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Daughters of Fortune #4
An Invitation to Seduction
Kitty Robertson has grown up wealthy and influential, and she's never more at home than when in an English parlour displaying her social graces.
When she looks for a husband, of course she seeks a man just as home in his position – hopefully a lofty one – as she is. Nicholas Glenville, Marquess of Farthingham, is just such a man. He is so attentive and gentlemanly that she can't help but accept his proposal of marriage, and is now looking forward to this Season being her last one as a single woman.
But at the very first ball of the year she meets an enigmatic, gorgeous duke who asks her for a dance. That duke is Richard Stanbury, a man who knows the marquess well enough to know that he would not make her any kind of husband at all. Instead he nominates himself for the position, but as he soon finds, convincing the beautiful Miss Robertson to marry him instead will be the trickiest – and most worthwhile – task of his life.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
61 people are currently reading
974 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Heath
86 books4,350 followersAlso writes Young Adult under Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J.A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
June 11, 2023
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Introduction
An Invitation to Seduction is the final book in the "Daughters of Fortune" and you can easily read this books as standalones if you wanted to. Its been like a decade since I read the previous books in the series and I sailed through this one just fine. I also recommend trying this one out in audio if you can. It has one of my favorite narrators for historicals so this one was such a solid fun time for me and yay for non thick accents. This is basically a love triangle and that is NOT what I would have expected from this author but ocassionally she delves into this trope a bit delicately and I was impressed with how it was handled overall. This is all a American-British pairing so I think that will appeal to many historical readers as those are always so delightful.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Trevor Nicholson, Duke of Weddington
Is a Duke. Has a fear of swimming but doesn't let fears overcome him. He lost his father to a storm accident and he has always been held under suspicion of that accident. He is your typical Duke personality, and goes all in for the woman he wants.
The Heroine: Kitty Robertson
Kitty is an adopted child, and has always seemed to be ashamed of any sensual desires she had because her birth mother was a prostitute. She has always tried to be as English as she can for her adopted parents. Her family and duty is everything for her. She is driven and graceful and poised but neglects her true desires for what she seems is "right"
Summary
Kitty Robertson has always been devoted to her adopted family and has worked hard to be the daughter that they deserve. When it comes time for her to be married, she chooses someone that is respectable and will be a good friend for her and that is Nicholas Glenville, who is the Marquess of Greystone. But before heading to London, she goes out for a swim and she meets the enigmatic Trevor Nicholson, and they have a sensual affair at the sea. But what happens between them terrifies Kitty that she runs straight into Nicholas and a practical relationship with him. But when Trevor finds Kitty in the ballrooms of London and being pursued by his best friend, he is determined to show her the woman she is and what she deserves.....to be with a man who will love and desire her fully. Now Kitty will have to choose between duty and desire...
My Outlook
An Invitation to Seduction is the fourth installment in the "Daughters of Fortune" series. I absolutely adored this one here. And while it wasn't a perfect story by any means, it was definitely entertaining and different than what I normally read in historicals. Quite frankly I never see love triangles like this and only Lorraine Heath is an author that can make it work for me. And if you are nervous about love triangles, what I recommend about this one is to keep with it. When it gets to about 50% is when the pieces start to fall into place and when the truth comes out fully, what a reveal!! I do think in the third conflict many readers will be able to guess what has happened with Nicholas and the secrets being kept. But its still interesting in seeing how Lorraine Heath handled this set up in the way that she did with this one here. I think my biggest hangup was the heroine a bit. She just seemed too caught up on the past and what her birth mother did and not willing to embrace living life fully. But seeing the change in her when she reveals it all to Trevor and the way he reacts was just so endearing and beautiful. I really enjoyed these two together and these lovemaking scenes were so sensual and captivating at times. I truly had a fun time with this one and I am glad I was able to pick this one up here.
Overall View
An Invitation to Seduction is a powerful enigmatic romance that instills, enforces and endears the reader to this couple through the pain and struggles they have to work themselves through to reach their HEA.
Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building:4
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 3.5
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:4
Overall View: 4.25
June 29, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4.
And I figured out the twist at the end quite early!
And I figured out the twist at the end quite early!
April 25, 2010
This was another solid read from Lorraine Heath. The hero in this book is very reminiscent of the Lisa Kleypas heroes that I love. The Duke of Weddington falls in love with Kitty Robertson after a brief meeting and will do anything to have her. The only problem...she's engaged to his best friend. Richard knows that Kitty can never be happy the Marquess of Farthingham, but he cannot tell her why because of his loyalty to his friend. That doesn't stop him from trying to win Kitty for himself.
I can't say too much about this book without giving away the plot, although I will say that the secret and what follows is pretty easy to figure out from the first few chapters of the book.
I didn't particularly care for Kitty's character. This is one of those books where she clings to her love for the "other guy" right up until the last few pages of the book. Even with that being said, I gave this book 5 stars because I just couldn't get enough of Richard. He is the kind of hero that I absolutely adore...strong, powerful, gorgeous, and not afraid to go after what he wants. In this case, he wanted Kitty and he was willing to do anything to get her short of betraying his friend. It may seem as if going after his best friend's fiancee is a betrayal, however, once you read the book you'll see it wasn't really the case.
This is definitely one of my favorite Lorraine Heath books.
I can't say too much about this book without giving away the plot, although I will say that the secret and what follows is pretty easy to figure out from the first few chapters of the book.
