The Viscount’s Vow (Castle Brides, #1) by Collette Cameron

The Viscount’s Vow (Castle Brides, #1) Reviews

• 
  Lauren

  A friend rated this book 1 star. Maybe bc I had low expectations I was able to enjoy this book more, but enjoy I did.
  
  It has it's problems but it's worth the read.
• 
  Missy (can't wait for summer vacation)

  I enjoy revenge plots in my historical romance, so I was enjoying the first couple of chapters. Imagine my disappointment when that revenge plot ended pretty early in the book. Since this author was new-to-me, I read on.
  
  It was a breath of fresh air that the heroine had Romani roots. In some HRs that I've read where the main character is of Romani blood, it was usually the hero. (Cam and Merripen from Lisa Kleypas's Hathaways series are the only ones that come to mind.)
  
  I disapprove of the hero's sister for lying to him about the heroine's character, just so she can elope with her love. Ugh. She didn't seem to feel any remorse that her lie lead to the heroine's ruination. Her book is the next one and I assume the scenes in this book will appear in hers.
  
  Don't get started on the hero's stepmother. What an evil and mad woman.
• 
  Diane Peterson

  The Viscount’s Vow by Collette Cameron is a very pleasant Regency novel. While not officially part of a series, it is related to her previous book, Highlander’s Hope. Interestingly, the events in The Viscount’s Vow take place chronologically before Highlander’s Hope even though it was published several months later. These are Cameron’s first two published novels. In The Viscount’s Vow she demonstrates solid writing skills, but there were also a few things that indicate a beginning writer.
  
  Ian Hamilton, the new Viscount Warrick, is out for revenge. The recent deaths of his father and his younger brother have left him sad and angry. He has been told that a young woman, Evangeline Caruthers, is implicated in the dueling death of his brother and a duke. He arrives on the London scene with a desire for revenge, but without a specific plan. He meets “Vangie” at a ball and asks her to dance. It isn’t long before Vangie experiences a debilitating migraine and passes out. In Ian’s attempts to help her they are left in a compromising situation and are forced to marry. There are many questions to answer and situations to endure as Ian and Vangie move toward their Happily Ever After. Can Ian change his mind about her role in his brother’s death? Can he accept her Romani heritage? Why does he keep encountering dangerous circumstances?
  
  I enjoyed reading The Viscount’s Vow. Collette Cameron’s writing kept my interest and evoked great sympathy for the things the characters had to endure. One of the most distracting things was her overuse of Regency phrases and slang. It is quite clear that she did her historical research and some Regency language would certainly be appropriate, but there was so much that it pulled my attention away from the story. Another problem was that she hit on one of my pet peeves – one-dimensional and/or crazy villains. Most historical romance writers, in my opinion, are not very good at creating believable villains. Since I think that people are not totally black or white, but are varying shades of gray, it frustrates me when a villain is totally evil. One way that writers accomplish this is to make the villain evilly insane, which also frustrates me. Most experienced writers (hopefully) can sometimes do a better job with villains so I chalk this up to Cameron’s relative inexperience. She definitely has potential to create good books. This one was a bit melodramatic, but the steamy bits were well done. Both Ian and Vangie showed depth and emotion. Her descriptions of action scenes were vivid and easy to imagine. I will be glad to read other books by Collette Cameron and I think she will be a successful writer of historical romances.
• 
  Lindsay

  3.5 stars
• 
  Sophia

  I was intrigued by this book when I discovered that it would tell the story of Vangie and Ian from Highlander's Hope. They were secondary characters at the time, but the hints about their story were tantalizing to say the least. This story was a prequel in ways to Highlander's Hope as it introduced the players in the other story and some scenes in Viscount's Vow filled in details for that one. Even though this one chronologically comes first, in a pinch the order doesn't matter and they could stand a lone. My recommendation though after reading them both is to read this one first so people and references to the past make sense. Okay with that in mind...
  
