| Title | : | How to Seduce a Scot (Broadswords and Ballrooms, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1492612871 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781492612872 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 345 |
| Publication | : | First published December 1, 2015 |
The plan is simple:
1. Descend from the Highlands to face the aggravation of a London Season;
2. Foist his wild sister off on some gullible English lord;
3. Retreat before the ladies of the scandalized ton can get any ideas.
Determined to see his hellion of a sister wed, Highlander Alexander Waters is willing to face anything—even the English. He just didn't expect his own rough manners to cause such a riot...or for a blooming English rose to catch his eye.
Gently bred Catherine Middlebrook must find a respectable man to marry or her family will be ruined. She won't allow herself to be distracted by Highland barbarians...no matter how her body may thrill whenever Alex is near.
Catherine wasn't part of the plan, but as their battle of wills escalates, Alex comes to realize this "proper" English girl is as wild as the Highlands themselves...and nothing will stop him from having her.
How to Seduce a Scot (Broadswords and Ballrooms, #1) Reviews
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I picked this one up from the library because I was in the mood for a historical romance, and the Scottish hero was a draw, of course. This turned out to be a cute and enjoyable read. It feels a little light and uncomplicated, to my tastes, but sometimes that's what you're looking for. The hero, Alex was determined not to fall in love with the heroine, Catherine, but he couldn't seem to stay away from her.
I liked the family dynamics on both sides. Both Alex and Catherine are driven by duty to their families. Catherine needs to make a successful marriage and Alex wants to see his young sister married off before he returns home. He made his mother a promise not to marry an Englishwoman, but Cat is making that very hard for him to keep. Cat is appealing in every way. She's sweet and kind, beautiful, and has a good head on her shoulders. When she keeps trying to look for another husband, it makes him realize that the only man he wants her to marry is him. Cat likes everything about Alex, but the problem is he isn't the suitable husband she desperately needs. She can't afford to let love or lust keep her away from her objective. She has to keep a roof over her family's head, since her father had died and her mother had squandered most of their inheritance. She needs a husband who is willing to take on responsibility of her family, along with a new wife.
Good chemistry and likeable characters make this a pleasant read. I would like to continue this series.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars. -
Alexander Waters can't keep his eyes off his sister's friend, Catherine. He knows he can't marry her so he does his best to stay away from her, but he finds himself seducing her every time he's left alone with her.
Catherine needs to marry well because her family is destitute. Her mom has been spending money and making horrible financial decisions. Catherine wants Alex desperately, but feels she must marry the man that has paid her family's debts.
This was a solid 3 star read. It was a little slow and repetitive at times. I also got tired of the hero and heroine wanting each other physically, but refusing each other in all other ways. I felt like a yoyo.
I actually look forward to the next two books in the series because they deal with Alex's siblings -
3.5 stars. I wanted to like this more than I really did. I mean, a hot Scottish alpha male and an English rose - what's not to like?
Apparently the author decided to make her Scottish hero TOO nice!! I was a little disappointed with that. I wanted Alex to be more alpha and take what he wanted. Then there is his Angel...she was cute at first but then grew tiresome to me. Her wanting to do the "honorable" thing was too lame. I get it, she needed a rich husband - so because Alex was Scottish, she couldn't see that he was rich too? Jeesh!
Don't get me wrong, I did think this was a cute story and I really liked Alex and his sister and even Catherine's young sister. I just think the story was a little slow at times and I really did want Alex to be more ...Scottish! I will be reading this author again, I want to check out the next one in this series.
**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.** -
3.5 stars.
***
Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English
Book One of the Broadswords and Ballrooms series
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
He's the terror of the ton...
The plan is simple:
1. Descend from the Highlands to face the aggravation of a London Season;
2. Foist his wild sister off on some gullible English lord;
3. Retreat before the ladies of the scandalized ton can get any ideas.
Determined to see his hellion of a sister wed, Highlander Alexander Waters is willing to face anything—even the English. He just didn't expect his own rough manners to cause such a riot...or for a blooming English rose to catch his eye.
Gently bred Catherine Middlebrook must find a respectable man to marry or her family will be ruined. She won't allow herself to be distracted by Highland barbarians...no matter how her body may thrill whenever Alex is near.
Catherine wasn't part of the plan, but as their battle of wills escalates, Alex comes to realize this "proper" English girl is as wild as the Highlands themselves...and nothing will stop him from having her.