I didn't particularly care for Kitty's character. This is one of those books where she clings to her love for the "other guy" right up until the last few pages of the book. Even with that being said, I gave this book 5 stars because I just couldn't get enough of Richard. He is the kind of hero that I absolutely adore...strong, powerful, gorgeous, and not afraid to go after what he wants. In this case, he wanted Kitty and he was willing to do anything to get her short of betraying his friend. It may seem as if going after his best friend's fiancee is a betrayal, however, once you read the book you'll see it wasn't really the case.
This is definitely one of my favorite Lorraine Heath books.
May 11, 2012
This is my third Lorraine Heath book. To be honest the only reason I got to a third book of Heath's was because I like the audiobook's narrator. This was the worst of the three books. The heroine does not like the hero the entire book. She gets a glimpse of his nude body at the beginning of the book and of course he was bronze like every other English hero. I don't know how these lords and dukes get bronze bodies in rainy England to begin with. I am pretty easy going and usually like the heroine. I absolutely hate, HATE Kitty! She is so unlikable to the bitter end. She says the absolute worst things to the hero and he just keeps taking it. Is this book a joke to see if we are awake and paying attention. She even hates the puppy Richard gives her for a wedding present. She tells him over and over again how she loathes him. Even after they have honeymoon sex she says she never wanted to do this with him. What the heck is this all about?????I only have about one chapter to go and I just can't finish the book. I recommend that you never read Lorraine Heath books. She can write but her stories are awful. Boring and I can't wait to put them down!!!
January 10, 2015
I can't... I just can't begin to comprehend how Lorraine Heath can be the author of the delightful Scoundrels series AND this horrendously terribly series which got worse with each book.
July 16, 2016
American Heiress Kitty Robertson is planning to wed Nicholas Glenville, the Marquess of Farmingham, who she has known for years. But then she meets Richard Stanbury, the Duke of Weddington. Sparks fly between them at their first meeting. Right away Richard knows this is the woman for him. When he finds that she is engaged to his friend, Farmingham, he knows she will never by happy in that marriage. Richard sets out to win Kitty's love, but she isn't cooperating.
This is the last book in Lorraine Heath's Daughters of Fortune series. I thought it was a well-written addition to the series. I loved Richard, Nicky, and even Kitty, though many people had problems with her character. She agreed to marry Nicky because he is a "safe" choice. Kitty's mother was a saloon girl who got pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption. Kitty doesn't want to be like her birth mother, and is afraid that passion will overrule good sense. And, of course, Richard makes that passion come to the forefront on their first meeting.
Nicholas has a secret and Richard knows what it is. It only takes about 10 seconds for the reader to figure it out. I liked that Nicholas didn't become the villain of the story since it happens in so many books with a love triangle. I would have given this book a higher rating if the secret and the ensuing twist in the story hadn't been so easy to figure out. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
This is the last book in Lorraine Heath's Daughters of Fortune series. I thought it was a well-written addition to the series. I loved Richard, Nicky, and even Kitty, though many people had problems with her character. She agreed to marry Nicky because he is a "safe" choice. Kitty's mother was a saloon girl who got pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption. Kitty doesn't want to be like her birth mother, and is afraid that passion will overrule good sense. And, of course, Richard makes that passion come to the forefront on their first meeting.
Nicholas has a secret and Richard knows what it is. It only takes about 10 seconds for the reader to figure it out. I liked that Nicholas didn't become the villain of the story since it happens in so many books with a love triangle. I would have given this book a higher rating if the secret and the ensuing twist in the story hadn't been so easy to figure out. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
December 8, 2010
I hated Nicky in the book and guessed he was gay at the 100th or so page... Also it was pretty obvious that he didn't die in the storm at all... from the beggining too!
Plus Kitty is not likeable. I couldn't support her anymore after half the book was over and Richard was too good a hero for her.
Plus Kitty is not likeable. I couldn't support her anymore after half the book was over and Richard was too good a hero for her.
June 22, 2025
An Invitation to Seduction was my last Lorraine Heath book in my full backlist read through project so it will hold a special place in my heart.
Texas heiress Kitty Robertson has one goal: marry a titled English gentleman and secure the kind of safe, scandal-free future her birth mother never had. After years of careful planning and a proper courtship, she’s finally on the brink of marrying Nicholas, Marquess of Farthingham, a match that promises social stability and a solution to his dwindling estates, thanks to her dowry. But everything changes the moment she stumbles upon a mysterious, naked stranger during a seaside stroll. That man is Richard, Duke of Weddington—and Nicky’s closest friend. Richard is everything Kitty has told herself she shouldn’t want. But she can’t stop thinking about him or the passion he stirs in her. Richard, meanwhile, knows Kitty deserves more than a loveless marriage—and he’s determined to show her just how good they could be together. But bound by loyalty and secrets he can’t reveal, Richard walks a the line between honor and desire. But he won’t let Kitty go without a fight, even if it means risking everything.
This book sits at an inflection point for Lorraine Heath. It's the last of her full-length novels with any ties to Texas and kicks off her all-English career. It also leans into the kind of plot writing Lorraine will become known for. We have wild twists, secrets and all the drama you expect from a Lorraine Heath historical romance, just an early version.
Because I was reading an Invitation to Seduction in 2025, I easily guessed the twist. But I can imagine it was a far more unusual plot point in 2004 and would have been almost scandalous. It's interesting reading our main characters' reactions to the big reveal because there is no way that would have been published now, but makes a lot of sense in a world where George W. Bush was president.
