What do you think?
Rate this book
Griffin Family #2
An Invitation to Sin
Seven marriageable daughters...and Lord Zachary Griffin is just the man to help them.
After all, what could be more tantalizing than teaching the beautiful Witfeld sisters all the special ways of driving a man into submission—and marriage? And leading exquisite Caroline Witfeld, the most spirited and least frivolous sister, to temptation would be wildly delicious.
Zachary doesn't realize that Caroline's longing gazes have less to do with attraction and more to do with admission—to a prestigious arts conservatory. If only she could set those high cheekbones, that aristocratic brow, and those powerful shoulders to canvas, her dreams would all come true. But Caroline is soon having dreams of a very different sort—ones that involve the charming rogue and some improper behavior hardly befitting a lady dedicated to her art...unless she becomes dedicated to the art of love.
After all, what could be more tantalizing than teaching the beautiful Witfeld sisters all the special ways of driving a man into submission—and marriage? And leading exquisite Caroline Witfeld, the most spirited and least frivolous sister, to temptation would be wildly delicious.
Zachary doesn't realize that Caroline's longing gazes have less to do with attraction and more to do with admission—to a prestigious arts conservatory. If only she could set those high cheekbones, that aristocratic brow, and those powerful shoulders to canvas, her dreams would all come true. But Caroline is soon having dreams of a very different sort—ones that involve the charming rogue and some improper behavior hardly befitting a lady dedicated to her art...unless she becomes dedicated to the art of love.
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 29, 2005
102 people are currently reading
991 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Enoch
101 books2,615 followersSuzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 16, 2013
What makes An Invitation to Sin different from hundreds of other historicals:
1. The heroine is a painter.
2. She has no interest in getting married.
3. The hero falls in love first.
4. The heroine is logical, mature, and self-composed.
5. The hero isn't approaching or in his thirties; at the mere age of 24, he might be one of the youngest HR heroes I've come across so far.
6. The hero isn't a hardened cynic or rake. Yay.
7. The story takes place in the countryside, rather than in the ballrooms of London.
8. The ending is realistic, believable, and perfect, minus a cheesy epilogue.
1. The heroine is a painter.
2. She has no interest in getting married.
3. The hero falls in love first.
4. The heroine is logical, mature, and self-composed.
5. The hero isn't approaching or in his thirties; at the mere age of 24, he might be one of the youngest HR heroes I've come across so far.
6. The hero isn't a hardened cynic or rake. Yay.
7. The story takes place in the countryside, rather than in the ballrooms of London.
8. The ending is realistic, believable, and perfect, minus a cheesy epilogue.
May 10, 2019
I got bored with all the sisters. Caroline (Caro) is one of seven sisters and they're all very silly (except for Caro and maybe Anne). They engage in a flat-out pursuit of poor Zach and all I can think is how spoiled they are. And then the mother had a fainting fit after prancing around the house screeching that Zach had been kidnapped! KIDNAPPED! because he ditched out for some sanity for a bit. So the ditzy daughters make sense, at any rate, if you figure they're being raised by a self-indulgent spaz.
I could have gotten past that much better if the story wasn't so intent on showing Zach interacting with all the sisters. Seriously, these girls bored me to tears. "Oh, I just love riding" one claims as she's about to fall off her docile mare. Idiot.
I liked Caro, though, even if her art plans were kind of a weird fantasy. I don't think art studios worked that way, particularly for young girls. It was kind of fun seeing her and Zach connect. I loved that they connected over art because he noticed things and could articulate them and that she appreciated the very things he'd been teased about by others.
I wasn't so enamored of his brief forays into sexual fantasy—making mental plans to debauch her if he can get her to "ask for it". Because sexing gently-bred virgins without any plans for marriage is a thing? I chose to overlook it because their actual interactions were stellar, but sometimes I wanted to smack him for his mental "plans".
Anyway, I bogged down at about a third in and decided this isn't for me. The plot is a meandering one in a setting that's isolated to a lot of ditzy girls making fools of themselves over Zach. I might have stuck it out if we'd had more interactions with the main couple. And if Zach could keep his mind out of the gutter. Maybe.
I could have gotten past that much better if the story wasn't so intent on showing Zach interacting with all the sisters. Seriously, these girls bored me to tears. "Oh, I just love riding" one claims as she's about to fall off her docile mare. Idiot.
I liked Caro, though, even if her art plans were kind of a weird fantasy. I don't think art studios worked that way, particularly for young girls. It was kind of fun seeing her and Zach connect. I loved that they connected over art because he noticed things and could articulate them and that she appreciated the very things he'd been teased about by others.
I wasn't so enamored of his brief forays into sexual fantasy—making mental plans to debauch her if he can get her to "ask for it". Because sexing gently-bred virgins without any plans for marriage is a thing? I chose to overlook it because their actual interactions were stellar, but sometimes I wanted to smack him for his mental "plans".
Anyway, I bogged down at about a third in and decided this isn't for me. The plot is a meandering one in a setting that's isolated to a lot of ditzy girls making fools of themselves over Zach. I might have stuck it out if we'd had more interactions with the main couple. And if Zach could keep his mind out of the gutter. Maybe.
