Sharpe

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Welcome also to Series Sunday!

Series Sunday is one of my favorite days, as books written in series are my favorite reads! I love spending time with a group of characters as they all find their happily ever after. Now, if we can just get our favorite authors to write a bit faster so that we don’t need to wait so long to read the whole series 🙂

Make sure you come back next week and enter to win some Sabrina Jeffries books! I have several to give away! Enjoy my thoughts on this book.

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4245-2
Release: February 2012
Publisher : Pocket Books Romance
Source : I purchased this book to read and review

With two months left to find a husband to fulfill her grandmother’s ultimatum, Lady Celia Sharpe sets her sights on three eligible bachelors. Becoming betrothed to one of these wealthy, high-ranking men will surely prove her capable of getting married, so hopefully the wedding itself won’t be necessary for Celia and her siblings to receive their inheritance. Step two of her audacious plan is hiring the dangerously compelling Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter to investigate the three men she’s chosen. But with Lady Celia bedeviling Jackson’s days and nights, the last thing he wants is to help her find a husband. And when she recalls shadowed memories that lead his investigation into her parents’ mysterious deaths in a new direction—putting her in danger—Jackson realizes the only man he wants Celia to marry is himself!

Sadly, I welcome you to the last book in Sabrina Jeffries’ latest series. I’m very sad that this series is ending. I have been a fan of Ms. Jeffries’ books for many years, and have read all of her books. That being said, I have really enjoyed the characters in this series the most. The character of Hetty is simply delightful. She’s spunky, she’s feisty, and she stands up to her grandchildren. Whether she’s right or wrong, she holds the course.

Lady Celia Sharpe is the last of the Sharpe grandchildren to be married. Hetty, her grandmother has decreed that they will all marry within a year or they will all be disinherited. One by one, they have all gotten married, leaving Celia to decide what she is going to do. She is unwilling to allow her siblings to forfeit their portion of their grandmother’s fortune so she starts to make plans to find someone to marry. She makes a list and then she asks for help in investigating her potential husbands from Jackson Pinter, the Bow Street man who has been hired to investigate the Sharpe siblings’s parents’ murder.

Jackson Pinter is a great character. He has appeared in all of the books of this series as he has been hired to investigate the deaths of the Sharpe siblings’ parents. At the time that they died, it was thought to be a murder/suicide, but is now being investigated as a murder. Jackson has shown himself to be a hard worker, following any and all leads on the decades old murders. He has proven himself to be honest, forthright and respectful, but for some reason, Celia seems to set him off. They are always at loggerheads. Hiring Jackson to investigate her list of potential husbands puts him into a snit – and the seasoned romance reader KNOWS it is because he wants Celia for himself!

I could go on and on about what great characters Celia and Jackson are. They strike sparks off one another, they compliment each other in so many ways because of their differences. The sticking point is that Jackson is a bastard, and Celia is the daughter of a Marquess. Jackson is very aware of his station in life. He may be hardworking, and soon to be awarded the position of Magistrate, but he is now where near the station of Celia. This is a situation that is dealt with in a very interesting fashion and I’ll leave it to you to read the details!
As this is the final book in the series, the other characters (siblings) are all talked about with their various spouses and now children. Hetty even finds herself a love interest! This wonderful series is brought to a grand finale with Celia’s story…..and yes, the murder is solved 🙂

Thank you to Sabrina Jeffries for writing such wonderful series, and I hope that she continues to do so for many years to come!

Series Sunday – Review of To Wed A Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
Series Sunday – How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
Series Sunday – Review of The Truth of Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
Series Sunday – Review – A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS by Sabrina Jeffries… (mybookaddictionreviews.wordpress.com)
Sabrina Jeffries: The French Maid (anneglover.wordpress.com)

To Wed A Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Welcome also to Series Sunday!

Series Sundays is the day when I celebrate books written in series. For the past few weeks I have been posting reviews for Sabrina Jeffries‘ latest series – The Hellions of Halstead Hall. This series started quite some time ago – don’t we always wish that our favorite authors could write faster – and publishers publish books faster – anyways, it is nearing an end. Today I’m posting my thoughts on the 4th book in this 5 book series. I have to admit, I’ve finished the 5 th book – I had to haunt the bookstore on release day – but that’s another story 🙂 The 5th book, as you’ll find out next week is a wonderful conclusion to this latest series.

