Book Review: The Seduction of Lady Phoebe by Ella Quinn

The Seduction of Phoebe by Ella Quinn

Publisher & Release: Zebra Books, October 29, 2019

Time and setting:  Regency period, London

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 303 Pages

Heat Level: 1.5 Flames

Rating:  5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Polite society has its rules for marriage. But for Ella Quinn’s eligible bachelors, their brides will show them that rules are for the faint of heart . . .
 
Phoebe Stanhope is not a typical Lady. As feisty as she is quick witted, no one can catch her, especially when she is driving her dashing phaeton with its perfectly matched horses.  And unlike her peers, experience has guarded her against a growing list of would-be suitors. But when she encounters Marcus Finley, what she fears most burns deep within his blue-eyed gaze . . .
 
For Lord Marcus, the spark of recognition is but a moment in the love he has held these many years. Now that he’s returned to England, all the happiness he desires rests on Lady Phoebe never finding out that he was the one who turned her heart so cold and distant. He must work fast to gain the advantage—to convince her what she wants is exactly what she denies—but in order to seduce her into his arms, he must be willing to give up more than he can control . . .

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seduction-Lady-Phoebe-Marriage-Game-ebook/dp/B00CA6YYGS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe-ella-quinn

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe-1

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe/id633556712

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44047278-the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe

Vikki’s Musings

Thanks goes to the publisher, via Net-Galley, for the invitation to read and review The Seduction of Lady Phoebe prior to the re-release of Ella Quinn’s first book in her Marriage Games series. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

The Seduction of Lady Phoebe is well-written and character-driven as opposed to a plot-driven novel. The writing is emotional, and the dialogue is realistic for the time period. The pacing is good, keeping me engaged throughout the book.

Phoebe Standhope, the heroine of this romantic tale, is not the typical debutante of the Regency period. She’s fiercely independent and determined to wed only if she falls in love, a tradition within her family. Her attitude toward men is greatly influenced by an encounter with a drunken, young lord when she was only fifteen. It leaves her mistrustful of men, especially the brazen lord who accosted her. 

I can imagine why such an encounter could color her future opinion of men. A fifteen-year-old tends to be overly dramatic, and one must also consider how sheltered she would have been during the Regency period.  

Lord Marcus, the hero, is a changed man from the reckless youth who accosted Lady Phoebe and was banished to the West Indies. Now returned from his exile, he has never forgotten the wrong he’d committed, not the lady either. I could feel his remorse for his behavior and his driving need to prove he was no longer that callow youth. I loved his drive and determination to win Phoebe’s heart.

The romance between Phoebe and Marcus seems ill-fated in the beginning, but I loved how the author turns that around. I thoroughly enjoyed their courtship which does turn passionate quickly. The attraction between them is fierce and cannot be denied, even though Phoebe is bewildered by it at first. Marcus is so contrite over what happened years before, I could understand why Phoebe forgave his youthful indiscretion. I truly wanted her to give Marcus a second chance.

If you enjoy Regency romance with plenty of sensuality, and characters you’ll fall in love with, then you will love The Seduction of Lady Phoebe as much as I did. This is a re-release and I suspect it went through a great many revisions based on some of the reviews from the original edition since I didn’t find any of the issues mentioned in this updated edition. Happy reading!

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Social Media:

Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/biography.html

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn

Three Weeks to Wed by Ella Quinn

(The Worthingtons, Book 1)

Publisher & Release: Zebra Shout, March 29, 2016

Time and setting:  1815, England

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

Book Length: 416 pages

Heat Level: 2 Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

In the first book of her dazzling new series, bestselling author Ella Quinn introduces the soon-to-be Earl and Countess of Worthington--lovers who have more in common than they yet know. The future promises to be far from boring…

Lady Grace Carpenter is ready to seize the day--or rather, the night--with the most compelling man she's ever known. Marriage would mean losing guardianship of her beloved siblings, and surely no sane gentleman will take on seven children not his own. But if she can have one anonymous tryst with Mattheus, Earl of Worthington, Grace will be content to live out the rest of her life as a spinster. 