What I Liked:
My rating is really 3.5 stars, more positive than it appears. I thought this book was cute! But maybe my expectations were too high. I LOVE Scottish romances - the Highlanders are special type of hunky, alpha males. But there were some things in this book that didn't quite work for me, and I didn't love this book as much as I'd wanted. Still, I think I'll be reading the next book (which I just got this week!).
Catherine Middlebrook needs to spend her one and only Season finding a husband - a rich one, at that. Her mother has spent all of the family's money, so Catherine and her twelve-year-old sister have to look out for her and themselves. They don't even have enough money for Catherine's first Season, so she better make the most of it. She's caught the eye of Lord Farleigh, who is kind and a lord, but he has nothing on the heat and intensity of the rich Scot, Alexander Waters. Alex and his older brother Robert have brought their little sister, Mary Elizabeth, to London to find her a husband. But it might not be the young Scot girl that will get married...
This book is so cute - if I were to describe it in one word, it would be "cute". It has a different tone than most other historical romance novels that I'm used to reading. While we are well aware of Catherine's plight and worry (in terms of her family's financial situation), we can't help but giggle at all the encounters between Alex and Catherine. They become interested in each other practically on spot, which surprises them both. Alex has no interest in the English, and Catherine has no interest in anyone who isn't a rich lord (the debts must be paid!).
Mary Elizabeth and Catherine become friends after the first ball at the beginning of the book, which is how Catherine and Alex are able to interact and get to know each other. Alex is actually a sweetheart and a gentleman, and Catherine is innocent and sweet, but she does not want to tangle with him because she has Lord Farleigh's interest, and she needs to marry - and marry well. I love how Catherine and Alex's romance is a bit forbidden, and they sneak around here and there.
I thought the romance wasn't steamy enough (see below), and I didn't like how Catherine kept pushing Alex away (though you really can understand why, with her goal of trying to marry a rich lord). I wanted the pace of the book to be faster, as well as there to be more depth, but overall, the book was a decent read.
What I Did Not Like:
Alex is a Scot, and I expected him to be this big, strapping, burly man with a Scottish brogue and a wicked, naughty side. He is all of those things, but I think the author held him back a bit. He didn't seem Scottish enough, to me! I wanted to see him be less of a gentleman, but he was so gentlemanly, for a Scot, one that hates the rules of the English. I loved Alex but he could have been much more!
The romance was a bit slow - and this is coming from me, who loves slow-burn romances. I think the author was trying to convey the emotional side of the relationship first, but I thought Alex and Catherine discovered that they loved the other rather quickly. Like, that realization, it dawned on each of them very fast. Of course, neither of them told the other until of the book, but still. The romance felt slow, but the realization was rushed.
And the chemistry! I felt like theoretically Catherine and Alex had great chemistry, but it was frustratingly little and slow throughout the book! I feel like they don't actually get their hands on each other until like, 45% of the book? That's a long time! And they do so little! Where are all the steamy scenes! Not just snippets of chemistry, but STEAMY?
Of the two of them, I liked Alex more. Catherine pushed him away, wasn't always straight with him, and she had this very misguided notion in her head that she couldn't marry him because he wasn't a rich English lord. The thing is, Alex is a rich Scottish lord (well, not a lord, but a rich Scottish gentleman), he loves her, and she loves him, so I never saw the problem. Oh, those English...
The very ending kind of bothered me a bit. Not the ending necessarily but the falling action. I can't say things specifically but I will say that I wasn't pleased by how quickly Alex forgave everything. I would still be pissed - but he literally fixes everything and sweeps her off her feet and la la la happy ending. I LOVE happy endings. I didn't like how dandy and smitten he was. Like, it's okay to be smitten, but for a great big alpha male Scot, he is too sweet. You don't hear that too often... me complaining about a guy being TOO sweet.
Anyway, this book was cute, but probably not one that I'd shout from the rooftops about (in either case, love or hate).
Would I Recommend It:
Ehh, I don't know if I'd recommend this one. I LOVE Scottish romances, but I think I wanted more Scotland, more steamy scenes, and more alpha male. This one is not bad, but not amazing. I could recommend a bevy of other Scottish/Highlander historical romances that are very satisfying!
Rating:
3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. I am definitely going to read the next book (Robert for the win!) - here's hoping that at least part of it is set in Scotland! I don't think it will be, but a girl can dream. -
I received an ARC of "How to Seduce a Scot" via Netgalley.