Today’s topic is Gabe – the youngest male in this interesting group of siblings – and the woman who can challenge him! Enjoy!

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4240-7
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Release: 2011
Source: I purchased a copy of this book to read and review

To Fulfill his grandmother’s ultimatum, Lord Gabriel Sharpe pursues a spitfire he believes desperately need him. Then the tables are turned….

Like everything daredevil Gabe Sharpe does, wooing Virginia Waverly is a high-stakes game. Ever since her brother, Roger died racing Lord Gabriel, Virginia had yearned to take her revenge on the reckless lord by beating him at his own sport. But when she challenges Lord Gabriel to a race, the hellion called the “Angel of Death” counters with a marriage proposal! Gabe knows Virginia is in dire financial straits – so why not marry her and solve both of their problems? She claims to be appalled by his proposal, but her response to his kisses says otherwise. And when the two of them begin to unravel the truth behind Roger’s death, Gabe takes the greatest gamble of all, offering the courageous beauty something more precious than any inheritance: true love.

To Wed a Wild Lord is the fourth book in Sabrina Jeffries’s The Hellions of Halstead Hall series. This series is about a group of siblings who lost both of their parents in what was assumed to be a murder/suicide many years ago. These siblings – the Sharpe siblings were brought up by their maternal grandmother – a brewer and a commoner. Hetty Plumtree, the grandmother is getting on in years and none of her grandchildren show any signs of settling down and providing her with grandchildren. She decides to take matters into her own hands and announces that none of her grandchildren will get a penny of her considerable estate if they don’t ALL marry within the year.

To not giveaway any of the details of this delightful series, we have had the pleasure of reading the stories of 3 of the siblings, and there are two more to go. To Wed a Wild Lord is the story of Gabe, the youngest of the boys. He is a hellion in his own right, gambling and horse-racing to keep him in pocket cash. One unfortunate accident several years ago saw the death of his friend, Roger Waverly during one of these races. Since then, Gabe doesn’t seen to care if he lives or dies and races one risky race after another to the extent that he is referred to as the “Angel of Death”. When he is challenged to a race by Virginia Waverly, Roger’s sister, he sees a solution to the ultimatum from his grandmother. He figures if he courts and marries Virginia, he provides for her financially because her brother can no longer, and he makes his grandmother happy. Convincing Virginia to marry the man she holds responsible for her brother’s death is a stretch, but Gabe is up to the task.

I found this book to be another delightful installment in the story of the Sharpe siblings. Starting with the first book, the story of the parent’s supposed murder/suicide starts to be investigated and the information that is uncovered in this book takes us one step closer to finding out the truth. There are alot of the aspects of the story that weave themselves through each part of this series. I’m not certain each book could be read as a stand-alone. Read in order, the books form a cohesive group. I like the different view of the siblings in this book. I found this book somewhat darker than the rest, I think because of Gabe’s fatalistic attitude. Sabrina Jeffries does such a wonderful job of creating characters. Each book of her’s allows us insight into a new set of main characters as well as a continuing look at the characters that have already been talked about. What was particularly interesting is that Hetty gets a potential love interest in this book. I’m looking forward to reading more about that hopefully in Celia’s story which is due in the spring.

Sabrina Jeffries has the ability to create a world in which the reader immerses themselves and just experiences that story as it is unfolded before them. Time passes without notice, and the story is weaved like a tapestry with all the connecting threads.

Although I am a long time lover of Ms. Jeffries work and quite biased, I am really enjoying this latest series, and recommend it highly! I’m looking forward to Celia’s story!

Series Sunday – How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
Series Sunday – Review of The Truth of Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
Series Sunday – Review – A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (sugarbeatsbooks.com)
TO WED A WILD LORD by Sabrina Jeffries…review…. (mybookaddictionreviews.wordpress.com)
Sabrina Jeffries: The French Maid (anneglover.wordpress.com)

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Welcome also to Series Sunday!

For the past few weeks we have been looking at Sabrina Jeffries latest series – The Hellions of Halstead Hall. The first book was the Truth of Lord Stoneville, the second book was A Hellion in Her Bed, and that brings us to the third book in the series, How to Woo a Reluctant Lady. I’ve included a short excerpt from this book to give you a feel for the story.