An Invitation to Seduction overlaps with Never Love a Cowboy– my favorite book of the Rogues in Texas series. Kitty is actually named Mary Ellen Robertson and we saw her as a small child in that series. She was the baby girl Jessye Bainbridge gave up for adoption after her lover refused to marry her when she was only 17. As a result of her questionable origins, Kitty ascribes to a form of purity culture that is toxic to her wellbeing (again, see the presidency of GWB– I was a teenager at this time and I can tell you this is what we learned in school). She is convinced that her birth mother was wild and wanton and it was her fault that she ended up unwed and pregnant. It's only after experiencing passion and love for herself that Kitty is able to realize that it wasn't just Jessye's decisions that led to her pregnancy, but also her lover's failure as a man to take responsibility for his actions.
Richard doesn't feel like a Lorraine Heath hero. I've read enough of them to know her type and he isn't it. He feels more like a Lisa Kleypas hero who has been transplanted into a Lorraine Heath novel, like a cross between Tom Severin and Alex, Lord Raiford. He's the hyper-competent hero who sucks all the oxygen out of every room he's in and won't take no for an answer when there is something he wants. I felt like I was reading a book written by both Lorraine and Lisa and it was a weird sensation.
It feels strange to be at the end of my last Lorraine Heath review– at least until the next book of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series comes out. She's been such a big part of my life for the last 14 months, it's going to be weird to look at my TBR but not see any Lorraine titles. I really loved this series. I think it's a sleeper series in her backlist. 4 stars.
Texas heiress Kitty Robertson has one goal: marry a titled English gentleman and secure the kind of safe, scandal-free future her birth mother never had. After years of careful planning and a proper courtship, she’s finally on the brink of marrying Nicholas, Marquess of Farthingham, a match that promises social stability and a solution to his dwindling estates, thanks to her dowry. But everything changes the moment she stumbles upon a mysterious, naked stranger during a seaside stroll. That man is Richard, Duke of Weddington—and Nicky’s closest friend. Richard is everything Kitty has told herself she shouldn’t want. But she can’t stop thinking about him or the passion he stirs in her. Richard, meanwhile, knows Kitty deserves more than a loveless marriage—and he’s determined to show her just how good they could be together. But bound by loyalty and secrets he can’t reveal, Richard walks a the line between honor and desire. But he won’t let Kitty go without a fight, even if it means risking everything.
This book sits at an inflection point for Lorraine Heath. It's the last of her full-length novels with any ties to Texas and kicks off her all-English career. It also leans into the kind of plot writing Lorraine will become known for. We have wild twists, secrets and all the drama you expect from a Lorraine Heath historical romance, just an early version.
Because I was reading an Invitation to Seduction in 2025, I easily guessed the twist. But I can imagine it was a far more unusual plot point in 2004 and would have been almost scandalous. It's interesting reading our main characters' reactions to the big reveal because there is no way that would have been published now, but makes a lot of sense in a world where George W. Bush was president.
An Invitation to Seduction overlaps with Never Love a Cowboy– my favorite book of the Rogues in Texas series. Kitty is actually named Mary Ellen Robertson and we saw her as a small child in that series. She was the baby girl Jessye Bainbridge gave up for adoption after her lover refused to marry her when she was only 17. As a result of her questionable origins, Kitty ascribes to a form of purity culture that is toxic to her wellbeing (again, see the presidency of GWB– I was a teenager at this time and I can tell you this is what we learned in school). She is convinced that her birth mother was wild and wanton and it was her fault that she ended up unwed and pregnant. It's only after experiencing passion and love for herself that Kitty is able to realize that it wasn't just Jessye's decisions that led to her pregnancy, but also her lover's failure as a man to take responsibility for his actions.
Richard doesn't feel like a Lorraine Heath hero. I've read enough of them to know her type and he isn't it. He feels more like a Lisa Kleypas hero who has been transplanted into a Lorraine Heath novel, like a cross between Tom Severin and Alex, Lord Raiford. He's the hyper-competent hero who sucks all the oxygen out of every room he's in and won't take no for an answer when there is something he wants. I felt like I was reading a book written by both Lorraine and Lisa and it was a weird sensation.
It feels strange to be at the end of my last Lorraine Heath review– at least until the next book of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series comes out. She's been such a big part of my life for the last 14 months, it's going to be weird to look at my TBR but not see any Lorraine titles. I really loved this series. I think it's a sleeper series in her backlist. 4 stars.
June 12, 2022
Me, when I started to realize I wouldn’t like this book at all…
😕 The hero Richard the Duke of Weddington, though starchy, was small-minded and self-important.
🙁 The heroine Kitty had the ‘my mother was slutty so my horny feelings are a biologically determined vice’ self-hatred thing. Her constant self-flagellation for her ‘impure thoughts’ was not the vibe. Also, she hated puppies.
☹️ Annnddd the love triangle between a) the hero, who made her horny for insta-lust non-reasons and b) her fiancé/the hero’s friend who she liked platonically and whose douchebaggery knew no bounds. Seriously, why was this book trying to convince me that this fiancé guy wasn’t the villain? Because he was.
The insta-love in this book was too much, even for me. Richard and Kitty knew so little about each other before the big declaration scene that I could have given them a pop quiz with questions like “What is his/her name?” and they would have failed it. Any time there was longing or a grand gesture, I was just like, “but whhyy??”
Ugh and this plot.. Kitty and Richard were mostly placed in each other’s company because her fiancé kept making wagers with Richard where the prize was time spent alone with her. Like dude, are you her fiancé or her pimp??
