When She Said I Do

Wicked Worthingtons #1

by Celeste Bradley

From bestselling author Celeste Bradley comes the tantalizing tale of a beauty and a beast, bound together by fate, fortune, and desire...

Angel's Sin

Caught in a rainstorm, Miss Calliope Worthington takes shelter in a seemingly abandoned mansion. But when she finds a string of pearls in a dusty chest, she is caught red-handed by the house’s reclusive owner—Mr. Ren Porter—a fiery demon of a man who demands that Callie pay for the necklace…with her innocence.

Devil's Bargain

When he first lays eyes on the beautiful trespasser, Ren mistakes her for an angel. But when he realizes Callie is a thief, he strikes a bargain she cannot refuse. She must take his hand in marriage and pay him back in full: one night of passion for each stolen pearl. But when Callie surrenders to his desires—night after wicked night—he awakens something deep inside of her. Something powerful and passionate. Like a fairy tale come true, the monster she married has become the man she loves…when she said I do.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Beauty and The Beast, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance

402 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 29, 2013

About the author

Visit me at www.CelesteBradley.com or facebook.com/CelesteBradleyAuthor :)
Go to CelesteBradley.com/newsletter for my Voice of Society newsletter.

Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!

Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?

I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.

Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!

Hugs,
and thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 When-beast-read-50 shades-before-falling-in-love-with-beauty stars

'When she said I do' , is a young fun HR read...following our lead couple Callie and Ren as they live another re-told version of Disney's tale Beauty and the beast..



This book constituted a lot of things...
1⃣ Hilarity
2⃣ Suspence
3⃣ Sweet romance
4⃣ Angst

BUT the one thing I DEFIANTLY DID NOT expect from this book was the sheer amount of EROTICA 0_O (lol...to say I was 'mildly suprised' would be an understatment......The things they did with those beads of pearls and satin scarf.... *fans self* )



But despite finding this book fun and entertaining...I found myself unable to give it a full five star because of Callie's family !
I know there supoosed to be mad..but their behavior touched insanity.I felt as if they were just an unnecessary add to the plot....They just kept coming in...and going out of sences for absolutely no reason at all *shrug*



Would I recommend it ?
Yes Definatly ! I loved the book,plot....and adored the characters.

Will I be continuing the series ?
I just might.

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this book, because I absolutely love the Beauty and the Beast idea. (and I love Celeste Bradley's writing, most of the time).

So many little things were wrong with this book for me. I felt lost several times and kept turning back pages to figure out if I had accidentally skipped a few. (especially when Beatrice and Henry were brought in to the story), the story jumped around a lot and I had a hard time connecting the sudden changes in the story to the last page, etc.

I like a quick start to a story, but these characters spent absolutely no time getting to know each other, or developing for the reader, and then... BOOM, they are married and her family is gone. So unrealistic. The only interaction that the hero and heroine had were weird almost bondage-type scenes. The first couple sex scenes were OK, but then by the time the cane was brought out and the girl was standing like a statue... I saw no romance in that at all. I felt the author put no thought into their love story except for these bondage scenes.

But I have to say that the most frustrating part of this book was the heroine's constant talking about her "unusual, dangerous, crazy" Worthington family members. I swear, she could not have a single thought, comment, dream, etc in this book without referring to one or more of her family members. It took away from a potential love story with all of her constant references. I understand that the author was trying to build up the Worthington family members so that readers will want to be engaged and read all of the following stories about each family member, but it would have been nice to watch these two characters fall in love withOUT listening to her prattle on about these unknown people constantly... and without the gradually unromantic love scenes.

[CJ Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book. I enjoyed Ms. Bradley's Royal Four and Liars Club books and two are even on my 5 Star All-Time Favorite List (To Wed a Scandalous Spy and Seducing the Spy, so I was very excited to read that poor Ren Porter was going to get a book of his own. I was also looking forward to the whole Worthington family. Ms. Bradley had explained on her website that she was trying to portray a family similar to the Weasley family from Harry Potter so what could go wrong? Apparently A LOT...

Now, Ms. Bradley's books have always been a little hit or miss for me. As I mentioned, two of the Royal Four books are absolutely wonderful, however one of them, Surrender to a Wicked Spy, is absolutely dreadful. The Liar books are really well-plotted and interesting to read, but the Heiress Bride books are not that great. So the fact that she has started out a series with a clunker isn't a deal breaker for me because I know that the next book, And Then Comes Marriage, could be another 5 star offering. I will probably just get it from the library first.

So what was my problem with the story? On the surface, the plot is a good one. Callie is interesting, Ren is sufficiently tortured yet still hero material, the Worthingtons appear to be insane (more on that later) and there are lots of cameos by the Liars and Royal Four members. Here are my main beefs:

1. What the F??? are Callie's parents thinking leaving her with some guy in a hood they've known for less than 24 hours? Sorry, not buying the whole explanation at the end that maybe her crazy mother was in cahoots with the dressmaker.

2. The Worthingtons are truly NUTS! The whole family except for apparently Callie and a couple of brothers. Not only are they crazy, but the level of neglect the whole family has suffered is appalling and not even a little bit endearing. I know there were a few explanations thrown around like the older brother having been thought killed in Spain, but really???

3. Did I miss where we discovered the ages of anybody but the 12 year old homicidal sister?
And speaking of her - WTH was all THAT about? I'm sorry but I have no interest in plotlines that include 12 year olds plotting to murder their brother-in-law.

4. I just didn't understand the whole Henry and Bertice plot and what was with the name Unwin?

5. There should have been more interaction between Ren and the Liars that ALL dropped everything they were doing to check out Ren's new wife. A nice little reconciliation scene would have been great.

6. This book was very graphic in the sex scenes. Way more than was necessary and they went on for pages so when I was skimming them it felt like I was missing half the book.