  Ian should be in mourning for his brother and father, but instead he is attending one of the numerous London balls on a mission of revenge. He plans to find the woman responsible for his brother and father's deaths who has also bewitched away his sister's beau. Ian is in a foul temper and while he is surprised by the appearance and demeanor of the femme fatale, Evangeline Caruthers, it does not deter him.
  
  Vangie hates participating in society, but she wishes to support her cousin and dearest friend, Yvette during her season. Yvette's family has money and Vangie is the half-gypsy poor relation so she must be grateful for every little crumb. Not that Yvette or her parents make her feel that way on purpose. This night is as dreary as the others until the human version of a brooding tiger gets her in his sights. Vangie is both frightened and thrilled when she is introduced to Ian.
  
  Ian has Evangeline in his grasp and he plans to do something to ruin her, but then fate intervenes and his wish is granted just not the way he imagines for now through a series of circumstances she is his wife. But that's not the worst kick to his plans. The worst is discovering that he might have been utterly wrong all along about Evangeline Caruthers.
  
  My general thoughts on the story are simple. I got into the story completely from the very beginning. I was totally vested in finding out what would happen between Ian and Vangie.
  
  The characters were so well-written and enjoyable. I loved them both and my heart ached for them having the benefit of the narrative switching back and forth between their points of view. Things were set in motion however inadvertently that had to play out in the relationship between Ian and Vangie. I applaud Ms. Cameron for letting this couple feel the results of the lies that led to Ian's actions and thus Ian's lie-fueled actions even while I just wanted them to finally catch a break and bit of happiness. As the reader, I was able to parse out what really must have led to the situation the two are in and I was right about the culprit. And the villain in all this, oh boy was this person a piece of work.
  
  Now as to the plot and pacing, this was a tight well-written plot that engaged me until almost half way. I still enjoyed the latter half of the story, but my credulity was strained by the character and antics of the villain. Some of this person's plottings gave a strong wink at gothic horror stuff. Again, not that this is awful, just that it made me blink after the different feel of the beginning of the story. The jaunt to the third setting- the gypsy camp- was sheer delight. I loved the backdrop, characters and background story taking place there.
  
  So all in all this was a wonderful historical romance and can stand up there with the best in this genre. The romance leans to the middle between sweet and spicy. Those who enjoy a traditional style historical romance with a dash of spice should give this one a try.
  
  My thanks to the author for gifting me my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
  
  
• 
  Tracy T.

  This was a decent enough story. It had my attention enough to keep me listening\reading. (audible reveiw)
  
  I liked the Vangie well enough, although I do wish she would have been a bit stronger female character. She was a bit too meek for my preference in a heroine. I liked Ian well enough, he was kind, handsome and strong. They did have some chemistry together and there are a couple nicely written sex scenes.
  
  The story line and plot was decent. The evil stepmother was really vicious. The problem I had was there was very little dialogue at all! It was all story telling. And the misunderstanding that caused Vangie to leave him was a bit stupid after what the stepmother did to her. Why would a person even consider what the evil stepmother said, ever?? That stupid part and the hardly any dialogue bothered me. Not enough communication for me. Not a bad story, but it could have been much better.
  
  As for the narration, Stevie Zimmerman is hit or miss with me. More recently its been a hit. Sometimes I love her narrations and sometimes not so much. She did a very good job with this one. The men sounded like men, the hero sounded handsome and strong. Everyone had their own distinct voice and she had a nice reading voice. I would listen to more of her books if she continues to get better like she has in this book.
  
• 
  Sandra Owens

  The Viscount's Vow was a great read. It begins with the hero, Ian, intent on extracting revenge, but things go wrong and he ends up in a forced marriage. Sparks fly between Ian and Vangie from the moment they meet, and even when they're furious with each other, there is sexual tension just under the surface. For Ian, all is not as it appears, something he finds out almost too late. The twists and turns are many and surprising. One thing I loved was all the not so nice, but funny names Vangie came up with for Ian.
• 
  Mary - Buried Under Romance

  Believing Evangeline (Vangie) Caruthers to be responsible for his father and brother's death, Ian Hamilton, Viscount Warrick, lies in wait for the perfect opportunity to ruin her. Yet, in spite of his personal protests, he notices every nuance of her expression, every step of her graceful dancing, and the slightest twitch of her smile.
  