And then so much badness… The lack of consent whenever Richard was physical with Kitty and the apology flowers he would send the next morning 🤢 The way Kitty clung to the fiancé side of the love triangle until The. Bitter. End. even though he mostly wanted her for her money and another reason that he’d been grooming her for for years 😑 The way the love triangle gets “resolved” .. I have no words 🙄 And then. And THEN— 😵💫
I could go on and on. The NOPE I felt for this book was truly multifaceted 😆—10/10 would ~not~ recommend.
😕 The hero Richard the Duke of Weddington, though starchy, was small-minded and self-important.
🙁 The heroine Kitty had the ‘my mother was slutty so my horny feelings are a biologically determined vice’ self-hatred thing. Her constant self-flagellation for her ‘impure thoughts’ was not the vibe. Also, she hated puppies.
☹️ Annnddd the love triangle between a) the hero, who made her horny for insta-lust non-reasons and b) her fiancé/the hero’s friend who she liked platonically and whose douchebaggery knew no bounds. Seriously, why was this book trying to convince me that this fiancé guy wasn’t the villain? Because he was.
The insta-love in this book was too much, even for me. Richard and Kitty knew so little about each other before the big declaration scene that I could have given them a pop quiz with questions like “What is his/her name?” and they would have failed it. Any time there was longing or a grand gesture, I was just like, “but whhyy??”
Ugh and this plot.. Kitty and Richard were mostly placed in each other’s company because her fiancé kept making wagers with Richard where the prize was time spent alone with her. Like dude, are you her fiancé or her pimp??
And then so much badness… The lack of consent whenever Richard was physical with Kitty and the apology flowers he would send the next morning 🤢 The way Kitty clung to the fiancé side of the love triangle until The. Bitter. End. even though he mostly wanted her for her money and another reason that he’d been grooming her for for years 😑 The way the love triangle gets “resolved” .. I have no words 🙄 And then. And THEN— 😵💫
I could go on and on. The NOPE I felt for this book was truly multifaceted 😆—10/10 would ~not~ recommend.
March 4, 2017
This is, I think, the first book by Lorraine Heath that I did not particularly care for. I didn't like Kitty - her denial of her "passionate" nature just irritated me to no end. She was terrified of feeling any degree of arousal and blind to her own nature, considered her betrothed safe, because she wasn't attracted to him. And in the meantime, she treats Richard like crap.
Richard, although much easier to deal with as a character, was deplorable in that he went after his best friend's betrothed. I don't care what secrets he knew about Nicholas Farthingham, after point blank asked if he would still marry the heroine without her money and understanding how much his best friend needs to marry the heroine, he still tried to win her affections from him. He never tried to discredit him, which allowed him to keep his honor I suppose, but still. And the fact that only after one or two meetings, Richard was convinced that he HAD to marry Kitty...I don't believe it. Especially given how Kitty had been portrayed up to this point.
And my major beef with the story/author. The deception with the storm at the end. Spoiler here...
Richard, although much easier to deal with as a character, was deplorable in that he went after his best friend's betrothed. I don't care what secrets he knew about Nicholas Farthingham, after point blank asked if he would still marry the heroine without her money and understanding how much his best friend needs to marry the heroine, he still tried to win her affections from him. He never tried to discredit him, which allowed him to keep his honor I suppose, but still. And the fact that only after one or two meetings, Richard was convinced that he HAD to marry Kitty...I don't believe it. Especially given how Kitty had been portrayed up to this point.
And my major beef with the story/author. The deception with the storm at the end. Spoiler here...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2011
An interesting plot with several turns that though predicted, didn't make it any less enjoyable. After all, it's ok if some of the parts you can see coming - at least the author is laying groundwork. I have never enjoyed the "SURPRISE! Everything out of left field ending" so there is that in its favor.
I did like the male lead in particular and enjoyed the story. Heath once again writes a good romance.
I did like the male lead in particular and enjoyed the story. Heath once again writes a good romance.
February 9, 2013
I liked this one much better than Lydia and Rhys's story. I figured it all out before the big reveal. I wish that Kitty hadn't had such a negative impression of Jessye in the beginning. That made it kind of unbelievable. I don't think that David and his wife would ever have let that impression go uncorrected.
July 29, 2018
Lagi-lagi saya nggak sreg dengan heroine-nya. Saya tahu maksud author untuk menciptakan karakter heroine yang "bermasalah" dgn masa lalunya, tetapi malah jatuhnya sangat angsty dan jauh dari nalar saya.
Kitty Robertson ini punya masalah yang terpendam. Dia marah pada ibu kandungnya, Jessye, yang dalam pikirannya adalah seorang wanita nakal yg membuang dan menelantarkan dirinya ke orangtua angkatnya. Dia merasa dirinya wanita nakal seperti ibu kandungnya, saat di pelukan Richard, maka dia berusaha keras mengalihkan cintanya pada pria lain, calon tunangannya, Nicholas, Marquess Farthingham. Ceritanya si Kitty ini mau cari aman, karena ciuman dan sentuhan Nicky tidak membangkitkan gairah setitik pun, tidak seperti sentuhan maut tangan Richard.
Richard, Duke of Weddington ini dideskripsikan pria yang ngotot dan kekeuh untuk mendapatkan Kitty, apapun caranya, sejak bertemu pertama kali dgn Kitty. Kitty membenci arogansi Richard, tapi dia lebih benci lagi karena setiap belaian dari Richard menumbuhkan gairahnya, yang mengingatkannya pada sosok ibu kandungnya. Bagi saya kebencian Kitty pada Richard ini tidak pada tempatnya dan rada konyol. Ibaratnya marah pada A tetapi dilampiaskan pada B.