So, 1 Star is how I would rate this book. Like I said, I will try out the next one just because Ms. Bradley can write wonderful stories. Unfortunately this is not one.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The intimate scenes were more steamy than I expected but I couldn’t connect with the couple nor the plot. The Worthington family is a handful, not sure if I’m interested in their HEAs.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love retelling’s, and this is based off Beauty and the Beast, with- if you hadn’t guessed it, a tortured hero. It’s book #1 in the Wicked Worthington’s series.

This is about a very quirky family. The story starts in a snowstorm with this family getting stranded and finding shelter in an old manor that looks to be abandoned. Calliope (Beauty) wanders around inside the castle and ends up in a treasure room where she tries on a beautiful pearl necklace. Ren (the Beast) appears, thinking he’s dreaming, mistakes her for an Angel, and kisses her. She’s stunned, but is really enjoying his kiss. Her brother comes into the room witnessing it, challenges Ren to a duel thinking his sister has been compromised. Calliope stops the duel, saying “to save my honor we will marry,” but also to save Ren from dying in this duel.

Ren makes a deal to marry her and will release her from the marriage, but only if she can earn back each Pearl on the necklace - through sexual favors (he had at first thought she was stealing it.) I can’t imagine what had to be going through her thoughts at that point. But she agrees to them, and eventually falls for him never wanting their marriage to end with him feeling the same. Calliope is a gem, I just love her. I plan on reading this again sometime for sure.

[Suri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was first drawn by the pretty pink cover. When I read the first chapter, I thought, that quick?-both ruled by lust. Then things went on like that for so many chapters. Both imo just driven by lust. Horny when together. Didn't help that he would tease her every night, and then when in that scene with the cane, smh, am I reading an erotica? Been thinking that as I went through each page and practically just skimming through the too many sex scenes so when I came upon that cane scene, I thought, this is so not my cup of tea. Pity. I was really curious about the mystery side of the story but really, the way certain scenes were described esp during those parts, too graphic with too many of those scenes and the terms used by the writer-bordering on erotica, while so little on the story without the self-pity or self-discovery, so I just stopped.

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

2
Uuuueeeuhhhh wtf happened to her writing skills when she was writing this book??? Like wat



It was just so damn messy. The mystery part of the plot was so poorly executed, the point of view constantly changed back and forth, which is highly abnormal and just bad writing. I'm so disappointed because I would have loved the characters so much more if the author actually focused on their romance! Instead, it was a mostly one sided monologue for the heroine (who I loved, but it was an imbalance), a rushed and badly done story and character development for the hero, and a weird subplot. I didn't understand the spy stuff and honestly didn't even care, it was so stupid. I honestly felt like this wasn't edited because it was so tedious! So tedious in fact that I ended up skimming it

It is enjoyable- when you skim it.

The parts that I liked were the premise. I loved the beginning of the book, regardless of the writing quality. The characters were all in all good, if poorly executed, and the romance had so much potential that when I skimmed it did not seem as bad.

So my biggest disappointment with this was the fact that Ren, who I met in To Wed a Scandalous Spy, which is an AMAZING novel by this same author (another reason I was so baffled that this was so poorly executed!), ANYWAY
Ren was a character I really looked forward to reading because he was so tortured and sad because of his scars, but we hardly heard ANYTHING about his past. I liked that she gave him some monologue about his depression and there was a little development after Calliope came into his life, but not as much as there could have been! Honestly, he was just a walking penis. Calliope and him barely spoke. But Calliope and his penis communicated LIKE CRAZY.



I liked the sex scenes and that they were low key bondage/bdsm lol I was surprised, (in a good way they were hot!) but they really didn't add much to the romance. Usually the sex is a great compliment to the plot, and this honestly would have been if the author worked harder to solidify the non-physical aspect of their relationship.



Now I have mixed feelings for Calliope. So I love heroines who are eccentric and quirky, and even a little bit naive/dumb only when it serves for amusement purposes, but because of the way this book was written, I didn't like her as much as I could have. First off, most of the novel is from her point of view, which I disliked because Ren deserved the spotlight more.

Soo Side characters. I didn't know what the deal was about the clothing tailor guy because that didn't make sense. That Beatrice girl, like what is your problem?? I skimmed through all her parts because she made absolutely zero contribution to the story. Please leave bitch.



Secondly, I hated her family. I know they are supposed to be this fun, eccentric family who readers will die to read about but like, no.

They were annoying as fuck

And Atlanta, or "Attie"





wtf bitch?? you a messed up child. Seriously, that child is FUCKED. UP. She needs HELP because she is MESSED UP I will definitely not be reading about her.

I read this thinking I would get a sweet beauty and the beast style romance, I am a sucker for scarred heroes, but instead I got a half ass romance with underdeveloped characters and a half ass murder plot all in one giant clusterfuck of a strangely written book.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a good Beauty and the Beast theme like story, and this one I would put at the top of my list of favorites. Its the type of story that instantly draws you in and its pretty hard to put down. I do love a story that is easy to get into, but difficult to let go of. This is the first that I have read from this author. I saw the cover and read the blurb, and with no regrets picked it up, knowing I would probably regret it if I didn't. When She Said I Do is pretty close to the beauty and the beast fairy tale. But it also has its own unique tale that sets it apart as well.

When Callie along with her parents and her brother end up nearly drowning in the river when their carriage goes down, they find a huge mansion that she assumes is abandoned. When she gets the rest of her family settled, dressed in only her underclothes, she decides to explore a bit. She finds every room abandoned, and then she comes across a magnificent pearl necklace, and then gets caught red handed by a big man, with half of his face scarred. Caught in a compromising position, her brother and the Mr. Ren Porter end up in a duel and then Callie claims that they will be married. So Callie finds herself married and in a agreement with Mr. Porter, one in which she will share his bed for each stolen pearl. Callie is instantly drawn into this game of seduction, where Ren teaches her the true meaning of desire and surrender. What Callie doesn't expect is to find herself falling in love with her husband, one who protects his heart with a iron shield. It will take more than Callie ever expected to melt the iron around his heart, and to keep him forever.

