My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book. This one's got 3 parts.Thanks to Lisa Kay for telling me they're good enough to post as reviews! :D
So far, I like this one but not as hooked as I've been with TRP. No, it's good book, no doubt about that. But, going a bit slow for my liking.
The name Harry Pye does not justify our hero Harry. The name sounds like something coming out of a children's book, you don't take a man who possess such name seriously. But, our Harry is anything but that. He's already managed to give me shivers with many things (the way he stares with his phosphorus-green eyes or his physical description) but mostly, his confidence. Like Edward of TRP, Harry is so confident, you can't but get w... ermmm, feel something for him. :p I can see why every time he looks at Georgina or comes close or calls her 'my lady', she feels things southward. :D I like Harry. He's so deadly calm in the most hazardous of situations that sometimes, like others, I feel he's cold. Again, he's anything but! His monologues about things reveal a very intense man hidden beneath that facade. His past history, so far whatever I've read, made me sad. I wanna hug him, really. I like that he thinks that it's kind of a failure of not being able to protect his woman. Ooh, me likey the way he thinks! ;) Also, even after everything and his 'lowly' social status, he can be much more than a lord, as Lord Granville would tell you. Pisses him off, our Harry! :D
Now, Georgina aka George isn't as interesting a heroine as Anna. I'm still hovering, confused about her. Couldn't connect the way I immediately did with Anna. And, I DO NOT like it when she's called as George, eek! Yes yes Harry dear, the name's too MANNISH! Thank god, you still call her 'my lady' and not George or Gina and I can kiss you for that. :p She isn't a TSTL heroine, oh no no, she's very smart for a women of her time. I like it, also like the way she's obsessed with Harry's carvings of little animals along with Harry himself. I thought it very sweet and quite good. And, she KNOWS what she wants. Oh, yah. She initiated the first love scene. Pretty bold, that girl. Me likey, too. :p
About that love scene, don't you just get ... ahemmm ... feel things when a man sits there and purrs my lady and then tells you I’m yours to do with as you wish, my lady? Oh, I know I felt butterflies all over my stomach and other areas. Harry is oh hotness sexy, a fact you wouldn't even guess from him cool, precise veneer. Did I mention, me likey? Oh, guess I did. :p
Have to say something about Lord Granville now, the man's just disgusting, inside and out. Things he's been saying and doing, makes me wanna puke. Yuk.
There are other twists too. Granville's youngest son Bennet is Harry's half-brother. Well, it's a long story (or, a short one, depends on how one looks at it) ... Just another of Lord Granville's 'indiscretions', whom he'd gladly taken in and granted his name. I LOVED the way Bennet treats him, like 'in your face sucka!' hahahaha I really like it that Bennet genuinely loves Harry and he, even though doesn't exactly spell it out, returns the sentiment.
Georgina's sister Violet and brother Tony aka the Earl are proving a bit too annoying. Nosing in her business too much. Specially Violet. Ah well, she's got some skeletons too. About that, have to see as I progress. Something tells me Bennett and Violet would have something. Maybe yes, maybe no. Who knows.
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Ok, let me take a bit of breath ...
Oh Harry, you sexy hunk you ... my god! Yesterday after reading some of your sexy stunts, when I went outside for a stroll, I couldn't remember what I was doing. I was daydreaming like a teenager. Could.not.concentrate on anything at all. What is this Harry? Are you trying to kill me?
Man, love scenes are so good in this book (and I loved those TRP ones by Edward de Dark Chocolat :p), I think I didn't get past those for quite sometimes. I re-read them a few times, just to see what a hunk Harry is. You blew me away babe!
Apart from that, I think I'm hooked in this one, even though starting chapters were a bit of a drag with the sheep poisoning and all. And, yes Miss George! But then, after they decided to become lovers, things heated up. There are quite a few scenes I loved, full of emotion, internal turmoils by both h/h ie: scene with Harry and Georgina in the library and the reason why it happened, Harry's numerous monologues, Harry being tortured by Granville's men, Georgina's taking care of him, another love scene full of spunk and boldness. I can't but talk about them. I lurveeee Harry, I do. Those scenes I mentioned above, mainly the one with Harry's monologues, his past (read more revelations) are so damned heartbreaking. There was a scene, after Harry was rescued from Granville by Georgina and her brother's, he talks about his mother. I couldn't control my tears. He talked about it all with such coldness but we know better ... Yah, I do dear! Then I couldn't but wonder (with Georgina, too), what kind of a woman does that to her family?