Cara author untuk merekatkan secara instan kedua H/H ini dgn kehamilan tidak terencana pada waktu Kitty jelas-jelas setengah hati menikahi Richard. Dan saat pernikahan, hati Kitty terus tersiksa dgn kehadiran hantu Nicky malah membuat saya terganggu. Ini jadi seperti cinta segitiga yang tidak kasat mata. Ketakutan Kitty bahwa dirinya mirip ibu kandungnya justru gak dibongkar dan diselesaikan hingga tuntas, tetapi, malah seperti anak kecil yang merengek minta mainan dan dialihkan dgn permen, begitu pula dengan Kitty, kebencian terpendam selama bertahun-tahun itu langsung luluh dan lenyap setelah ditenangkan oleh Richard dalam sekejap.
Klimaks cerita juga agak aneh dan sepertinya terlalu keluar dari sejarah. Setahu saya, seorang Duke sulit dijadikan tersangka apalagi diadili, tetapi inilah yang terjadi di novel ini. Ya sudahlah, anggap saja ini efek dramatisasi.
Dan yang paling mengguncangkan batin saya saat diketahui
Kitty Robertson ini punya masalah yang terpendam. Dia marah pada ibu kandungnya, Jessye, yang dalam pikirannya adalah seorang wanita nakal yg membuang dan menelantarkan dirinya ke orangtua angkatnya. Dia merasa dirinya wanita nakal seperti ibu kandungnya, saat di pelukan Richard, maka dia berusaha keras mengalihkan cintanya pada pria lain, calon tunangannya, Nicholas, Marquess Farthingham. Ceritanya si Kitty ini mau cari aman, karena ciuman dan sentuhan Nicky tidak membangkitkan gairah setitik pun, tidak seperti sentuhan maut tangan Richard.
Richard, Duke of Weddington ini dideskripsikan pria yang ngotot dan kekeuh untuk mendapatkan Kitty, apapun caranya, sejak bertemu pertama kali dgn Kitty. Kitty membenci arogansi Richard, tapi dia lebih benci lagi karena setiap belaian dari Richard menumbuhkan gairahnya, yang mengingatkannya pada sosok ibu kandungnya. Bagi saya kebencian Kitty pada Richard ini tidak pada tempatnya dan rada konyol. Ibaratnya marah pada A tetapi dilampiaskan pada B.
Cara author untuk merekatkan secara instan kedua H/H ini dgn kehamilan tidak terencana pada waktu Kitty jelas-jelas setengah hati menikahi Richard. Dan saat pernikahan, hati Kitty terus tersiksa dgn kehadiran hantu Nicky malah membuat saya terganggu. Ini jadi seperti cinta segitiga yang tidak kasat mata. Ketakutan Kitty bahwa dirinya mirip ibu kandungnya justru gak dibongkar dan diselesaikan hingga tuntas, tetapi, malah seperti anak kecil yang merengek minta mainan dan dialihkan dgn permen, begitu pula dengan Kitty, kebencian terpendam selama bertahun-tahun itu langsung luluh dan lenyap setelah ditenangkan oleh Richard dalam sekejap.
Klimaks cerita juga agak aneh dan sepertinya terlalu keluar dari sejarah. Setahu saya, seorang Duke sulit dijadikan tersangka apalagi diadili, tetapi inilah yang terjadi di novel ini. Ya sudahlah, anggap saja ini efek dramatisasi.
Dan yang paling mengguncangkan batin saya saat diketahui
February 10, 2022
Holy heat!!! 🔥 The sexual tension between Kitty and Richard wow 🔥🔥🔥 This Story is a love triangle and a tangled web of a story that I gobbled up I couldn’t seem to put the book down. I really did enjoy reading it the suspense the intrigue and a may I says (sexual tension again) was on point.
I absolutely Loved Richard that dark ,brooding thoroughly male. Loyal, kind and sexy as hell 🔥*swoon* (whats not to love)
Kitty inner struggles (while I could see many being annoyed with this character I also understand her) Shamed by her Birth struggling to understand her urges and desires (when only every taught to stayed pure) Leads her to the safe choice (which isn’t what her heart desires)
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it 👍
I absolutely Loved Richard that dark ,brooding thoroughly male. Loyal, kind and sexy as hell 🔥*swoon* (whats not to love)
Kitty inner struggles (while I could see many being annoyed with this character I also understand her) Shamed by her Birth struggling to understand her urges and desires (when only every taught to stayed pure) Leads her to the safe choice (which isn’t what her heart desires)
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it 👍
August 19, 2024
There’s a lot of drama here. There’s a bit of a droop in the middle but overall what we want and love from Heath.
March 18, 2017
Very good read . .a bit long but very enjoyable.
April 8, 2022
This will probably be my longest review ever
Lorraine Heath is my favorite historical romance author and one of my favorite authors period. So last year I decided to really go trough her blacklist in order. So since I knew this series is a spin off of Rogues in Texas, I decided to read them after te other series (this was after I read the third book in this series)
So I read rogues in Texas and was so excited to read this one. I really liked books 1 and 2 and now just needed to read this one to go to the lost lords series that is sort of a spin off, continuation of this series. And in the first few chapters I decided to put this book aside and go through with the lost lords.
I was really annoyed with the heroine due to motives I won't say since it spoilers from other books from this universe. But now I only need to read 4 or 5 of Lorraine Heath's historicals to finish her blacklist and I knew the time to pick this book again has come.
I re-read the first few chapters got annoyed again with the heroine and the feeling wasn't changing with the course of the story.