Ren has recently recovered from a near fatal attack, where he was punctured in the chest, and as such was told that he will die soon from the injuries. As a spy for his country, he has retired, and doesn't trust anyone, at least until Callie comes along. When he finds Callie, a beautiful siren, who ironically ends up as his wife, he is determined to keep her as long as he possibly can. Ren is a very virile and alpha type male. He is very proud and can be paranoid at times, considering his previous life. I found myself really enjoy the type of character Ren turned out to be. He just made me want to melt. Callie is a very unique heroine. She isn't all that fearful of her new husband, despite his commanding presence and his scars, she starts to see beneath the surface. I loved how she never treats him less because of what has happened to her. I admired her creativity in trying to gain Ren's trust, and making the mansion into a home. There is such a strong intimate connection that is very intense at times. You might need a fan to cool ya down a bit at times during this story.

Overall I found this story to be a delight and a very sensual take on Beauty and the Beast. I have to say for the first time reading this author, I am already going to add the rest of her books on my wish list, I loved her that much!!! There is such a delightful mix of sensuality and witty humor that captivates the reader. Its unconventional at times, but it has a certain uniqueness that only adds to the wonderfully crafted tale of passion, adventure, intrigue and a tender love story that is bound to steal your heart, that will make anyone believe in a happily ever after.

[Lucy Qhuay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had everything to be a 5 stars.

It was deeply sensual, with pretty intense intimate scenes between Calliope and Ren.
Personally, my favourite parts were sure when they fought with swords, he defeated her and then subdued her on the floor, just to slowly caress her body with the sword. And when he finally let her see and touch him.
Those scenes were immensely erotic and emotional and, like I said, my favourite ones, even though the others were pretty great scenes as well.

Also, who knows me knows that I love stories reminiscent of the Beauty And The Beast.

But there were some details that quickly turned me off.

First of all, I don't even know how many times I've read "er" in the middle of a sentence.
I know the author did that because she frequently wrote as the readers were inside Calliope's mind and could hear everything she thought.
She tended to think like this: "Mr Porter was vey...er...vigorous."
But that was annoying after the first couple of times.

Second, I didn't like that the protagonists called each other Mr and Mrs Porter almost until the end.
First the author gives us these amazing intense intimate scenes and then she makes the characters refer to each other in that dispassionate way.
That's just not right!

Third, I was really pissed when Celeste Bradley used the C word to talk about Calliope's vagina.
We are adults, that's for sure, so we know what it is and that one word or the other means the same and all that but I prefer when authors use "classier" words.

At last, I think the author seriously underdeveloped Ren's character or, at least, his past.
She could have written really emotional scenes about Ren's past and its influence in his present.

Sadly, this book didn't live up to all the potential.

[Nuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 STARS

A really good take on the Beauty & the Beast theme.
Specially liked the Dom/Sub soft BDSM angle to H&h’s chemistry.

This lost a few stars cos some parts of the plot were just lame and some were just unnecessary drama. The h’s family specially Attie was just plain stupid. It was also disappointing that one of the main plots in the story, the person trying to murder the heroine gets away without getting any punishment for it.

Nevertheless I’m quite keen to read other books by Celeste Bradley.

[Kathy Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When She Said I Do is a beguiling blend of romance, passion, peril and hilarity. Everything about this story is pleasingly unexpected — the characters, the plot developments and even how the sexual and emotional bonds between Callie and Ren ripen. This fairy tale is more than a retelling of Beauty and the Beast — it's Beauty and the Beast meets The Addams Family, with Sleeping Beauty stopping in for a long weekend. Only this Regency-era fairy tale doesn't leave out the sexy bits.

The ever-practical Callie resolves to make the most of her temporary marriage to Ren. He's already awakened within her a desire she's never before experienced, so she finds herself more excited than nervous about their bargain. That excitement gives way to a frustration that mounts with every nighttime encounter. Ren stirs her to higher and higher heights of desire, but each night, he stops short of consummation. Even though he demands Callie's submission — she's never to open her eyes, never to look upon him or touch him without his consent — it's Callie who dominates Ren, with her beauty, innocence and unconditional caring. Oh, the anticipation. The sexual intensity. The pages fairly pulse with passion.

And danger as well … because someone is none too happy with Callie and how she's bringing her husband back to life. The unexpected arrival of her family adds to the chaos and the heartbreak … and contributes to an astonishing climax.

You'll have to read the sexy bits yourself (and no doubt you'll read them more than once), but I will share a funny bit. Here Ren takes offense to a comment Callie made about the hood he wears to hide his badly scarred features:

"Are you implying that wearing this hood is … infantile?" His voice, rough and husky, held a tone of astonishment.

Couldn't have said it better myself. "Oh, not at all!" Absolutely. "Why, I'm sure that in the Cotswolds hoods are all the rage." Nutter. "I'm sure I'd love to have one of my own. Imagine, er, never having to think of one's hair."

LOL! And how about a touching bit? Here Callie drops a wilted plant into a beaker of water as Ren watches wistfully:

Bloody hell, he was jealous of a plant.

What had she done to him? More importantly, what would she do to him when she left?

Since her concentration seemed well and truly broken, Ren cleared his throat. "You've left pencil shavings on my carpet." His tone was meant to be teasing. He feared it came out gruff and accusatory.

She didn't even glance at him. "Our carpet," she corrected him absently.

Ren halted even as he was about to enter the room. Our carpet. Two of the oddest words to ever bring light to a man's dark corners.