I haven't been reading historical romance lately, it has be quite some time actually. So when I started reading "How to Seduce a Scot" by Christy English I was rather happy that I decided to dip back into this genre.
Catherine needs to find a husband before the season is out. She has one chance at finding a suitable one to help her and her mother and her younger sister. After the death of her father, 5 years previous, money is growing slim, so one season to make a match is all she has.
Not having much luck at the start, Catherine finds herself torn between two men. A gentle Englishman who is caring and kind and a handsome Scotsman who makes her feel safe and comfortable yet brings a blush to her face whenever he looks at her.
Who does she chose? Does she follow her heart or her honor?
I found it to be a delightful and humorous read, refreshing to say the least. The main character at time where frustrating, but that is the norm in most historical romance novels. The secondary characters I enjoyed immensely, I can not wait to meet them in the future novels, especially Mary Elizabeth what a breath of fresh air that one was.
"How to Seduce a Scot" is set to be released December 1st, 2015. -
This book started off amusing but then became extremely repetitive and slow and I didn't want to pick it up again. I stopped at 35%. The characters were both too wishy-washy for me and I got tired of the hero referring to the heroine in his mind as a girl...not romantic and kind of creepy (though their ages of 18 and 25 were not unreasonable).
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Kinda underwhelming due to the hero being such a doormat. Scottish heroes are supposed to be over the top badass alpha but this hero had to be prodded by the heroine's mother to go after the heroine. That annoyed me greatly.
Now I'm going to do a reread of Julie Garwood's The Bride. Now that's the kind of Scottish hero I like. -
Ahhh, romance with a volatile and passionate Highlander as he attempts to catch the attentions of a prim and proper, as well as very inexperienced English lady. Alexander was only putting up with the social niceties to marry of his sister, Mary; little did he know that a sweet English girl would scorch his heart with her hidden fiery side.
How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English is equal parts humorous, romantic and heated chemistry. After a steady build up, there are many times that the secondary characters steal the scene with their antics. Alex and Catherine fight attraction with a battle of the wills, but who will win? Will the lady tame the Scot or will ignite her inner wild child in heated passion?
A good read, with stellar scenes, but when I read about a Scot, I feel the passion they portray, the chemistry was wonderful between these two, but they lacked that heated passion I was hoping for, the passion that makes one swoon and sigh. But trust me, those secondary characters are going to get their turn at love and I see fireworks exploding!
I received this ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Broadswords and Ballrooms - Book 1
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN-13: 9781492612889
Genre: Historical Romance | Regency
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from:
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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How to Seduce a Scot was my first read by Christy English and while it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I actually really enjoyed it. There were a few things that would have bothered me, had I been reading a different book, but it all made sense in this one.
Ever since Catherine's father died a few years ago she's had to step up and help her mother and now that their money has dwindled away, she has to marry a man that can take care of her and her family. It's her first and only London Season and Alex was definitely not part of the plan.
Alex and his brother have come to London to get their wild sister married off. He has big plans to have his sister married so he can get back to the Highlands and to his beloved boat... Love and marriage is definitely not on his agenda... But there's something about Catherine that he just can't seem to walk away from.
I loved the connection that Alex and Catherine had from the get-go. Alex is older (25, I believe) and more familiar with the ways of the world and Catherine is younger (18) and is definitely naive when it comes to some things but she's had to grow up faster than most so she's a pretty good match for Alex. At first she comes off as prim and proper, or at least that's how she's trying to come off, but in the presence of Alex and his sister she starts to open up and you can see her wild streak shine through.
There was definitely some push and pull on Alex's part which made the romance drag a bit but like I said, it just works in this one for some reason. Catherine is determined to marry and if Alex won't marry her then she'll settle for someone that will... Which made Alex step up in the long run and decide that he just couldn't let her go.
Overall, this was a fun, if a bit slow at times, read and I enjoyed it enough to check out the next book in the series.
*ARC kindly provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
Poor Catherine Middlebrook is having quite the distressing time. She must find a proper husband before her family is ruined. Her spendthrift mother and family are for Catherine sacrificing herself for the better good. She has a type in mind and the tall, brooding Scotsman who is placed in her path is definitely not her type. He is too big and too much male for her.