Kitty is such an annoying heroine. And her problem with letting herself feel passion really annoyed me. I get the time period, I get there are people who would feel this way, but if you're going to chose this kind the heroine on your book she's needs to be likeable in every other aspect to me enjoy her. So no fault to Lorraine here, is just how I feel.
I did love Weddington, though I never gente what he saw in Kitty from the get go and how she could say anything rude and mean to him, and his fellings never changed. By the end I got more interested about the story, but not enough. I did felt so sad by Nick's storyline, and what to he had to do to get his hea. But at least he got to he with the person he loved.
I wad conflicted between 2 and 3 stars, but when comparing with my other 3 stras of the year, this book did not compare to them. So with great sadness I'm rating this a 2.5 stars
Lorraine Heath is my favorite historical romance author and one of my favorite authors period. So last year I decided to really go trough her blacklist in order. So since I knew this series is a spin off of Rogues in Texas, I decided to read them after te other series (this was after I read the third book in this series)
So I read rogues in Texas and was so excited to read this one. I really liked books 1 and 2 and now just needed to read this one to go to the lost lords series that is sort of a spin off, continuation of this series. And in the first few chapters I decided to put this book aside and go through with the lost lords.
I was really annoyed with the heroine due to motives I won't say since it spoilers from other books from this universe. But now I only need to read 4 or 5 of Lorraine Heath's historicals to finish her blacklist and I knew the time to pick this book again has come.
I re-read the first few chapters got annoyed again with the heroine and the feeling wasn't changing with the course of the story.
Kitty is such an annoying heroine. And her problem with letting herself feel passion really annoyed me. I get the time period, I get there are people who would feel this way, but if you're going to chose this kind the heroine on your book she's needs to be likeable in every other aspect to me enjoy her. So no fault to Lorraine here, is just how I feel.
I did love Weddington, though I never gente what he saw in Kitty from the get go and how she could say anything rude and mean to him, and his fellings never changed. By the end I got more interested about the story, but not enough. I did felt so sad by Nick's storyline, and what to he had to do to get his hea. But at least he got to he with the person he loved.
I wad conflicted between 2 and 3 stars, but when comparing with my other 3 stras of the year, this book did not compare to them. So with great sadness I'm rating this a 2.5 stars
July 22, 2012
Duke lusts after rich American girl who is engaged to marry his best friend. He knows that best friend will be a terrible husband, but he can't tell her why. So, he just decides to sweep her off her feet to the point that she'll jilt the best friend. Tragedy intervenes. Not hard to figure out what's going on here.
LH can tell a story, but in this case it's a rather silly one.
LH can tell a story, but in this case it's a rather silly one.
August 13, 2020
Could not finish it, got almost the half of the book or so... for the life of me I could not stand it. I just have to put it down and move on. I just couldn’t get behind the two with their well whatever chemistry happening to them. The hero is obnoxious and heroine is meh, Weird thing is I like Nicky, the fiance, but oh well. What a waste of time, should have listened to the ratings lol
July 23, 2022
**Trigger Warnings Below**
Heroine: Mary Ellen Robertson, 21. Nickname: Kitty. The adopted daughter of wealthy Americans, her biological mother was unwed.
Hero: Richard Stanbury, 34. Duke of Weddington.
Date: 1881 (epilogue = 1886)
How they meet: Kitty goes to the seashore for a swim and comes upon Richard just after a swim, naked. She watches him, but flees when he spies her.
What happens: The next morning they go back to the same spot, but this time it is Richard who is the voyeur. He decides she needs to be rescued from the water, which leads to a steamy kiss on the beach after which she confesses she will be marrying soon. Richard hopes to track her down while in London for the season. They cross paths again at a ball where she is introduced to him as his best friend’s intended.
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: The story brought together three elements that I absolutely hate: the hero and heroine recklessly acting on their insta-lust, the hero doggedly making advances on the heroine when she has clearly and repeatedly told him “no,” and the hero initiating sex when the heroine is especially vulnerable and her consent is questionable. Richard is an uber-alpha male who thinks anything other than getting his way is inconceivable. After badgering Kitty when she was engaged to his friend, when they marry he continues to be aggressive. I can accept flawed characters, but Richard doesn’t seem to experience any personal growth throughout the story. Kitty spends much of the book struggling with her sexuality, but I’m not sure the resolution to her issues was really handled with much finesse by the author. Too often, Kitty is treated as a possession by both her finacé and by Richard, rather than as a thinking, feeling human being. The twist at the end was pretty obvious from early in the book. This is the last in a disappointing series. I’m giving it 2 stars because the writing was good enough that I didn't consider dnf-ing (I was desperately hoping the story would get better!). That said, I have enjoyed many of this author’s books and will continue to read more from her in the future. This book can definitely be read as a standalone even though there are cameos from a couple featured in one of the previous books.
Steam-level: some steam and moderately explicit
Rating: 2 stars
Heroine: Mary Ellen Robertson, 21. Nickname: Kitty. The adopted daughter of wealthy Americans, her biological mother was unwed.
Hero: Richard Stanbury, 34. Duke of Weddington.
Date: 1881 (epilogue = 1886)
How they meet: Kitty goes to the seashore for a swim and comes upon Richard just after a swim, naked. She watches him, but flees when he spies her.
What happens: The next morning they go back to the same spot, but this time it is Richard who is the voyeur. He decides she needs to be rescued from the water, which leads to a steamy kiss on the beach after which she confesses she will be marrying soon. Richard hopes to track her down while in London for the season. They cross paths again at a ball where she is introduced to him as his best friend’s intended.