Sigh. Say "I do" to When She Said I Do and prepare to be surprised, stirred, seduced and thoroughly charmed.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot summary:
Callie (Calliope) and Ren (Lawrence) Porter, get caught in a compromising position by the heroine's brother, when the carriage of Callie's family falls into the river and they seek refuge in Ren's house. Forced to marry, the hero makes an agreement to give Callie one pearl for every night they spend together if she does as he demands, and she'll be free to go once the pearls are all in her possession. Ren who is heavily scarred all over his body, goes around the house in a hooded cape waiting for his time to die, until Callie comes and brings light in the dark house he lives in. He finds that despite her feisty nature she's quite submissive in the bedchamber (hooray for adding that in a conventional HR!) which suits him very well indeed:) But however responsive his wife is in bed (or the dining room/hall/kitchen), will she still want him once she sees his ugly face? Unfortunately, even as Ren starts feeling his heart thawing at last and Callie begins thinking that this marriage deal is the best she's ever made, someone is trying to hurt Callie and they must find him before they start planning for any future together.

Realism: 0/5
Heat: 4/5
Humor: 3/5
Emotion: 3/5
Heroes' likability: 5/5

Verdict:
A fun, easy romance with just enough emotional depth to keep it from being fluffy or superficial. Equally suited to a moody, downcast weekend or a sunny beach, if you can ignore the absurdity of the plot, you're definitely gonna enjoy it.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

When She Said I Do
3.5 Stars

Taking refuge in an apparently abandoned manor house, Calliope Worthington is caught with her hand in the jewel case by the owner, Lawrence Porter. Disfigured in the Napoleanic Wars, Ren has shut himself away awaiting death. But Callie awakens something inside him, and he makes a diabolical deal with her - one night for each stolen pearl . . .

Series Note: Book #1 in the Wicked Worthingtons is a spin-off of The Liar's Club. While characters do make cameo appearances, the plot is standalone and can be read as such.

Wow! This book is much more erotic than expected. Ren and Callie's Beauty and the Beast romance is very engaging. Their chemistry is sizzling and their banter is witty and charming.

The minor suspense plot is very familiar to readers of historical romance. The reclusive heir to an estate marries a young woman much to someone's chagrin, who decides to do away with her. It is unfortunate that the identity of the villain is revealed early on as this detracts from the tension.

The most problematic aspect of the book is Callie's madly eccentric family. They are just too ridiculous for words and their inclusion is tedious and annoying, None of them are sufficiently appealing to continue with the series.

Overall, an entertaining romance with a delightful couple, but the rest is meh!

[MB (What she read) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plenty of drama, very little common sense.

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

หนังสือเล่มสุดท้ายในชุด The Liar's Club ออกขายในปี 2005 และสำหรับคนที่เป็นแฟนหนังสือชุดนี้ก็จะรู้ว่า ยังมีตัวละครอีกคนนึงที่ถูกทิ้งเอาไว้ข้างหลัง คนที่ชีวิตยังไม่คลี่คลาย หลังจากที่คนแต่งใจร้ายเขียนให้เขาโดนกระทำต่าง ๆ นานาหลายอย่าง

หลังจากนั้นเซเลสต์ แบรดลีย์ก็เขียนหนังสือออกมาอีกหลายเล่ม ซึ่งตามความรู้สึกของเราไม่อาจเทียบกับช่วงเวลาที่เธอเขียนเรื่องชุด The Liar's Club และ The Royal Four ได้ แต่ดูเหมือนตลาดหนังสือจะต้องการเรื่องแนวโรแมนติกคอเมดี้ ซึ่งหนังสือในสองชุดที่เรากล่าวถึงไป อาจจะเครียดเกินไปสักหน่อย

เวลาผ่านไปเจ็ดปีกับการ��อคอยว่า สักวันนึงเซเลสต์จะเขียนเรื่องราวของเรน พอร์เตอร์ (และเกือบสามปีหลังจากที่เรามีโอกาสได้คุยกับเธอในงาน RT) ในที่สุดหนังสือเรื่องนี้ก็ออกขาย

และถ้าเธอต้องใช้เวลาเจ็ดปีเพื่อเขียนเรื่องนี้ให้กับเรน เราก็ถือว่า เป็นการรอคอยเจ็ดปีที่คุ้มค่าค่ะ

เรื่องนี้ผสมผสานระหว่างความเป็นคอเมดี้ที่มีอยู่มากมายในงานยุคหลัง ๆ ของเซเลสต์ แต่ในขณะเดียวกันก็มีช่วงเวลาที่อารมณ์เรื่องหนักหน่วงแบบที่เราได้เจอในชุด The Liar's Club ของแถมก็คือ มีคาแร็คเตอร์จากเรื่องในชุดนี้โผล่มาให้เห็นหลายคนให้หายคิ��ถึง

พล็อตเรื่องอาจจะดูไม่ค่อยสร้างสรร ทั้งยังดูน่าเหลือเชื่อไม่น้อย โดยเฉพาะเหตุการณ์ที่นำให้พระนางต้องแต่งงานกัน แล้วยังข้อตกลงเรื่องไข่มุกแลกกับคำสั่งหนึ่งอย่าง เชื้อเชิญให้บรรยากาศในเรื่องคล้ายคลึงกับเรื่องแนว BDSM ที่กำลังฮิตกันในตอนนี้มาก เราพอเข้าใจคำวิจารณ์ที่ออกมาเลยนะคะ (ทำนองว่า เซเลสต์เกาะกระแสฟิทตี้เชด)

แต่...