Matt had almost given up hope of finding a wife who could engage his mind as well as his body. And now this sensual, intelligent woman is offering herself to him. What could be more perfect? Except that after one wanton night, the mysterious Grace refuses to have anything to do with him. Amid the distractions of the Season he must convince her, one delicious encounter at a time, that no obstacle--or family--is too much for a man who's discovered his heart's desire…

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Three-Weeks-Wed-Worthingtons-Book-ebook/dp/B010ZZXX2G

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31916454-three-weeks-to-wed

Vikki’s Musings

I’m so glad I decided to take a chance on Ms. Quinn’s The Worthington’s Series. I thoroughly enjoyed Three Weeks to Wed. The romance pulled me into the story from the first page to the last.

Lady Grace Carpenter has guardianship of her seven siblings, the eldest, getting ready for her come-out. She has sworn off marriage, believing no man would be willing to take on so many children. When a chance meeting with the Earl of Worthington gives her an opportunity to have one night of passion with the man who stirs as no other ever has, she must take it.

Mattheus is enchanted by Lady Grace and immediately wants her as his own. The only problem: she leaves his bed before he finds out who she is. He’s determined to discover her identity. He soon learns who she is and that she has seven children in her care. Since he has four sisters in his as well, that would be eleven children if he can convince her to wed him.

Can these lovers move beyond such an unsurmountable obstacle and gain the desires of their hearts? While Matt is willing, can he convince Grace he is up to the challenge?

 Three Weeks to Wed is a delightful tale of love at first sight. The romance between Matt and Grace is enchanting, one that gives great escape from the everyday realities of life, and isn’t that what this genre is supposed to do? What I liked most about this book, is that while circumstances make it difficult for them to see how they can be together, their feelings are never in question. Thus, there is very little angst in their romance. That’s a winner for me!

Grace’s character is a true nurturer, willing to make great sacrifice for the ones she loves. Her internal struggle is whether she can trust Matt to follow through with the rigors of raising eleven children between them and have their love last. This is a very real concern, and I could feel her anguish in making her decision, but ultimately, her heart cannot be denied.

Matt’s a true hero I can love. He’s an honorable man who loves fiercely, whether it’s his sisters or his lady. His tenacity to find a way to make it work, amazed and thrilled me. He loves Grace the way every woman wants to be loved.

I listened to the audio version by Cat Gould. She gives an amazing performance, giving each character a distinctive voice, and that is no mean feat with all those siblings and relatives. She has a bit of a stiff, upper-crust tone, which gives this Regency tale the right touch.

If you love a great Regency romance with endearing characters from the hero and heroine to the youngest sister, Lady Mary, then you will love Three Weeks to Wed as much as I did. I can’t wait to read the other books in this fantastic series. Happy reading!

Promo Blitz: The Second Time Around by Ella Quinn

The Second Time Around by Ella Quinn

In honor of her new release, Ella Quinn is giving away a $10 gift card. Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter link below.

Publisher & Release: Zebra, February 28, 2017

Time and setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Book Length: 104 pages

Book Description: 

Can a beautiful Worthington widow find love again? Depends on who’s asking . . .

Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . .

It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . .

Excerpt:

The day after Richard had been told Pae was ill, he was in the reading room at Brook’s having coffee and waiting until he could try to see her again. All he’d been able to think about was her boast that she never took a chill, and now she was sick.

If she was not better today, he would send for some fruit from his succession houses. They would be much better quality than what one could procure in London.

Another gentleman entered the room, drawing a chair up next to his.

“What is my stepmother to you?”

He glanced at Lord Worthington’s stern face and carefully folded the paper, placing it on the low table next to him. “Why do you wish to know?”

“Because she has been asking for you. She’s running a fever.”

Richard stared at the younger man for what seemed like eons before he finally understood. “I’ll come straightaway.”

As he started to rise Worthington’s hand clamped down on Richard’s arm. “I’ll ask you again, what is she to you?”

He looked straight into the other man’s eyes. “The only woman I have ever loved.”

Worthington gave a terse nod. “I was afraid it was something like that.” He released Richard’s arm. “My carriage is outside.”

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Second-Time-Around-Worthingtons-ebook/dp/B01KRUMV2W/ref=sr_1_1

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31701442-the-second-time-around?from_search=true

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.

 She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Blog http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpresscom/

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0 a 

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