given the strength and means to survive by a sudden friendship with Lady Phillippa Worth (heroine of the previous book Revealed), who advises Sarah to never allow the ton to know her true self. With that sage wisdom, Sarah reinvents herself into The Golden Lady of London, the woman who sets the trends, knows all of society, who every woman wants to be and every man wants to be with.
Enter onto the stage Jackson Fletcher, an old family friend of Sarah and her sisters, who has returned from a nine-year tour serving the Royal Navy. His ship has returned to London to be assessed by the War Department for possible decommission, his own Lieutenant commission depends on being redeployed to another ship of the fleet, and his youthful quest for adventure has been tempered by maturity. He is a man who is reluctant to face the questions of “What next?� Upon his return to meet the Forrester family he is shocked to see how closed off Sarah has become from the girl he had been so close to. She is cold in her remarks, distant in her relations, never letting him see the light of her personality. Not believing that Sarah could have changed so dramatically from one woman to another, it becomes his quest to break through her façade.
To execute his plan, Jack uses his intimate knowledge of Sarah’s past infatuations to impersonate the legendary Blue Raven, super spy for England during the Napoleonic Wars. Within this fantasy Jack creates for Sarah, she does allow the walls to slowly fall around her, getting the two of them closer than either ever expected. Unfortunately reality can sometimes intrude into fantasy, and Jack is slowly pulled in a direction that could cost him this new relationship with Sarah and destroy any chance of him being with her as himself.
What is wonderful about this story is that the love between the two characters has always been there since they were children. Initially it was a bond of friendship and the closeness of family, maturing into a teenage fascination that was arrested when Jackson deployed for military service. When they meet again as adults, with so many layers of life experiences covering that emotion, it takes time and a few misunderstandings for them to rediscover it. Sarah had been terribly hurt by her fiancés betrayal, so trusting anyone with her heart is too frightening to comprehend. She can’t go through that hurt again or it would destroy the woman she has become. Jackson too is reluctant to look at his own life to see that one chapter of it has come to an end but there can be many more adventures ahead of him if he takes a chance at life. By the end of the story, each character has faced down the demons of their past to let the other person see what light truly exists inside of them. All walls have fallen, all masks are removed, and Sarah and Jackson are left with the truth of their love for one another.
January 27, 2016
Well, not every Kate Noble book can be a gem.
After the sparkling excellence of Follow My Lead, If I Fall was a disappointment. While the two leads, Sarah Forrester and Jackson Fletcher, admittedly struggle to discover who they are, Noble didn't seem to know who they were either. Sarah in particular is a cypher, and there's very little I can find to say about her other than that she was nice (mostly?). Winn from Follow My Lead makes her look more like a straw doll than a Golden Lady. Jackson's fine, but also lacking something. And I never quite grasped the importance of their childhood friendship, supposedly the basis for their subsequent (highly rushed and improbable) romance.
The book is enlivened by periodic appearances by other Noble characters, particularly Marcus and Phillippa, both of whom I adore. And Marcus' brother Byrne gets the best line of the book, a rebuke Jack richly deserved ("My boy, that is the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard.") But here, even they were were a little bit � muted.
I suspect Noble is working too hard and wasn't able to fully focus on this book. I can see how it could have been much better, if the rough was polished away to let the diamond shine. As I said in another review, I hope she's making oodles of money so she can slow down her output and really focus on writing quality stories, whichever genre or medium she chooses to explore.
Overall, however, I'm bummed that this was the last of Noble's "Blue Raven" books that I still had to read. Soon I'll be on to the "Winner Takes All" series, which means I only have (*gulp*) two unread Noble books left. I wish there were more!
After the sparkling excellence of Follow My Lead, If I Fall was a disappointment. While the two leads, Sarah Forrester and Jackson Fletcher, admittedly struggle to discover who they are, Noble didn't seem to know who they were either. Sarah in particular is a cypher, and there's very little I can find to say about her other than that she was nice (mostly?). Winn from Follow My Lead makes her look more like a straw doll than a Golden Lady. Jackson's fine, but also lacking something. And I never quite grasped the importance of their childhood friendship, supposedly the basis for their subsequent (highly rushed and improbable) romance.
The book is enlivened by periodic appearances by other Noble characters, particularly Marcus and Phillippa, both of whom I adore. And Marcus' brother Byrne gets the best line of the book, a rebuke Jack richly deserved ("My boy, that is the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard.") But here, even they were were a little bit � muted.
I suspect Noble is working too hard and wasn't able to fully focus on this book. I can see how it could have been much better, if the rough was polished away to let the diamond shine. As I said in another review, I hope she's making oodles of money so she can slow down her output and really focus on writing quality stories, whichever genre or medium she chooses to explore.
Overall, however, I'm bummed that this was the last of Noble's "Blue Raven" books that I still had to read. Soon I'll be on to the "Winner Takes All" series, which means I only have (*gulp*) two unread Noble books left. I wish there were more!
April 17, 2012
This is the 4th book but yes it could also be read as a stand alone. The first 2 takes place a few years before book 3 and this one, and book 3, well in that one we see Jason fall in love and that is how this book starts. Jason leaves Sarah on their engagement party. If I had not read book 3 I am sure I would have been very unhappy with him, but he was in love, and Sarah, wanted stability only.
The Sarah that used to be is transformed after The Event into the darling of the Ton, cos else she is just The Girl who lost a Duke. She becomes more snobbish and knows how to cut someone. But she is not unlikable as you see that it's only a facade she puts up to deal with all the whispers and of course she was sad too since she thought they would have been happy.
In comes Jackson Fletcher, an old friend who does not like the new Sarah. He wants the old Sarah back, I do like that they have history, and that he is not fooled by a pretty face. But for these two to actually fall in love takes time, a lot of time. I can't say anything more, but they do avoid each other or argue a lot. But he falls, and she needs to let go.
And of course there is Blue Raven business going on (he is a spy), there is danger, a sinister plot and Sarah and Jackson is in the middle of it all. We also meet Marcus and Philippa (book 1) again as Philippa is the one who makes Sarah into the Golden lady. And it's always fun to meet up with old couples.
Conclusion:
It was what I wanted it to be. I also found myself interested in reading a book about her sister, I think it could be fun.
The Sarah that used to be is transformed after The Event into the darling of the Ton, cos else she is just The Girl who lost a Duke. She becomes more snobbish and knows how to cut someone. But she is not unlikable as you see that it's only a facade she puts up to deal with all the whispers and of course she was sad too since she thought they would have been happy.
In comes Jackson Fletcher, an old friend who does not like the new Sarah. He wants the old Sarah back, I do like that they have history, and that he is not fooled by a pretty face. But for these two to actually fall in love takes time, a lot of time. I can't say anything more, but they do avoid each other or argue a lot. But he falls, and she needs to let go.
And of course there is Blue Raven business going on (he is a spy), there is danger, a sinister plot and Sarah and Jackson is in the middle of it all. We also meet Marcus and Philippa (book 1) again as Philippa is the one who makes Sarah into the Golden lady. And it's always fun to meet up with old couples.
Conclusion:
It was what I wanted it to be. I also found myself interested in reading a book about her sister, I think it could be fun.
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