แต่แบบตัวใหญ่ ๆ เลยค่ะ เราคิดว่าเรื่องให้เหตุผลและอธิบายที่มาที่ไปของพล็อตในส่วนนี้ได้ดี (เรนตั้งเงื่อนไขนี้เพราะคิดว่า นางเอกจะไม่ตกลง และจากเขาไปในที่สุด ส่วนนางเอกก็คิดว่า ไหน ๆ ก็แต่งงานแล้ว น่าจะหาประสบการณ์บ้าง และสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นระหว่างกันในห้องนอนก็น่าสนใจสำหรับสาวบริสุทธิอย่างเธอ) ดังนั้นเราคงต้องบอกว่า เล่มนี้เป็นงานที่ค่อนข้างร้อนแรงสำหรับงานเขียนของเซเลสต์เลยล่ะ (ทำให้นึกถึงเรื่อง Surrender to a Wicked Spy ซึ่งคนอ่านฉบับภาษาไทยอาจจะไม่เก็ตประเด็นที่เราพูดนะคะ เพราะโดนหั่นจนแทบเหี้ยนเตียน)

เราชอบนางเอกมาก ๆ ชอบตัวตนของเธอ น่ารักตามสไตล์นางเอกของเซเลสต์ ในขณะเดียวกันไม่ได้ไร้เดียงสาจนน่ารำคาญ ตัวตนของเธอทำให้เราเข้าใจความเปลี่ยนแปลงที่เกิดขึ้นกับเรนในเรื่องได้ชัดเจนเห็นภาพเลย แล้วก็เข้าใจที่คนแต่งเปรียบเทียบว่า เธอคือแสงไฟในชีวิตของเขา นำทางเขาออกมาจากโลกอันมืดมิดที่อาศัยอยู่

และแน่นอนว่าเราชอบเรน พอร์เตอร์ การได้อ่านการเดินทางไปสู่ตอนจบอันมีความสุขของเขาเป็นสิ่งที่เรารอคอยมาหลายปี จุดที่เราชอบมากที่สุดก็คือ เรนไม่ได้เปลี่ยนไปชั่วข้ามคืน ความเปลี่ยนแปลงค่อย ๆ เกิดขึ้น และเมื่อมาถึงจุดนึง เรนก็กลายเป็นคนที่เขาควรจะเป็น ไม่ใช่เรนคนที่เคยเป็นสายลับให้กับ The Liar's Club หรือเรนคนที่เก็บตัวอยู่ในบ้านตามลำพัง แต่เป็นเรนที่เป็นสามีของแคลลี่ นางเอกในเรื่อง

ตอนอ่านเรื่องนี้เรานึกถึงเรื่อง Beauty and the Beast เกือบจะตลอดเวลา แล้วยังพาลไปนึกถึงตำนานเรื่องไซคีกะคิวปิดอีกต่างหาก แต่เป็นการนึกถึงในทางที่ดีนะคะ เพราะการเล่าเรื่องมีความน่าเชื่อสมจริง

ต้องยอมรับนะคะว่า พล็อตเรื่องค่อนข้างอ่อน ไม่แน่ใจว่า เป็นเพราะอิทธิพลของการเขียนเรื่องในยุคหลัง ๆ ของเซเลสต์ที่เขียนเรื่องแนวเบา ๆ เป็นหลักรึเปล่า เลยทำให้เรื่องไม่มีความซับซ้อนเท่ากับชุด The Liar's Club ทำให้ตัวละครในชุดที่ออกมามีบทบาทในเรื่องจึงดูเป็นการเดินผ่านฉากให้คนอ่านหายคิดถึง แต่ไม่ได้ทำอะไรที่ส่งผลกับพล็อตในภาพรวมมากนัก

แต่นั่นไม่สำคัญสำหรับเราเลยค่ะ ชอบเล่มนี้มาก ๆ และเราคิดว่า เป็นผสมอย่างลงตัวระหว่างงานเขียนของเซเลสต์ในยุคเก่า (The Liar's Club และ The Royal Four) และยุคใหม่ (The Heiress Brides และ The Runaway Brides) เรื่องที่ยังมีความเป็นโรแมนติคคอเมดี้อยู่ แต่เนื้อหาไม่ได้เบาโหวง คาแร็คเตอร์ที่มีภูมิหลัง และด้านมืด

นี่เป็นงานของเซเลสต์ที่เราชอบมากที่สุด นับจาก The Pretender

คะแนนที่ 87

[Elis Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read anything by Celeste Bradley before—I think at some point I got the impression that her books were all about the romance, and I prefer a book that has more adventure than angst. Evidently I was wrong—on finishing this one I immediately hopped on Amazon and put the rest of her titles in my cart.

The eccentric Worthington family



ends up in a ditch during a nasty rainstorm. They seek shelter in an apparently abandoned manse, and after settling her parents and seeing her brother off to tend the horses, Miss Calliope Worthington, dressed only in her soaked-through shift, decides to wander around and snoop. She's just happened upon a jewelry box and she's trying on the treasures (because NOBODY would suspect that if a jewelry box was present the owner probably isn't far away), when a strange man accosts her and feels her up.

To avert a duel between this terribly disfigured molester of innocent half-naked thieves and her brother, Callie offers to marry the man—and agrees to give him an act of obedience for every pearl on the really, really, REALLY long strand of pearls she had on when he groped her.

Sir Lawrence (Ren) Porter was once a spy for the crown, and was betrayed by one of his brethren. He was badly wounded and left for dead, and indeed, the last physician to tend him has said he will die of his injuries, sooner or later. He's holed up in the mansion he inherited to await his fate.



It's taking awhile, though, and in the meanwhile, he's horny. He knows he's not exactly a catch anymore, but hey, this pretty little dingbat flew right into the net, so why not take advantage? The thing is, this unexpected bride of his makes him want to live.

Apparently she also makes someone else want to kill her.

The story had me pretty well riveted from the get-go. The whodunit wasn't at all obvious (LOTS of suspects). The romance is emotionally engaging, and there's a sex scene that totally curled my toes. Grrrowr!