April 11, 2009
If you like your romance with a painting back drop this is a cute one. There are some very “fun” and unexpected scenes at one point with the said ‘paint’ ;-) A good story on the whole with strong characters and good writing.
It doesn’t quite make 5 stars because the sexual tension becomes frustrating –the h/h aren’t together enough or they’re apart for long stretches and there are always other people taking up their time with useless things. I’m all for lots of tension with additional story lines but when it starts to irritate the reader that the h/h aren’t getting together even for a stolen kiss that’s not good. Enoch usually has a good mix of tension/sex/and all the in betweens but she was a little off with this book. She skimps on the physical contact (from sly touching to outright sex) so the reader sometimes feels dissatisfied. The heroine’s six sisters were horribly annoying and cloying which I think was how she intended them but she did them too well and they became more in the foreground of the story than in the background at times.
The hero is a very pleasant kind of guy. Charming and polite but not a rake. He’s seen as bit flighty with some wit though. This tends to bug the heroine but he doesn’t get to spend enough time with her. She’s very stubborn and devoted to her art hoping to make a career out of it. Zachery has some very touching moments that make your heart flutter and when he gets angry at his meddlesome bossy brother Sebastian, the Duke of Melbourne, sparks certainly do fly.
So it’s a well-written light read with a really good ending (albeit slow in some parts), but she’s got some better ones out there. On to the next book in the series.
It doesn’t quite make 5 stars because the sexual tension becomes frustrating –the h/h aren’t together enough or they’re apart for long stretches and there are always other people taking up their time with useless things. I’m all for lots of tension with additional story lines but when it starts to irritate the reader that the h/h aren’t getting together even for a stolen kiss that’s not good. Enoch usually has a good mix of tension/sex/and all the in betweens but she was a little off with this book. She skimps on the physical contact (from sly touching to outright sex) so the reader sometimes feels dissatisfied. The heroine’s six sisters were horribly annoying and cloying which I think was how she intended them but she did them too well and they became more in the foreground of the story than in the background at times.
The hero is a very pleasant kind of guy. Charming and polite but not a rake. He’s seen as bit flighty with some wit though. This tends to bug the heroine but he doesn’t get to spend enough time with her. She’s very stubborn and devoted to her art hoping to make a career out of it. Zachery has some very touching moments that make your heart flutter and when he gets angry at his meddlesome bossy brother Sebastian, the Duke of Melbourne, sparks certainly do fly.
So it’s a well-written light read with a really good ending (albeit slow in some parts), but she’s got some better ones out there. On to the next book in the series.
November 23, 2022
3,75/4 - Tornano i Griffin, un duca e i suoi tre fratelli, schiacciati tra le responsabilità che incombono sulle loro spalle a causa del titolo e del casato (compensati da non notevoli privilegi, peraltro) e il loro carattere scanzonato che li porterebbe invece a cercare più libertà.
Dopo che l'unica sorella, Nell, si è sposata, è Zachary, il più piccolo, a mordere il freno: dopo svariati progetti mollati a metà, vorrebbe intraprendere la carriera militare.
Di conseguenza, il duca Sebastian corre ai ripari e lo invia con una scusa a fare da accompagnatore dell'anziana zia a Bath. Ovviamente, però, il duca e la zia hanno un piano preciso, che prevede una sosta presso una famiglia con ben sette figlie da maritare (e un padre inventore rassegnato ma affettuoso).
Per Zachary ci sarà molto da fare, senza contare che nessuno ha previsto diversivi ulteriori, come proposte "strane" per fare il modello per dipinti, coinvolgimenti in un giro di invenzioni ed incroci genetici, shopping cittadino, battute di pesca, incomprensioni sentimentali e lacune nell'addestramento di cani onnivori.
Carino, in più di una scena divertente. Ho patito solo la lunghezza, perché a mio avviso il finale è un po' allungato. E se non amate i dialoghi corali e sovraffollati, potreste ritrovarvi con un po' di mal di testa :)
Ma non vedo l'ora di vedere Seb e Charlemagne, i duri e impavidi della famiglia Griffin, alle prese con le loro questioni di cuore.
Peraltro, ho detto che anche le mucche giocano un ruolo importante?
Dopo che l'unica sorella, Nell, si è sposata, è Zachary, il più piccolo, a mordere il freno: dopo svariati progetti mollati a metà, vorrebbe intraprendere la carriera militare.
Di conseguenza, il duca Sebastian corre ai ripari e lo invia con una scusa a fare da accompagnatore dell'anziana zia a Bath. Ovviamente, però, il duca e la zia hanno un piano preciso, che prevede una sosta presso una famiglia con ben sette figlie da maritare (e un padre inventore rassegnato ma affettuoso).
Per Zachary ci sarà molto da fare, senza contare che nessuno ha previsto diversivi ulteriori, come proposte "strane" per fare il modello per dipinti, coinvolgimenti in un giro di invenzioni ed incroci genetici, shopping cittadino, battute di pesca, incomprensioni sentimentali e lacune nell'addestramento di cani onnivori.
