“Some day, when you have the most to lose…I’ll take it all.”
 
Jonah Armstrong, Earl of Haywood, and the Duke of Hadleigh were best friends until a scandal involving Hadleigh’s fiancée destroyed their friendship. Three years later, Jonah returns from the Crimea as a war hero and London’s most eligible bachelor, setting the gossip afire and fanning Hadleigh’s long-simmering rage into an inferno. Hadleigh has not forgotten his old friend’s betrayal, and now that Jonah has returned, he will take his revenge. 

Lady Cecelia Randolph has loved Jonah Armstrong for as long as she can remember. The moment they share a passionate kiss, she dares to hope that he feels the same for her and that his attention is driven by more than his desire to taunt her brother or his desperation for her dowry. It isn’t until Hadleigh’s quest for vengeance nearly destroys her that she realizes that Jonah loves her enough to risk everything to protect her. 

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This book just didn't hit the mark with me. Everything was just okay. The characters were okay. The plot was okay. The writing, fine. It just never elevated itself to something special that set itself apart from all the other romances I like to read.

I think that my main issue was with the lack of sensuality and sexual tension. I never felt that the two main characters really felt much for each other and even then, I couldn't understand their motivations. Was Jonah really falling for Cecilia or was it all a ruse? We were told but weren't shown so I didn't really believe it.

Another little bugbear of mine is when two main characters have similar names (or at least names with the same initial). Hadleigh did this while Haywood did that - for some reason I can't easily distinguish between them which draws me out of the story as I try and figure out what's going on. That could just be a personal idiosyncrasy so I haven't let this affect my rating overly much.

If you have this book and are happy with a sweet, uncomplicated Victorian romance story then it's certainly not offensive. But if you're looking for something a little bit, well, more, then I can't really recommend this to you.

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293 pages

* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Click to see other books by Laura Landon

After orchestrating a scandalous high-society ruse, Lady Jeannette Brantford is banished from her family's estate in England and sent to live with boring elderly cousins in the Irish countryside. But Jeannette's exile is surprisingly eventful. En route to her dreaded destination, she encounters Darragh O'Brien, a devilishly handsome architect who transforms Jeannette's punishment into a delicious whirlwind of wits, words, and undeniable passion.

But Jeannette is determined to land herself a titled husband and no Irish commoner is going to make her change her mind...

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I have read a few books by Tracy Anne Warren and have found them very hit or miss. For me, this one was definitely a miss.

This is the second book in the 'Trap' trilogy after The Husband Trap but before The Wedding Trap. I haven't read any of the others and still understood it although I'm sure the author meant for them to be read in order. Based on this book, I won't be purchasing either of the others.

I have to admit to having a good giggle to myself when I read that the hero's name was Darragh O'Brien. Like other reviewers have said, this brought to my mind Dara O'Briain (from Mock the Week) and I couldn't get him out my head which was unusual in so many ways!

My main problem with the book was the heroine. I didn't like her. She was spoiled, demanding and pretty much an all round unlikeable person. As such this coloured the rest of the book as I didn't particularly want, or care if, she and Darragh got together.

The storyline was okay but the text is sprinkled with modern Americanisms and stereotypical statements that are always disappointing and pull you out of the story.

Okay, so the story isn't that bad but if you've only got a few hours to spare and want to read romance then there are far superior books out there. It's not terrible but it's not a book I would go out of my way to recommend.

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381 pages

Click to see other books by Tracy Anne Warren