So score 4.5 stars and a spot in my library.

[RachelReadsandSings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was SO GOOD. A truly wonderful beauty and the beast inspired historical romance. I was obsessed with Ren and Callie from the moment they met, and the sexual chemistry/tension between the two of them??? *chef’s kiss* I couldn’t get enough of this couple and their 🔥🔥🔥 sex scenes. I adored how their romance developed throughout and I even teared up quite a few times. I’m always a sucker for a scarred hero!

I have to mention the Worthingtons bc they are absolutely ICONIC. They’re like the Bridgertons on steroids lol!!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read, a family traveling to a suprise location planned by their mother find themselves on a washed out bridge on a stormy night seeking shelter and come upon what seems to be an abandoned estate? Calliope , after getting her parents settled and dry , and waiting for her brother Dade to get the carraige and horses settled decides to explore this huge estate ; only to come upon a vast ladies chamber upstairs with a box of jewels sitting upon it,might as well play dress up since your bored. Unaware of being watched Calliope begins draping the Jewels about herself , only to look up in the mirror and find a large man behind her. Stangely rear never enters her mind as he demands payment for her attempt at supposed jewel theft! However she is enjoying but the payment he seeks until her brother comes in to fight for her honor. A Duel the next morning bing Calliope to a decision , to save her brother she will make a bargain , a lie of a marriage offer, submission to Rens dominant desires an exciting sexual adventure for her!

Ren Porter, a wounded former spy for the drown not only in body but mind and emotions , and fate has supplied a bit of light in his dark gloom of his life, Calliope , whom he will attempt to keep till her debt can be paid one pearl at a time. Ren however did not expect to become so captured that he would not want he to leave.


Through passionate submissive nights Calliope learns of her own wanton sexuality and Ren learns the depths of his restraint, not to take His virginal Calliope fast and furiously on the floor or against the wall. But that's not all Callioppe brings him , she brings back to life and health from the darkness he had fallen too!


Loved this book, historical romance, mystery attempted murder, crazy family and sme incredible hot light submissive sex scences !

[Rgreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed with When She Said I Do. Storytelling the issue. I was not quite sure what was happening and why. The suspense style of storytelling was greatly annoying. I need to know as soon as possible what motivates a character and please keep it simple. There was a lot of mystery happening in this book and it didn't engage my interest. Wish the focus was on the romance. Even that felt forced. I didn't feel the passion between the hero and heroine.

What a let down. Historical romance is my favorite genre but its rare to come across keepers these days.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It is the story of Ren Porter, a secondary character in the Liar's Club series, and Callie Worthington. I was glad to see Ren get his story after the trauma he'd gone through in the earlier books. His injuries were so bad that he has taken to hiding out in his home, drinking and waiting to die. His home is invaded one night when Callie and her family take refuge there after a carriage accident. Thinking the place is abandoned, Callie goes exploring and finds a jewelry box that she raids, putting several necklaces on while indulging in some light fantasy. She's startled when the owner suddenly appears and accuses her of theft, then indulges in some passionate teasing. After being discovered by her brother, Callie agrees to marriage to prevent a duel.

Ren has hidden himself away for a long time, in constant pain from his injuries and bitter about what caused them. He is just waiting for the death that one of his doctors predicted for him. Callie's appearance in his life has an immediate effect on him. The intense attraction is something he hasn't felt since before his injuries. But he also finds himself fascinated by her. He starts out as something of a jerk, claiming a night of passion for each pearl on one of the necklaces, planning to scare her into running away. He doesn't expect her to actually participate willingly. Then she ignores his orders to leave him alone in the daytime and proceeds to turn his house and life upside down. In spite of his previous life as a spy, there are times when little old Callie sends him running. It only takes a few days for Ren to find that instead of sending her away, he'd rather keep Callie close to him. But he fears what would happen if she were to see all his scars, so he keeps them hidden. The betrayals he's suffered make it hard for him to trust her, but eventually he opens himself up to her. I loved seeing him start to come out of his shell and was worried about him after the disaster at the ball. He has had his moments of stupidity such as when he sends her away to protect her, but eventually his love for Callie wins out.

Callie has been the glue that is holding her family together. At thirty years old she has never had the chance to have a season, leaving her without hope of a family of her own. When they are stranded at Ren's house, she takes a few moments to herself to explore the seemingly empty mansion. I loved seeing her have fun with trying on all those jewels. It was a little odd that she didn't object at all to Ren's advances, but it was obvious that the chemistry between them was strong. Her love for her family was apparent in the way that she used marrying Ren to keep her brother from killing him. Callie's upbringing has been very unusual and that has made her interested in many things. She is intrigued by her reaction to Ren which makes her willing to follow his directions. I loved the way that this rather confuses him, as he expected her to flee in terror. I enjoyed the way that Callie embraces her new life, thrilled with the fact that she really has only herself and Ren to care for. She also uses her experiences with her family to get Ren to do the things she wants him to do. Some of the situations she gets into are quite funny. I loved the scene with the sword fight, which had me laughing out loud. I also enjoyed her attempts to bring Ren and the townspeople together, even as those attempts sometimes got her into more trouble. The first part of the ball was wonderful and I felt so bad for her as it fell apart at the end. Her love for Ren was so vital to her, and I felt for her as she tried to repair their relationship.

The mystery of who was trying to hurt Callie was good, but not overly intense. It was fairly obvious who it was who was so resentful of her presence, but there was some doubt about who was behind the actual attacks. It bothered me some that there didn't seem to be any repercussions on those who were responsible.

There was a brief appearance by some of the members of the Liar's Club, causing me to hope that there would be some kind of reconciliation. But they were there, then gone, with no more information on what may have eventually happened.