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: The story brought together three elements that I absolutely hate: the hero and heroine recklessly acting on their insta-lust, the hero doggedly making advances on the heroine when she has clearly and repeatedly told him “no,” and the hero initiating sex when the heroine is especially vulnerable and her consent is questionable. Richard is an uber-alpha male who thinks anything other than getting his way is inconceivable. After badgering Kitty when she was engaged to his friend, when they marry he continues to be aggressive. I can accept flawed characters, but Richard doesn’t seem to experience any personal growth throughout the story. Kitty spends much of the book struggling with her sexuality, but I’m not sure the resolution to her issues was really handled with much finesse by the author. Too often, Kitty is treated as a possession by both her finacé and by Richard, rather than as a thinking, feeling human being. The twist at the end was pretty obvious from early in the book. This is the last in a disappointing series. I’m giving it 2 stars because the writing was good enough that I didn't consider dnf-ing (I was desperately hoping the story would get better!). That said, I have enjoyed many of this author’s books and will continue to read more from her in the future. This book can definitely be read as a standalone even though there are cameos from a couple featured in one of the previous books.
Steam-level: some steam and moderately explicit
Rating: 2 stars
May 28, 2024
An Invitation to Seduction by Lorraine Heath, book four of Daughter of Fortune series
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Cover: 5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Steam: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 (+kissing, combined two short scenes into one flame)
Ending: HEA with epilogue
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Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone. Stories are somewhat interconnected with mentions of other people. This series is the children of another series and other characters appear in yet another series.
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London, Victorian Era (1881)
Relentless Sober Duke
Railroad & Banking Heiress
Forbidden Love
Best Friend's Girl
Age Gap (21/34)
American/English
Tortured Hero
Possessive Hero
Insta-Attraction
Marriage of Convience
Tennis Wagers
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I don't know how Lorraine Heath does it, but she does it. Over and over again. This book was gut-wrenching in the best way possible. However, it is never overly depressing. Heath has this fantastic way of leaving a little breadcrumb trail for readers throughout her books that slowly leads a reader to the big reveal. It's spectacular, honestly. This book has an inreresting storyline that doesn't turn out in any way that you would expect it. The pacing is also phenomenal.
Hear me out here, is Kitty nearly engaged to another person for half of the book and then actually engaged? Yes. But before you run screaming from this book because of potential infidelity, I SWEAR to you that this all somehow works out in the end in a manner that won't disgust you or leave you upset. I'm not a fan of a cheating trope but just go within because it WILL make sense in the end. (She also doesn't technically cheat, FYI.)
Kitty and Richard are really spicy. Richard W.A.N.T.S Kitty. Kitty doesn't want to want Richard, but she does. Oh, does she ever. Kitty is pretty rude to Richard, but he doesn't let that stop him from his pursuit to get what he wants, and he wants Kitty. End of story. I loved their back and forth as Richard truly met his match with Kitty. They have a steamy romance throughout the book that kept me turning pages.
As for steam, this is sure to please. Heath is a true master at developing steammmy steam scenes without needing to use explicit language. But have no fear, the language isn't sugary sweet. There is a variety of scene lengths and actions in this book.
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Read as an ebook and physical copy.
Honest review left voluntarily.
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Content Warning (may contain spoilers):
.
.
.
.
.
De*th of father- off page
De*th of close friend
Pregnancy
Mention of loss of a child
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Cover: 5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Steam: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 (+kissing, combined two short scenes into one flame)
Ending: HEA with epilogue
.
Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone. Stories are somewhat interconnected with mentions of other people. This series is the children of another series and other characters appear in yet another series.
.
London, Victorian Era (1881)
Relentless Sober Duke
Railroad & Banking Heiress
Forbidden Love
Best Friend's Girl
Age Gap (21/34)
American/English
Tortured Hero
Possessive Hero
Insta-Attraction
Marriage of Convience
Tennis Wagers
.
I don't know how Lorraine Heath does it, but she does it. Over and over again. This book was gut-wrenching in the best way possible. However, it is never overly depressing. Heath has this fantastic way of leaving a little breadcrumb trail for readers throughout her books that slowly leads a reader to the big reveal. It's spectacular, honestly. This book has an inreresting storyline that doesn't turn out in any way that you would expect it. The pacing is also phenomenal.
Hear me out here, is Kitty nearly engaged to another person for half of the book and then actually engaged? Yes. But before you run screaming from this book because of potential infidelity, I SWEAR to you that this all somehow works out in the end in a manner that won't disgust you or leave you upset. I'm not a fan of a cheating trope but just go within because it WILL make sense in the end. (She also doesn't technically cheat, FYI.)
Kitty and Richard are really spicy. Richard W.A.N.T.S Kitty. Kitty doesn't want to want Richard, but she does. Oh, does she ever. Kitty is pretty rude to Richard, but he doesn't let that stop him from his pursuit to get what he wants, and he wants Kitty. End of story. I loved their back and forth as Richard truly met his match with Kitty. They have a steamy romance throughout the book that kept me turning pages.
As for steam, this is sure to please. Heath is a true master at developing steammmy steam scenes without needing to use explicit language. But have no fear, the language isn't sugary sweet. There is a variety of scene lengths and actions in this book.
.
Read as an ebook and physical copy.
Honest review left voluntarily.
.
Content Warning (may contain spoilers):
.
.
.
.
.
De*th of father- off page
De*th of close friend
Pregnancy
Mention of loss of a child
May 22, 2022
Kitty wants to go for a quick swim in the ocean one morning when she comes across Richard standing naked on the shore and even though she knows it's wicked she hides and watches him. When Richard catches a flash of red hair out of the corner of his eye he's almost immediately in lust even though he didn't really see anything other than the hair and he can't figure out why. So he lays in wait the next morning hoping she'll come back again, he catches her naked this time.