Brooding Highlander, Alexander Waters has come to London to get his sister wed even if it has to be an Englishman. His feisty sister befriends the wily Catherine and both ladies begin to torment the man. Alex sees what Catherine is after, but he also sees that the seemingly proper and staid miss actually has quite the fire within that seems to come out whenever they are in each other's presence. Once Alex gets his head out of the clouds, he sees that Catherine is just what he needs and proving it to her is a exciting journey.
HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOT by Christy English is a truly delightful tale. It took a little bit to get going, but was full speed ahead when it really mattered. I loved how all of the characters play off one another. The give and take is great! This story has it all, intrigue, romance with a smidge of comedy. All in all a great read and I am looking forward to the next one! -
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I have decided I am moving to Scotland and getting a highlander. Oh my goodness! This book! And Alexander was so gentlemanly and his words were poetic... Ok he was gentlemanly when he was supposed to be haha! Catherine was a little stubborn but once she came around all went as it should. I actually for real swooned over Alexander! My favorite quote was a part of the book where Catherine had cut herself and Alexander went to tend to them. The whole time Catherine is going on and on about how proper it is for her to be alone in a room with him etc. so he responded with "Miss Middlebrook, I give you my word of honor as a gentleman, you have nothing to fear from me, now or ever. I would defend you with my life. As long as you are in my presence, you need fear no man or beast." I just thought that was such a nice and gentlemanly thing to say! Anyway I thought it was great and really liked the writing style and the flow. I was able to follow and knew what was going on at all times.
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How to Seduce a Scot was a cute, in a mature audience kind of way, highland romance.
Catherine needs to marry well to save her family from a very bad financial situation. Bottom line, she needs a husband and she needs to find him fast.
Alexander Waters is attending the season with his younger sister, Mary Elizabeth. Catherine and Mary Elizabeth become friends. Mary Elizabeth is not keen on finding a husband or even attending the season but she trudges along, not hiding under the regular social civilities.
Catherine has captured the eye of Lord Farleigh but she has also caught the attention Alex. Lord Farleigh offers her the stability she’s looking for but no chemistry. Alex quickly steals her heart…unfortunately, Alex isn’t looking to be tide down by a wife.
This is a very slow building romance. There is chemistry but you just didn’t feel the passion. Enjoyable but nothing that jumps out to make it more than a very nice romance…
and that is exactly what it was…
a very nice and easy romance.
I received this ARC copy of How to Seduce a Scot from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication December 1, 2015.
My Rating: 3 Stars
Written by: Christy English
Series: Broadswords and Ballrooms
Sequence in series: Book 1
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
ISBN-10: 1492612871
ISBN-13: 978-1492612872
Genre: Scottish | Regency | Historical Romance
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
For Reviews and More Check out:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it very much. Alex Waters has come to London with his brother Robert and sister Mary Elizabeth to find a husband for Mary. Mary makes friends with Catherine Middlebrook a shy girl from the country trying to find a wealthy husband to care for her mother and younger sister. Alex has no intentions of marrying anyone, especially an English girl. So of course, he falls in love with her. Complications arrive and I do not write plot spoilers so read the book. I think you'll like it.
My only complaint, and it was short lived, was that Catherine was so unsure of what to do and made mistakes. But, when I remembered her age and having lived in the country it made more sense to me. The secondary characters are fun and interesting. I will be reading their stories. I received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review. The book will be released December 1st. -
How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English
First in the Broadswords and Ballrooms series
4.5 starsCatherine Middlebrook is a lady who is need of a proper husband. Her family is in debt and the shrinking amount of money her father left for them before his death is rapidly dwindling with her mother’s spending. This is Catherine’s only season to find a man to whisk her away and save her family. A gentleman bred of a good English background will do. Catherine wasn’t expecting to make quick friends with Mary Elizabeth Waters, whose brother won’t stop staring at from across the ballroom. Alexander Waters should want nothing to do with Catherine. His goal is to marry his sister to an Englishman, go back to Scotland, and return to the seas. But Alex can’t resist Catherine and some plans don’t go according to plan. I’m a sucker for Highlanders. Any historical romance is a guilty pleasure, but my favorites are the ones that include Scotland and English ballrooms. I love these kinds of stories. They are fun and endearing. The men are swoon worthy, the tension is palpable, and the ladies are witty and fun to read about. This novel is a perfect combination of everything that I love in a historical romance novel.