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries
ISBN: 1439167559
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release: Jan 18, 2011
Source: I received a copy of this book from the author to read and review

When a charming rogue proposes she marry him to meet her grandmother’s ultimatum, the Sharpe clan’s strong-willed sister makes a tempting counter-offer that preserves her inheritance and ignites his imagination.
Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother’s demands: become engaged to a rogue! Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel. And who better to play the part of Minerva’s would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular Gothic novels she writes? The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered in Minerva’s imagination, though she has no intention of really falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him. Little does she know, he really is a covert government operative. When they team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents’ deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles’s secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back into her heart.
What happens when you take a strong-willed, on the shelf, gothic romance writer and a barrister that is actually a spy for the goverment? You get the latest hair-raising ride in the “Hellions of Halstead Hall” series! Get set for fast action, incredibly sensuality, and a clash of strong-willed characters destined to be together.

Welcome to the world of Sabrina Jeffries’ latest series about the Hellions of Halstead Hall! These “Hellions” are the strong willed Sharpe children. There are 5 of them, Oliver, Jarret, Minerva, Gabe and Celia. They were orphaned many years ago when both of their parents died. Some say it was a murder-suicide, but Hetty Plumtree, their maternal grandmother did whatever she could to quiet the scandal hide the true details, and took the 5 children away to live with her. She was a working class woman who’s family owns and runs a brewery. She had arranged for her only daughter to marry a title, a decision that, in hindsight, she heartily regrets! She is now getting older and having some health problems and is determined to hold some great-grandchildren before she dies. Since none of her grandchildren seem to be willing to settle down and marry, she makes an ultimatum. If they don’t all marry within the year, none of them will inherit her money.

Here we are at book three already! These Sharpe “children” are a strong willed lot! We have had a chance to look at Oliver and Jarrett’s attempts to foil their grandmother, now it is Minerva’s turn. Minerva has had a lifelong attraction to Giles Masters, one of her brothers’ friends. After one unfortunate encounter several years ago, she has decided that he can go to the devil. When she starts writing torrid gothic romances, she models her villian after Giles!

When Giles finds out that Minerva has published an advertisement for a husband in a popular lady’s magazine, he decides that enough is enough. No other man is going to have Minerva and he heads over to to Halstead Hall to interview for the position of “husband”. Minerva has decided that if she creates enough of a scandal around her Grandmother forcing her to marry, the old woman will back off. What better way to get a rise out of her grandmother than advertising for a husband and have crowds of men appear wanting to interview for the position. She doesn’t count on Giles appearing, but after some thought decides that a pretend engagement is just the thing to piss of her grandmother and both her brothers!

“Over my dead body!”

Hetty heard Oliver’s roar from two halls over and hurried toward it as fast as her cane could take her. He must have found Minerva. Damned girl. Why couldn’t she just marry some decent fellow and be done with it? Why did she have to drum up this nonsense about interviewing fools she solicited in the papers like a common whore?

Well, Oliver would put an end to that-he wouldn’t want Minerva marrying some stranger either, thank God.

She followed the sound of heated voices into the Chinese drawing room, then stopped short. Oliver was squared off against that rogue Giles Masters-God only knew when he had snuck in. And Minerva stood with her hand tucked in the crook of Giles’s elbow.

“What has happened?” Hetty demanded.

Oliver shot her an angry glance. “Masters has some idiotic idea that he’s going to marry Minerva.”

Hetty dragged in a breath. Masters? With her granddaughter? Never. ……

Minerva shot Hetty a sly glance. “You gave no rules for whom we could marry, Gram, just when we had to marry”

Sabrina Jeffries has the ability to create characters so real that they leap off the pages of her books! You cheer for them, boo at them, and encourage them along. Time passes, and you are oblivious, because you are wound up in the story. The historical details that she throws in adds depth to the story that is being woven around these characters. She provides just enough history of what has gone on in previous stories to keep the thread of the characters going, yet each book could easily be read as a stand-alone. In this particular series, I just love the character of Hetty. She’s had a hard life. She’s made bad decisions. But she lives life to it’s fullest, trying not to dwell on her mistakes. She’s determined to be the strong woman that she is and not show weakness in front of her grandchildren.

We are given more details of the Sharpe parents’ deaths – some questions are answered, but we still don’t know what happened yet. I think that we meet Gabe’s “nemesis” and are given a glimpse into a possible attraction for Celia. According to Ms. Jeffries’ website, the next book is called To Wed A Wild Lord

For those of you uninitiated into the world of the Hellions of Halstead Hall, you need to pick up the previous two books and find a comfy chair and hang on for the ride!