This was a bit of a stressful read because the heroine is just so brutally ashamed of every feeling she has toward the hero, who isn't her fiancée, but she has no passion for her intended even though she loves him. It was very love triangle-y in the way were you know one doesn't have a shot in hell but that's the one the heroine clings to, it was incredibly frustrating. The heroine also spends so much of the book hating her birthmother Jessye(a character I loved when I read her book) which kinda made me hate Kitty.
While Heath didn't make me cry like she usually does all the other emotions were present and accounted for.
This was a bit of a stressful read because the heroine is just so brutally ashamed of every feeling she has toward the hero, who isn't her fiancée, but she has no passion for her intended even though she loves him. It was very love triangle-y in the way were you know one doesn't have a shot in hell but that's the one the heroine clings to, it was incredibly frustrating. The heroine also spends so much of the book hating her birthmother Jessye(a character I loved when I read her book) which kinda made me hate Kitty.
While Heath didn't make me cry like she usually does all the other emotions were present and accounted for.
October 17, 2024
This is one of the few books in which I never warmed to the female protagonist. While her trauma over her inauspicious birth is somewhat understandable, her thoughts and actions are judgmental and tiresome. (I knew someone who was adopted and while she had loving parents, I knew that not knowing her birth parents tortured her.) In Kitty's case, she was aware of her birth mother but judged her and disliked her without just cause. As Jessye is the heroine in her own book, Never Love a Cowboy, readers know how wonderful she is and how much giving up her daughter haunted her.
Another thing that bothered me with this book is that Kitty loves the other man, her fiance, the entire book. The romance between Kitty and Richard didn't quite blossom, it was more like a case of instalust.
Another thing that bothered me with this book is that Kitty loves the other man, her fiance, the entire book. The romance between Kitty and Richard didn't quite blossom, it was more like a case of instalust.
October 7, 2017
Lorraine Heath can create memorable characters and scenes. No doubt she is a gifted writer. The H/h's first sighting of each other at the seashore is pretty haunting, as are a couple of scenes in a hot tub.
However, this book frustrated me as much as it pleased me. The "big reveal" was so very obvious that the wait for it seemed overly long. The trial scene was completely ridiculous. And even the heroine's American origins, the common thread running through the series, seemed lost and unused in the plot.
However, this book frustrated me as much as it pleased me. The "big reveal" was so very obvious that the wait for it seemed overly long. The trial scene was completely ridiculous. And even the heroine's American origins, the common thread running through the series, seemed lost and unused in the plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2023
The whole series has been a bit of a dud for me. I haven’t enjoyed the writing or the storylines. The characters have been hit or miss.
In this case, the story is ridiculous. Richard is obsessed with his friend’s fiancé after knowing her for 5 minutes. He won’t take no for an answer because he evidently knows what everyone else wants and needs better than they do. That’s pretty much all there is to this story.
In this case, the story is ridiculous. Richard is obsessed with his friend’s fiancé after knowing her for 5 minutes. He won’t take no for an answer because he evidently knows what everyone else wants and needs better than they do. That’s pretty much all there is to this story.
November 23, 2023
Lorraine Heath has a terrible habit of damaging a story in her insistence to keep a secret from the reader. This book is a strong example.
Aside from that, I could not identify, at all, with the female protagonist. She seemed needlessly childlike in her emotions and actions. She continued to be obstinate and, frankly, idiotic.
I just did not like this story, though I wanted to. It was a waste a a decent H.
Narrator Vanessa Maroney reads a bit melodramatically, too.
Aside from that, I could not identify, at all, with the female protagonist. She seemed needlessly childlike in her emotions and actions. She continued to be obstinate and, frankly, idiotic.
I just did not like this story, though I wanted to. It was a waste a a decent H.
Narrator Vanessa Maroney reads a bit melodramatically, too.
July 17, 2019
This one has a full blown crazysauce plot. But much of it was to a degree where it felt ridiculous, and not in a fun way. While I really wanted to like the hero and heroine, and they were well suited too each other and had heaps of chemistry, they both did thinks that made me want to smack them, then repeated the same mistakes again.
The writing style was excellent as per usual for this author.
The writing style was excellent as per usual for this author.
October 10, 2023
3.5 stars
Richard was WILD throughout this whole book. This man was on a mission and never once strayed from the course. While I don’t particularly like love triangles/cheating, Nick wasn’t actually all in with her due to his “secret” (we all knew what it was immediately) so it was manageable. This one didn’t quite play out the way I thought it would either so I was fully entertained!
Richard was WILD throughout this whole book. This man was on a mission and never once strayed from the course. While I don’t particularly like love triangles/cheating, Nick wasn’t actually all in with her due to his “secret” (we all knew what it was immediately) so it was manageable. This one didn’t quite play out the way I thought it would either so I was fully entertained!
May 19, 2019
Richard and kitty what an exceptional story so heart warming many little hints along the way regarding Nicky and Freddie but so happy all parties got their HEA would highly recommend any of ma heaths books never a dull moment and always well written 👍👍👍👍
October 24, 2019
What a Love Story
I so enjoyed this story because the duke, Trevor, wanted Kitty from the beginning. He wooed her in untraditional ways and still won her heart. Mmm good. I am hungry for more.
I so enjoyed this story because the duke, Trevor, wanted Kitty from the beginning. He wooed her in untraditional ways and still won her heart. Mmm good. I am hungry for more.
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