The writing is perfect for this novel. There are some great lines thrown in the novel and it fits in very well with the scenes. While English’s writing isn’t the most superb, I did really enjoy the style and how easily it flowed.
“He was like some wild, beautiful beast that had stepped into her life with no warning, and one day would step out of it again just as suddenly.”
“It is wise never to try to touch wild things.
Not even when those wild things are beautiful, and touch your heart?”
I am sensing a love for wild things in this novel and I quite like it.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.25The main female character is Catherine. Catherine has a lot of traits that are often scene in a historical romance and while I liked her, I also found her quite irritating. Catherine is always going on about honor and saving her family and la di di. I found her to be quite ridiculous towards the end and her train of thought made no sense to me.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 4The main male character is Alexander Waters. The first thing to say about Alexander is that he is truly yummy. Of course, he holds no match with Jamie Fraser, but as a Highlander he is definitely a delectable one. Alex is also very endearing.
“Miss Middlebrook, I give you my word of honor as a gentleman, you have nothing to fear from me, now or ever. I would defend you with my life. As long as you are in my presence, you need fear no man or beast.”
Seriously, Alex is the sweetest. He is a true Scottish gentleman. Now where can I find one similar to him?
Swoon Worthy Scale: 5The characters are a great cast. The best characters are hidden quite often in historical romances. Mary Elizabeth for example is quite the badass character. She reminds me of Beatrix Hathaway as far as mannerisms and not fitting in with the ton. While they are two very different characters, they have the same endearing qualities that make some of my favorite female characters.
“She savored her new friend’s casual attitude both toward knives and the blood they drew.”
Pure badassery. A trope that always frustrates me in historical romances is the prospect of another suitor. The suitor in this novel, Lord Farleigh, was a basic man who I felt nothing towards except distaste (especially since I wasn’t the most trusting of him as a person). Even though he wasn’t a bad guy, he was boring and was only there to cause tension. I loved both Alex and Catherine’s family. They all had such awesome qualities and made it so fun.
Character Scale: 5The ending did feel rushed, but I can honestly say that it doesn’t bother me all that much. I truly loved how the story played out and not only that, but I genuinely had fun reading it. It was so much fun to read a lighthearted story that didn’t feel like it was trying to be the most groundbreaking novel of the year. I recommend this for fans of historical romance, Outlander, Scottish Highlanders, witty characters, and fun reads.
Plotastic Scale: 4.5
Cover Thoughts: I personally don’t like the cover. What drew me in was the title. All you have to do is say anything in correlation with Scotland and I’m sold.
Thank you, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. -
Oh, I do love me a good bodice ripper! I've always wondered if historical romance authors hated that term ... anyhow ... this is a good bodice ripper! I've read, I don't know ... hundreds ... of historical romance novels and I've become quite picky with my reviews. I've just read so many that I've had to become more discerning in order to figure out what kind of rating that they each should receive. Anyhow, this one will not disappoint you. At all. Actually, it's one of my favorite books for the year so far.
The majority of the time, I read books on my Kindle and for one reason only ... I can take notes! With two kiddos, I don't remember my own name by the end of the day, let alone what I thought about a book I'm reading. Usually I have at least ten notes for each book and on this one, I didn't have a single one. Now, that can happen for two reasons ... either it was so unremarkable that I just didn't think anything or it could be because I was so wrapped up in the novel that I just didn't want to take the time to step away from what I was reading to note something. This time, it was the latter.
There was something just magical about this book. I can't really put my finger on what it was exactly that just kept me totally hooked. It was probably just a culmination of a bunch of things. First of all, I loved the characters. I loved Catherine from the very beginning of the novel ... and her sister and mom and then Alexander and his sister ... I just loved every single one. I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what they had gotten themselves into or what they were saying to each other. And the interactions between characters ... oh, the interactions. Christy English writes some awesome dialogue!! The conversations that would go on between these characters was just so realistic that you feel that you are right there, witnessing it happening in front of you. I'd imagine that is something very difficult to achieve, especially with historical romance novels. The language can be so strange and foreign to someone who isn't familiar with it and it can feel stuffy and stuck up. Thankfully, Christy English knows what she is doing and she was absolutely fabulous.
I also enjoyed the chemistry between all of the characters ... even the cooks, servants and workers in the house left their own little footprint on the novel and the novel was elevated that much more just for that reason. I know that I'll be reading another novel by this author, it was so realistic that I want to see if other novels by her are written the same way. If they are ... it would seem that I have another author to put on my watch list!