Then we have Callie's family. I know they are supposed to appear eccentric, but I felt like they went way beyond that. I thought her parents were just plain negligent and their treatment of her was horrible. There was no reason she should have been stuck taking care of everyone, including them. Her brother Dade was rather obnoxious, and the twins were out of control with their pranks. I didn't really have much impression of Ellie. The youngest sister is one that I thought was especially out of control. At twelve years old to get the idea to poison your brother in law because you don't approve of him marrying your sister is criminal, but to actually attempt to shoot him is even worse. And to have no apparent punishment is wrong on so many levels. It will be interesting to see how the stories for the rest of the family go. I really hope they redeem themselves.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Calliope Worthington, also known as Cali is the eldest daughter of the Worthington clan. Her family is on some kind of road trip when they get stranded in the middle of a brutal storm. Soaking wet and hungry, they all take refuge in a seemingly empty house. After Cali insures that her family is fed and watered, she takes it upon herself to go exploring the mansion.

Ren porter is a lost soul. Embittered by his life, he stays stinking drunk most days, and is content to wallow in his own self-pity, until he hears the singing. He follows the voice he hears, finding Cali trying on a strand of pearls in one of his rooms. Immediately enthralled by her, he strikes a bargain with her. She must wed him, and earn back every pearl night by night. Only then will he allow her to go back to her family.

This Book had the potential to be a 5 star read. It had all the ideas I love. The first book in a series about a British family, historical romance, and of course a theme similar to one of my favorite Disney movies, Beauty And the beast. However, I’m sad to say that it just didn’t do it for me.

First off, the gaps. I felt so incomplete at times while reading this, that I actually went back pages just to make sure that I wasn’t missing something. Especially in the beginning. I felt that the book skipped around too much and too fast. One minute I’d be digesting one scene while the next thrust in to another. If I hadn’t had the actual book in my hands I almost would wonder if I had a defective copy.

Then, there were the characters. As I said, the idea was great. Personally I love series like this. I’m an avid fan of Lisa Kleyper’s Hathaway’s and wall flowers series, so of course when I picked up this book I was ecstatic that I had found another group of characters I could come to love. Except, I still don’t know any of them. For some reason, to me the characters were all one dimensional. I just couldn’t connect or relate to them in any way. I could relate to the idea of who they were supposed to be, but none of them ever became real people in my head. The two protagonists Cali and ren were definitely more real than the others, but I feel that separately and together they could’ve been more fleshed out.

I understood that the Author was trying to portray Cali as tired of being the constant caretaker of her boisterous family, hence trying to build a life of her own, but I didn’t truly connect with that aspect of her personality until the end. By that point, too many things were going on at the same time for me to appreciate it.

I thought Ren was a little bit unrealistic. Surely if you hate everything about life, are waiting to die, and are drowning in your own self-pity, your personality would be more bitter than his was. In my experience, when people are as bitter as he is supposed to be they are not nice to anyone. Why was he never mean, then? Also, what was the deal with the mystery? It was resolved sure, but it seemed to be thrown in there just to add something extra and with not much thought at all.

The only time I ever seemed to connect with this book was during the Love scenes. I have to say those were quite good. They were real, emotional, and well written. Cali and Ren obviously had some great chemistry in that arena. It just makes me sad that I couldn’t find it anywhere else. They never really had a true conversation that I can recall. There wasn’t any bantering, funny moments and even fighting as couples often have. It seemed to me that they just fell in to instant lust with one another, eventually fell in love, but I can’t tell you how they got there.

I don’t believe I’ll go on to read the next books in this series. Although the idea and potential are great, I wasn’t left with even a little curiosity as to where the rest of the family will end up. I think that if we took the wonderful emotion and connection found in the love scenes and added them to the rest of the book, then we would truly have had a 5 star read.

[The Window Seat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to say this up front; I have been waiting for this hero’s story for a long time! Lawrence “Ren” Porter was originally introduced in the Liar’s Club series as an agent who specialized in infiltrating the enemy. While on a mission, Ren’s cover is blown by a double-agent and he is severely beaten and left for dead. His recovery is slow, the injuries to his body and his pride are deep, and the final blow to his heart came when his fiancé leaves him while he was in a coma. Ren makes another appearance in the follow-up series The Royal Four seeking retribution against the man he believes betrayed him and his future is left fairly ambiguous. I know I wasn’t the only fan who was hopeful that Ren would get his own happy ending and I guess Celeste Bradley finally heard our silent (and not so silent) pleas to see his story told. Thankfully it was worth the wait!

After leaving London and his life as a spy behind him, Ren takes residence in a recently inherited estate in the Cotswolds. There he becomes a hermit, shunning any overtures by his remaining family and refusing to take responsibility for the lands or the tenants he oversees. The pain and darkness that Ren embraces comes not only from his physical scars but from the mental ones he left unresolved when he fled his former life. He sees no future for himself, believing that his injuries have condemned him to an early death. For a man with no hope all that is left for him is to drink himself into oblivion, masking any real emotions from coming to the fore.

For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2013/0...

[Mary Gramlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever mine, ever more, no matter what

Not knowing which is more damaged his face or his heart, Ren Porter decided to collapse inward and never come back out. The unexpected ray of sunshine the blinded him to hope was this slip of a woman named Calliope. She literally stole into his home and the temptation to keep her there now included marriage.

Ren never expected the primal desire he felt for Callie but here he was overcome with a passion to protect her. Too many coincidences create the belief that mischief was being created not imagined. Callie pushes him to reach the heights he long ago abandoned showing him every day how beautiful she was and every night how passionate.

Callie has enthralled the town, bewitched her husband, and created a home where there was once an empty shell. Ren shows her the delights of the marriage bed and rewards her with more than any jewel she could ever wear around her neck. Callie believes that they are bound together now and will forever be the cure for whatever shall befall them.

A story of love and romance mixed with murder and mayhem is the masterful combination only Celeste Bradley can create flawlessly!