  
  "Had he imagined it, or had her steps faltered and her shoulders slumped, just the merest bit? Was her smile a little strained? Ian stared, searching her face. No, she smiled as brightly as ever." (pg 10/428)
  
  And even when his mind for vengeance won out, he still retained enough morals to help Vangie when she fainted for lack of air -- though he planned to ruin her in the beginning -- which unfortunately landed them in a compromising situation as a result as his trying to help her breathe, and thus, the forced-marriage trope was employed.
  
  My initial opinion of Ian as an honorable rogue changes quickly enough. Yes, he is a scoundrel of the first order, but he is also misguided and doubles as a villain for most of the story. As the story has more from his perspective than Vangie's, the streak of cruelness within his character arises quickly and it takes him a long time to channel that strong emotion into something more subtle, to like and love. Unsurprisingly, the latter is the biggest challenge for Ian, as he holds Vangie in such contempt, as well as veiled prejudice against her Romani blood. Vangie is the quintessential pure and beautiful heroine, who has a heart of gold and astounding gentleness despite her situation (being snubbed by the ton for her birth). She is also not a complete pushover, which is evident when she defiantly runs away from Ian after their marriage. Vangie is a very emphatic character, which makes her a nice counterpart to Ian's harsh coldness, in ways like Christine to Erik in Phantom of the Opera, but for the Ian holds a grudge against her.
  
  The story's resolution was done nicely, tying up loose ends and giving a finish to the true villain of the book, who didn't emerge immediately amidst the tangled emotions of the protagonists. The historical research I greatly enjoyed, especially the story takes place in both Regency London and Romani dwellings, with detailed points of each setting that makes it distinct and colorful. I will certainly be anticipating Collette Cameron's next work.
  
• 
  Ella Quinn

  Collette Cameron has done it again with The Viscount’s Vow. Miss Cameron has weaved a lovely story of a forced marriage between Vangie and Ian, deftly bringing the two together for their happily ever after. Along the way there are cutthroats, from all levels of society and a journey into a Gypsy camp.
• 
  Dee Deacon Foster

  Collette Cameron showcases her fabulous talent in this revenge gone wrong tale.
• 
  Merry

  This is the first time I read this author and from other reviews it appears this is one of her first books. It was an ok book. It had an everything but the kitchen sink feel to me.
• 
  Lindsey

  Evangeline Caruthers (Vangie) is vibrant as the day is long. She bounces off the page with her feisty tongue and very kind forgiving heart. Vangie is a woman stuck in two worlds; the Elite English Ton and the Gypsy Roma, a group of wondering kindhearted people. Trying hard to fit into the Ton she is taken for a women that gives away her favors and tongues begin to wag. Vangie becomes a target for men becuase of her heritage and beauty.
  
  Ian Hamilton, Viscount Warrick is out for vengeance. Coming home from abroad to a dead brother and father he is out to take back what he lost. Listening to his step-mama and sister Ian is out to ruin Miss Evangeline Caruthers as she is to blame for his brother’s death. He will stop at nothing to ruin the beautiful taunting Miss Caruthers.
  
  After a dance Ian and Vangie find themselves immersed in scandal forcing them to marry. With a quick marriage ceremony they are off to Northumberland to Ian’s Somersfield Estate. Along the way Ian realizes that Vangie isn’t the woman the world has portrayed her to be and begins to realize he married a wonderful vibrant woman he would like to get to know. This is where you see Ian being the wonderful romantic he truly is. However things never go according to plan and Vangie will soon realize that maybe Ian has not been as honest as she would have liked and takes her life into her own hands.
  