I did love the book but I also only gave it 4 stars and that is because it did feel a little long in the tooth in some places and I thought that it bogged the story down just a little bit. But it was really close to being a 5 star book for me!
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
Check out more of my reviews at
Little Miss Bookmark! -
Very wordy. Bit repetitive. Bit odd. Ordered next in series to see how that is as not read this author's work before. Agree with others that the H's sister was the most interesting character in it. Synopsis sounded much more action-packed than the book turned out to be. h is a bit of a pain at times.
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My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin:
http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2015/11...
How to Seduce a Scot is a sweet romance from beginning to end. Christy English’s first Broadswords and Ballrooms book is filled with nice, likeable characters, but the overall story may have been better served if it were novella-length.
Alexander Waters is a proud Scotsman who yearns to be at sea…or in the Highlands…or pretty much anywhere but a London ballroom. But he’s promised his mother he’d see his wild sister married to an Englishman, so Alex is stuck among the foppish members of the ton until Mary Elizabeth finds a husband. The last thing Alex expects is to fall in love at first sight when he spies Mary Elizabeth talking to an angel, better known as the very proper Catherine Middlebrook. Catherine is gentle, sweet, and perfect – everything Alex didn’t know he wanted. But he’s determined to return to sea and is not ready to take a wife. For her part, Catherine needs to marry – fast. In the wake of her father’s death and her mother’s uncontrollable spending, Catherine knows she needs to marry a wealthy man who will take care of her family before they lose everything. She can’t afford to be tempted by her new friend’s brother, especially since he makes it clear he has no plans to wed. Only putting Alex out of her mind is impossible when the man seems to be everywhere she looks...
Aside from the hero and heroine’s stubbornness leading to a number of push-pull situations, there are very few obstacles in How to Seduce a Scot. Alex and Catherine fall in love in a heartbeat, but their romance is slow to build because they both have a picture in their head of their futures and neither of them planned for a sudden tumble into love. I liked Alex and Catherine, but she was a bit too perfect and he was a bit too indecisive, and both of them were overshadowed by the more energetic personalities around them. And as much as I wanted to be swept away by their love story, I never was. There wasn’t enough “meat” to the plot or the characters (neither of whom really changed over the course of the story) to keep the book moving at a decent pace, which is why I think the story may have been better served being trimmed down to novella size.
How to Seduce a Scot isn’t the most memorable story, but it’s light, sweet, and enjoyable. I finished Catherine and Alex’s story wishing it had a bit more depth to it, but at the same time I liked it well enough to be looking forward to the next Broadswords and Ballrooms book, How to Wed a Warrior.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. -
The blurb makes this book sound like it would be a hot and steamy read. Unfortunately, the majority of the book is quite tame. The title is misleading. The heroine, Catherine, doesn't seduce our Scottish hero. She actually does her best not to be attracted to him nor be alone with him, because she knows she can never marry him. She needs to marry for security. There is a suitor, Lord Farley (not our hero), whom she decides she will most likely marry. I disliked her self-sacrificing thoughts and decisions. I wasn't sure if Lord Farley had ulterior motives. Fortunately, he didn't. He was just a nice gentleman, which is a nice change from having a suitor that ends up being the antagonist/villain.
The hero, Alex, is not the typical Scottish alpha hero I usually find in highlander HRs. When I did pay close attention to the audiobook, I find that he's quite a gentleman. Some reviewers would probably disagree. Nothing really exciting happens although I did enjoy some of the moments the H/h were alone together and the moments Alex's sister, Mary Elizabeth, teaches Catherine her Scottish ways (throwing knives, climbing down a rope ladder in case of fire, etc.) I wanted to read Mary Elizabeth's book, but I'm afraid, based on reviews, that it's going to be another dull book, which is a bummer. I had hoped to find a new author and books to read, but instead I found an author whose books I want to avoid reading. -
This is the first installment in Christy English's new Broadswords and Ballrooms series, featuring a family of rough and tumble Highlanders and their spitfire sister. I believe the premise will be matching each spirited Highlander with a prim and proper English woman/man. I have been wanting to read this author for a while, and have been eyeing
To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. So I was glad to see she has this new series on NetGalley so I could give her a shot.