There is also the scene just before the rescue that tugged at my heart, in his delusional state (he was severely tortured by Granville's men), Harry was dreaming of this story that alludes to Georgina's retelling of "The Leopard Prince", a folklore of some kind. I know I didn't mention it earlier but Georgina collects tales like that and this was one of those that she chose to tell Harry (it's still incomplete BTW). There is actually a love scene where Harry urges her to tell more of that story ... and damn me, that was hot! *fans herself* ... So, to Georgina, Harry resembles a leopard. Couldn't agree more with her! I think I'm finally beginning to like her. :)
I agree that Granville and his son Thomas (can't count Bennet in this) are interesting villains. Their interactions, even though really too much to handle sometimes (mostly because of Granville's vile mouth and actions) are bound to attract you attentions. Granville dotes on Bennet in his way because he thinks this boy is more his than the elder, Thomas, whom he treats more like one if his bastards. So, when Bennet slaps Granville with his words, I enjoy it immensely. I have a feeling about Thomas though...
Yah, Georgina's sister Violet does have a secret, something I actually guessed correct. At first, it was annoying with all the siblings knowing Georgina's affair with her land steward and trying to put their two cents in. I mean look at the time frame (1760), does it sound alright? Doesn't matter she was a spinster of 28, doesn't matter she owns her own lands. Even one of her aunts know it, thanks to Violet and Oscar's clumsiness. I thought, if things go this way, soon the whole London will know. The whole thing seemed odd. Oh, well, what matters now is that her siblings are finally supporting her. I think they realize that Georgina actually loves Harry, that it wasn't just a physical thing and I'm glad for that.
I'm not sure where their relationship is going at the moment. They both know they love each-other, at least Georgina tried to tell Harry how she feels and wants to get married but he, poor guy, refused to hear it since he can't allow himself to dream of a life with her. This is very sad, this fix they now find themselves in. Now, after being nursed back to health, Harry has decided to leave. Why? Let's see ...
PS: He still calls her 'my lady', even his first words after regaining consciousness was just that. Oh, I'm so damned jealous of that girl. Ugh!
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Oh man, I feel so sleepy! Been running around all day with grocery shopping and stuffs, helping mom... Still, gonna talk about Harry darling.
Yup, finished it this afternoon. I mean really, I wanna talk about every freaken thing because Harry is just like that. I loved this book a lot. But mostly I loved Harry. I loved the way he loved and fought for Georgina, I loved the way he loved his brothers (yah, there is another one of Granville's bastards, not sure... Man, if I start talking about Granville's indiscretions, I can write a book!) ... Even the twist that Harry could've been ... Well, no more, no more! I'm glad that he got what he deserved.
I think I understand why Georgina ran away, again. But, somewhere in my mind (maybe because of my love for Harry) I was thinking she shouldn't have done that. She should've waited and confronted him again. The 'getting married to someone else' part was just ... well, let's just say, I wish it wasn't there. Then again, if not, there wouldn't be that scene in the church where Harry 'convinces' Georgina to marry him. It was *oh lord, take me now, that man is h.o.t* good!
I promise Harry, you keep calling me 'my lady' and I'm yours ... I don't have confusions like Georgina. You're da bomb! :p
Ok, I wish there was something between Bennet and Violet. I really liked Bennet, I loved that he cared for Thomas 'til the end, even though the man always treated him with contempt. He's a sensitive man and cried when Thomas died in an accident, confronted his father on his behalf. I've read in EH's website that she doesn't have any immediate plans for them or some other secondary characters, maybe never. It would definitely be sad. Even Georgina's brothers were quite interesting. :/
I'm kinda confused about what to rate this book because story-wise, it was good but not as good as TRP, by which I mean I was vacillating quite a lot through some of the chapters/incidents and the starting was kinda slow. I also wish there was an epilogue. So, even though I was hooked through the last few chapters, the ending wasn't quite satisfactory. Character-wise, as you can see, I adored Harry, liked most of the characters a lot. At the same time, I wish I adored Georgina as much as I did Anna from TRP. I felt Harry could've gotten better ... eh, just me!
*too many wishes unmet, see?*
I really wanted to give it a 5 star, it was that close. Now, 4 for me.