  This wonderful crafted story has all the good parts; romance, mystery, comedy, kindness and something that I haven’t encountered but really liked, the Roma culture. The last book I read with the Roma culture was by Lisa Klepas. That book was good but Ms. Cameron gives us so much more and you feel like you really know who the Roma people are. I loved the scenes where Vangie and Ian are with the Roma people. It was rich with description and she makes you feel like you are there with them. I loved it!
  
  *I did receive a copy of this book for an honest review.
  
  More on my blog:
  http://romancereadergirl.com/
• 
  AnnMarie

  The Viscount's Vow is the first book in the Castle Brides series by Collette Cameron. It was released in 2013, why it took me so long to discover it I don't know. But, I am so glad that I did. This book is superb.
  
  Evangeline Caruthers is a noblewoman but also part Romani. She tries to fit into the 'ton' but with a lot of people giving her the cut purely because of her Romani roots, and also with her trouble with remembering names, she is struggling. She is a beautiful woman and gets more than her share of men who try to get fresh with her, they don't care about her roots. She hates their attention. In honesty she struggles with who she is, does she want to be true to her Romani nature and live with those relatives, or does she stay in London accepting her noble side?
  
  Ian Hamilton, Viscount Warrick is searching for Evangeline (Vangie) with only one thing in mind, her ruination. He has been told from solid sources that his father and his brother both died because of her. When he meets her at a ball it actually proves all too easy to get her into a position for her ruination, but things don't go to plan and it's Ian that ends up in the parson's trap.
  
  From there the story really takes off. Warrick realises that perhaps he has been lied to and that Vangie isn't the wanton hussie that she was made out to be. But does he find out too late? I don't want to give too much away about the rest of the story so I won't say any more about happens.
  
  What I will say is that this story had it all. There were moments that I was in tears of laughter, especially during a particular bedroom scene. Other times I cried tears of sadness, yes actual tears. Then there were times when I was so angry, not only at the evilest villainess you will ever read about but about Cole's stupidity when it came to her. Of course, there were sigh-worthy moments, swoon-worthy moments and moments of absolute elation. The story really made me run the gamut of emotions and I loved every minute of it. I am definitely going to read the rest of the series!
• 
  Candy

  I loved this! I was really excited to hear that Collette Cameron’s second book The Viscount’s Vow was coming out, and I couldn’t wait to read it! And just like the first, once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down! There’s some mystery and a lot of action in this Regency Romance!
  
  The Viscount’s Vow begins two years before the events in Highlander’s Hope, so it is very much a stand alone. In this story, we find out how Vangie and Ian meet. Vangie (Yvette’s cousin from HH) is the daughter of a Baronet, and she is part Romani Gypsy.
  
  Ian has come to London to avenge his brother’s death, and he fully blames Evangelina Caruthers (Vangie) for being the cause for both his brother’s and his father’s deaths. He plans to expose her for the harlot that she is! But when the opportunity arrives, and he’s caught in a compromising position with Vangie, he can’t go through with it, and he must marry her instead.
  
  Ian quickly learns Vangie is not the promiscuous tart he thinks she is, but a spirited, generous, forgiving woman, who just happens to be extremely good at throwing a dagger! Soon he begins falling in love with her. They have more than a few obstacles to overcome, and just when things are looking up for them, something happens to make Vangie think Ian has betrayed her. She runs off with her gypsy family, and Ian must prove himself trustworthy again.
  
  I like Vangie’s backbone - her willingness to stand up for herself! First, she refuses to marry Ian. Then she is willing to kill for him! At the same time, she's a little naive. In London, she had no idea of the reputation she had as a trollop.
  
  With highwaymen, gypsies and an evil-stepmother -- heartache, betrayal and smoldering romance, The Viscount’s Vow is fast paced and action packed all the way to the end!
  
  Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the book from the author.
  
• 
  Jonel

  This novel was perfectly, wickedly innocent.
  