In this first book, our hero is a proud braw Highlander who sticks out like a sore thumb among the English dandies. Alexander Waters is unapologetic about his size, his manliness, and his Scottish patriotism. He is drawn immediately to our heroine, Catherine, a country girl from Devon who is being ignored by all the other men in Almack's. While Alex was bonny and braw, he was also uber nice and honorable. I did like Alex, and his wondrous black leather gloves, but I wished he would have been a little more of a Highland caveman. I haven't read a good bride stealing book lately, and I was really hoping he was going to take matters in his own hands and steal Catherine away.
Catherine is a sweet and dutiful country girl who has fallen on hard times. After her father passed, her somewhat flighty mother has ruined their finances. In a last ditch effort, Catherine comes to London to have a one and only season to grab a husband who will take care of her and her family. Unfortunately her dutiful nature causes her to do things all wrong and she quite got on my nerves with it. I really lost a lot of respect for her towards the end when she was fouling things up with Alex.
This series has a lot of potential, and I am looking forward to the next book. Unfortunately this first installment didn't hold my attention all that well and I was not a huge fan of the heroine.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 3 flames. -
How to Seduce a Scot is a historical romance by Christy English. It is currently scheduled for release on December 1 2015. Highlander Alexander Waters has a plan, he is in town and dealing with the ton for a season to get his sister married. He has no desire for any romance of his own, he just wants to do right by his sister and get back to his ship. Catherine Middlebrook must find a respectable man to marry or her family will be ruined. Her little sister and less than reliable mother are making the need more pressing, and the need to save her family stronger. She won't allow herself to be distracted by Highland barbarians, regardless of how much her heart and body disagree with her good sense. As the battle of will begins and escalates Catherine and Alex will both be surprised and thrilled with the path they find themselves on.
How to Seduce a Scot is a romance with entertaining and well fleshed out characters. Every character has a set of problems, even if the readers are not aware of them. i know that must be more to several of the secondary characters and their motives, and am eager to explore the rest of the series in order to figure them out, even if this book does stand up fine on its own. I liked that Catherine is a smart and capable lady, facing hard times with as much honor and fortitude as she can manage. She is trying her best to protect those around her, even when they do not make it easy. Alex and his siblings are charming and unique, and I really want to explore their family more since I found them to be extremely entertaining, even when they are trying to go unnoticed. I enjoyed the twists and turns that everyone faced to find their own happy ending, and look forward to seeing who is next!
How to Seduce a Scot is an engaging read that had me invested in the main characters, as well as the fate of the secondary characters. It is the dynamic characters for the larger cast that will bring me, and most likely other readers, coming back for more again and again. -
ARC REVIEW
Christy English's first book of the Broadsword and Ballrooms series, How to Seduce a Scot, is an adorable book. I'm new to Christy English so I wasn't sure what to expect from it. What I got was a honorable Highlander, a feisty sister and a stubborn English rose all of this together makes an amusing story and a series I will be keeping an eye out for. Throughout the book you have the Waters family insulting the "bloody British" despite the fact that their mother is British. Mary Elizabeth is definitely the comic relief in the story, she makes the book even though it's about Alex and Catherine. The main problem is Catherine, she is so stubborn it gets aggravating, it makes you want to scream " just trust him!" The romance was a little too slow burning, there is an attraction right off, the chemistry is there they just forever to really act on it.
Alex Waters' mother told him he was to find a husband for his tomboyish sister and instructions not to fall in love with with an English girl. So what happens Mary Elizabeth's first and only friend captivated Alex at first glance. She looked like an angel and henceforth Alex refers to her as his Angel. But he knows better than to fall for such a lady he is just the youngest son and she deserves more than that. Catherine Middlebrook needed a rich husband and she only has this season to find him, if only Alex Waters hadn't of gotten under her skin. Catherine's need is because her mother is horrible with money and has managed to spend it all and unless Catherine marries well they will have nothing. When Catherine discovers they are worse off than she first thought she decides she must settle for the placid sutor who does absolutely nothing for her, instead of the sexy honorable highlander that boils her blood and makes her heart race. Silly Catherine.