[Mary Rayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the most bizzar book of 2021 if not the worst. (Which by giving it 2 stars it wasn't great either.)

I honestly don't know where to begin.
The premise was interesting enough to make me pick this book up.
I honestly read anything with beauty and the beast trope. And then I got a cheesy, cringy book with the plot line all over the place!

Good God there was a sword fight scene between Ren and Callie, and my soul just left my body for the cringe! GIRL WHY?

I'm not kidding when I say there were at least 6 stories going on with the main plot.
The jump between random povs was an absolute joke and at first I was like it'll get better. It just got worse.

I really have a problem when the book relies heavily on monologs. I wanna scream at the character "JUST TALK DAMMIT!" And I swear I skimmed this book almost about 80% and I couldn't finish it sooner.

The only thing I was entertained by was Callie's family. They were all crazy in their own ways and I actually wouldn't have mind to read just about them.
And it makes me sad because Callie's siblings are unlike I've ever seen in HR books and I love to read a series about siblings but this was too much for me to handle.

[Ashley FL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this four stars, but with a fair amount of explanation.

I thought this was a really fun Regency, and that it is a (quite literal) retelling of a fairy tale, well, that automatically grants it an extra star from me. The characters were fun and the plot was sort of dopey but mostly good fun.

That said, I read this because it says it is "Worthington #1". This might lead one to believe that it is the first in a series. And maybe it is, but from the way it is written, it seems to be a spin-off from an earlier series, and I think it would have been REALLY helpful to have read the earlier series. It is a light read and I was willing to just read along and put aside my befuddlement, but I wish I had know, so I could have read the earlier series first.

As it is, parts of the plot make absolutely no sense. I believe some of those issues would be resolved by knowing the backstory.

So I say: yes, if you like this sort of thing, this one is great! But read the earlier series first.

[Tarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and delightful story. I love the twist to the beauty and the beast tale. I could not put down, due to the fact of what would or could happen next.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, so I forgot how great this book was. So glad I am rereading to get the whole family into my grasp.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, if a bit too silly, and sexy regency romp.

Calliope Worthington is the oldest daughter of a large and crazy family, and for the past twelve years she's been running the family. On a trip to the country, her family gets into a carriage accident and seeks shelter in a seemingly abandoned house. It is in fact, not abandoned, Lawrence Porter's home. Ren was severely wounded in the line of duty, and for the past three years he's simply been waiting to die. He finds Callie in his house, seemingly stealing a pearl necklace, and offers to let her keep the necklace if she spends one night with him for every pearl. Before she can agree or disagree, her brother finds Ren touching a half naked Callie and challenges him to a duel. To prevent her brother from killing Ren and therefore hanging for murder, Callie convinces Ren to marry her while still agreeing to the pearl agreement. Not everyone is pleased with this marriage and both Callie's family and people from the village interfere as they negotiate their erotic agreement and fall in love.

I liked both of the leads in this book, and I think this was a good beauty and the beast retelling. Ren is broken both inside and out when the story starts, but with Callie's help, he is able to heal. He begins to regain a sense of self worth, and while he'll always bear physical scars, with her encouragement, he is able to regain his physical strength. Callie is used to wrangling her family and has no problem giving Ren the kick he needs to go out and live his life. As Ren's wife, she begins to understand how much she has missed out on by just being her family's caretaker and learns how to live for herself finally. I enjoyed both the character arcs and their romance; Ren and Callie are perfect for each other and just what the other needed.

This story was definitely more erotic than I was expecting. I don't think I'd label it as a full on erotic romance, but I'd say it's probably a 4/5 in terms of steaminess. I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised by the sex based on the summary, but a lot of the time when books have summaries that imply a lot of sex but aren't marked erotic, there isn't actually a lot of sex. This one doesn't disappoint. There's a lot of it, it's hot, and it's inventive.

The big flaw in this book is Callie's family. I know they're supposed to be a wacky and wild family, but they were too much. There's a difference between eccentric and insane, and the family was too far on the insane side. I particularly didn't like Attie. She actively tries to kill Ren, and ends up shooting Callie and nearly kills her. I know she's the kid sibling, but she's still twelve years old and should know that murder is wrong. I really wish that there had been more a scene where Callie calls out her family her treating her husband like crap (and had had any sort of final scene with Attie). She did have a brief with her brother about them taking advantage of her, but I wish there had been a little more. I know there was a rough start to her marriage, but they could have at least asked her how it was going before they tried to ruin things.

I also had difficulty with the writing at times. There was a tendency to hop in and out of Callie and Ren's head that made it difficult to tell who was thinking what.

I liked the main storyline between Callie and Ren, but Callie's family and their silliness and overdramatics put a damper on it.

[Peppersaltchills · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7 stars

I did not start off well because the starting for me was disoriented honestly and I skipped a lot dramatic scene’s because they were unnecessarily long .
I actually liked the hero more then the heroine partly because of her family and mostly because she mostly seemed a little bratty then a stubborn vibrant woman but she was friendly so .
I was actually gonna give this book 2 or 1 star but I really liked the scenes where the hero finally shows his face to the heroine and gains his confidence back . The steamy parts were more because of which I couldn’t see them getting close beyond those sexy times which was a bummer . I probably think the heroine is the only sane sibling among the others and I really did not like the worthingtons . They were more obnoxious then different. They didn’t have any consideration for the hero even after seeing that he treated her well and also seemed to feel bad to loose the heroine only because their care taker won’t be there aka the heroine which is beyond selfish then eccentric.

[Fos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Victorian BDSM
It's a shame Ren didn't die before meeting Callie.
He was UGLY on the inside and outside.
Callie seemed to be a brick shy of a full load.
Ren was creepy. Made my skin crawl.

Celeste Bradley is a new to me Author. This was my first book by her.