  Cameron jumps seamlessly into the time period and the action with this thrilling tale of love, loss, and trust. As a reader, you get drawn fully into this scintillating tale via Cameron’s amazingly natural storytelling skills. She creates a uniquely wonderful storyline that keeps you reading and leaves you unable to put the book down. Cameron is a show-not-tell type of author, leaving her readers able to visualise each and every scene and setting.
  
  The phenomenal characters that we meet in this novel are the type that you cannot forget. They aren’t larger than life, but they definitely stay with you once the novel ends. Even those characters that are less than nice are phenomenal in their own right. Each and every one of them draws you in in some way or another. They are all completely unique to themselves and will keep you coming back for more.
  
  All in all this was a brilliant historical romance that you won’t be able to put down. It is one of those novels that you wish were part of a series, not because you feel that there are things left undone at the end, but because you don’t want to let got yet.
  
  Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Charlene

  This is the second book by this author and is actually a prequel. It is not necessary to have read the first book, this story is a stand alone novel and I actually loved this story more than her first book.
  
  The story starts out with a brooding and angry Viscount Warwick at a ball. It seems that his younger brother just recently died and his father shortly after him. The reason he's there is to revenge their deaths. Which apparently was caused by a conniving trollup named Evangline Caruthers. He wants to ruin her and make her pay. Anyway his Aunt introduces them and unfortunately things don't go the way he expected and he finds himself having to marry her. Vangie as known to her family is part gyspy and as such you hear her talk in Romi and it actually inhances the story. You get to see what make her tick and it is endearing. And like any wonderful romance there is lots of misunderstanding and lies set up to distract and mislead. The journey was heart renching and you start to root for these two. The story is a romance but the mystery of what is going on and how the answers unfold make it hard to put down. I read this book in 21/2 days. I highly recommend this book!
• 
  Shasha

  The emotions were vivid. It was refreshing to have a heroine that was half-English pulled between two cultures. There is plenty of action and drama. The servants have personalities.
  
  A Roma princess? Really?! By the end the stereotypical comments made, especially by the heroine, were almost offensive. The Regency language was overdone--I frequently had to stop and reread, other words were used so many times that I was bored. The hero felt inconsistent He's concerned about the heroine giving birth to another man's child yet has sex with her on their wedding night anyway. He wants his wife to give him her heart--not a sentiment many of the ton share. There are odd empty spots in sentences as if the space bar was pushed 4 times and other errors.
  Are there panthers in England? The heroine makes so many references to how silent they are it sounds like she has first hand knowledge. The villain is insanely evil...and the hero doesn't do as much as he should.
  
  Mature content
• 
  Melanie

  This is my first time reading this author and let me tell you, she is very good.
  
  I loved the character of Ian Hamilton, the Viscount Warrick. What a great hero! He starts off with a vengeance in mind, but as soon as he realizes his folly, he’s more than ready to apologies and set things right for our poor, misguided and beautiful heroine, Evangeline Caruthers.
  
  This was an entertaining and enjoyable read from start to finish because of authors use of a range of emotions, from betrayal ...thanks for jumping to b2b to finish reading my review ...
  
  
  http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.co...
  
  Melanie for b2b.
  
  Complimentary copy provided by the author.
• 
  Lori D

  London 1814 "Vengence isn't sweet." Evangeline Caruthers. "After seeking her the better part of an hour, he finally found the chit. His younger brother was dead because of her."
  Ian was on a mission to avenge the woman responsible for his brother's death. But all is not as it seems and in typical Collette Cameron fashion, she weaves an intriguing story that will not let you go until the end!
  Absolutely love it!!
• 
  Ronda Blanke Geiger

  The Viscount's Vow
  
  I did enjoy this book. It was a little confusing at first but all the pieces do eventually fall into place. Ian and Evangeline's story has lots of twists and turns but all is well in the end. Loved the Roma gypsy twist!
• 
  Sandee

  Very well written romance/adventure. Prejudice, scandal and subterfuge.