The ending wrapped up all nice and neat in a pretty bow, but I think overall it was a cute read. The secondary characters definitely won me over in the story and look forward to their stories. -
2.5 stars
My attention is caught by any story with a highlander and the cover and blurb reeled me in BUT sadly the book didn't live up to my expectations. It was hard to get into and I never truly came to like either the hero or the heroine. The most irritating part about the hero was his determination to return to sea and thus he was set on not pursuing Catherine. Then all of a sudden when she says the kiss they shared should never be repeated all of a sudden he foists himself upon her every chance he gets. It's almost like a child being told he can't have something so all of a sudden he HAS to have it. I didn't get any sort of build up to why he was so over the moon for her. Another issue is that other than some references to his clan and his sister's disdain towards the English I also didn't get the feel of a highlander about Alexander. His presence doesn't seem to cause any of the "riot" referenced in the book description or the terror he strikes in the ton other than a moment or two where he intimidates a few men. Honestly he could have been any old Englishman and the story wouldn't have been much different other than his outlandish sister.
Then there's Catherine who just irritated me and her character seemed to be all over the place. She had no spine and seemed more of a foil to help other characters shine. Mary Elizabeth, Alexander's sister, is so overboard crazy that it was initially off putting but when seen in constant comparison to Catherine I really came to like her so much more.
The story itself was a little disjointed and never completely drew me in which is honestly probably because I didn't care about the couple. I did end up skimming the last 20% or so just to finish it. -
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley for review.
I've wanted to try this author for a while, and this seemed like a good opportunity. This was a really charming story, and I warmed to the hero and heroine Alexander and Catherine straight away. The initial ballroom scene gave the reader a great insight into their personalities and that of Alex's boisterous rebel of a sister.
The Scottish part of the title actually seemed less of an issue for me than the reluctance to wed on Alex's part for a number of reasons and Catherine's necessity to marry. The fact that they just seemed perfect for one another made the journey part of the fun.
I did really enjoy the hero and heroine of this book, though Alex's sister began to grate slightly after a while, Catherine's mother really grew on me by the end.
I'd like to see more action happening in Scotland, but as I see this is part of a new series I think some of the questions I have about this and the development of the characters will be answered.
A fun read, I'll keep a look out for the next book in the series from this author. -
I received an eARC of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The chemistry (read: antagonism) between a English and Scottish is legendary and by that i mean, Historically proven, so when you read a blurb that hints at a Highlander not interested in English customs but would fall for a English Lady, it should have been sparkling with embers and the chemistry should have set even my electronic reader on fire!
But did that happen? Nope. This book fell flat on almost counts, except Alexander - that man was the epitome of a Scottish Highlander and pretty much was on point as a character. But his Lady? nope. Catherine was perfectly lovely but that's all she was! The epitome of an English Lady, she had no hidden depths except a fierce loyalty to her family and that somehow made her character 2-dimensional.
The writing also lacked the spark, the dialogues were lacking in wittiness and humor and somehow that made it all the more impossible to actually connect with the characters in the story!
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For The Love of Fictional Worlds -
Terribly disappointed with this mediocre read as the book description didn't live up to the hype. Bad enough that I couldn't feel any great love between Catherine and Alexander, but his younger sister was annoying and Catherine's mother was shamefully oblivious to the family's dire straits, making it difficult for me to see any real depth from anyone. The only parts I particularly enjoyed were the love scenes, which were the only times I could feel any heat between the H/h. I'll pass on the rest of the series. 3 stars.
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All in all this was an excellent story. The beginning was choppy but after a few chapters it righted itself and the plot and dialogue flow was perfect. I loved the character development and all the characters. The heroine seems like someone I can relate to and I absolutely adored the sister! There's romance, comedy, and a few plot twists to keep you engaged. I will definitely keep an eye out for more by this author!
*I was provided a free copy through net galley for a honest review* -
Alex is someone you can easily fall in love with, he's charming, good looking, entertaining, and he's protective, “you will always be safe with me,” he said. “ Every day of your life, from this day forward.” There are times Alex has to make demands on his woman, “put your knife away, angel. I can’t have you stabbing men over me.” I liked this book Alex always had his hands full with Catherine.
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This was my first book by Ms. English. While I like the story IDEA, I felt it lacked A LOT of substance and heat. Also, the thoughts that run through Catherine's mind during the "sexy" scenes were awkward and took me out of the story. I MIGHT read the other books in this series, but I'm not making promises.
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This book was perfectly written, and well edited.
Those who know me, will anticipate the but...
But it's not a bad book at all. I just did not find myself connected to the characters, or the plot, even though there is no real issue I can draw to mind.
I just didn't get past....okay on this one.