Carino, in più di una scena divertente. Ho patito solo la lunghezza, perché a mio avviso il finale è un po' allungato. E se non amate i dialoghi corali e sovraffollati, potreste ritrovarvi con un po' di mal di testa :)
Ma non vedo l'ora di vedere Seb e Charlemagne, i duri e impavidi della famiglia Griffin, alle prese con le loro questioni di cuore.
Peraltro, ho detto che anche le mucche giocano un ruolo importante?
June 9, 2019
I thought this was a well-developed story. I liked how the characters and their family’s interacted. There was a nice amount of balance with the romance and the surrounding characters, who added instead of distracting from the story.
August 16, 2020
Zachary Griffin, the comic relief sibling in Suzanne Enoch's Griffin Family series, gets his own book in An Invitation to Sin, and if you've ever wondered what it's like to read a romance that stars a failure to launch scrub, look no further. Enoch dunks on Zachary hard throughout the novel, his shortcomings to stick to anything clear from the outset, and his limitless appetite for food acutely observed by his love match, Caroline, an aspiring painter.
The premise of transplanting Zachary to the countryside where he would be seen as sophisticated and urbane by default was a wise choice by Enoch. She even has Zachary conclude at one point that "these chits' lives must all have been astoundingly dull if they could find [me] so incredibly interesting." And it seemed like there'd be a lot of room for Enoch to play with the plot, a Pride and Prejudice callback, with Zachary plunked in the Witfield family. Seven daughters scrambling to make a good marriage, a matchmaking mama, gauche with suspect good intentions, and a cheery and distant father figure who knows all too well he's outnumbered. Yet I didn't believe in Zachary and Caroline as a couple, and despite some promising scenes, they never developed chemistry with each other. My least favourite book of the Griffin Family. Also, that Zachary's thing in life is breeding superior cattle felt incredibly random, like Enoch closed her eyes and picked a profession out of the blue to illustrate Zachary's newfound drive and strength of character. I didn't realize an invitation to sin could be so boring.
The premise of transplanting Zachary to the countryside where he would be seen as sophisticated and urbane by default was a wise choice by Enoch. She even has Zachary conclude at one point that "these chits' lives must all have been astoundingly dull if they could find [me] so incredibly interesting." And it seemed like there'd be a lot of room for Enoch to play with the plot, a Pride and Prejudice callback, with Zachary plunked in the Witfield family. Seven daughters scrambling to make a good marriage, a matchmaking mama, gauche with suspect good intentions, and a cheery and distant father figure who knows all too well he's outnumbered. Yet I didn't believe in Zachary and Caroline as a couple, and despite some promising scenes, they never developed chemistry with each other. My least favourite book of the Griffin Family. Also, that Zachary's thing in life is breeding superior cattle felt incredibly random, like Enoch closed her eyes and picked a profession out of the blue to illustrate Zachary's newfound drive and strength of character. I didn't realize an invitation to sin could be so boring.
March 19, 2020
I thought this book was so sweet. I laughed out loud multiple times and really loved both characters.
March 31, 2023
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Verleidelijk model - Candlelight Historische roman 735
Lord Zachary Griffin gaat met zijn tante mee naar Bath maar eerst maken zij een tussenstop bij een oude vriendin van haar , mevrouw Witfeld . Zij is getrouwd en is gezegend met maar liefst 7 dochters . De oudste dochter Caroline wil graag aangenomen worden op een kunst academie en moet daarvoor een schilderij kunnen tonen van een aristocraat met een aanbevelingsbrief van die persoon erbij om in aanmerking te komen voor een plekje op die academie . Lord Zachary wil wel voor haar poseren en tja ... je weet natuurlijk wel wat er gebeurt wanneer twee jonge mensen veel tijd met elkaar doorbrengen .
Een origineel en met lichte humor geschreven verhaal .
Lord Zachary Griffin gaat met zijn tante mee naar Bath maar eerst maken zij een tussenstop bij een oude vriendin van haar , mevrouw Witfeld . Zij is getrouwd en is gezegend met maar liefst 7 dochters . De oudste dochter Caroline wil graag aangenomen worden op een kunst academie en moet daarvoor een schilderij kunnen tonen van een aristocraat met een aanbevelingsbrief van die persoon erbij om in aanmerking te komen voor een plekje op die academie . Lord Zachary wil wel voor haar poseren en tja ... je weet natuurlijk wel wat er gebeurt wanneer twee jonge mensen veel tijd met elkaar doorbrengen .
Een origineel en met lichte humor geschreven verhaal .
January 8, 2019
Caroline Witfeld gets caught eye-sexing hot mancake Zachary Griffin while he's visiting with his aunt. Mistaking her invitation to draw him as an invitation to bone, he soon discovers that she's eye-sexing him professionally only thank you. So the moment she finishes painting him, they bone! HAPPY EVER AFTER.
1. I am legitimately not kidding about the boning: pretty much the moment she puts down the paintbrush, he gets her naked. THE SEX IT IS IMMINENT.
2. That said: this was really fun. I enjoyed it quite a bit: Caro calling Zachary on his free-floating bullshit and making him question his approach to life was pretty A+. It was slightly marred by the 'turnaround' of Zachary claiming that Caro's 100% devotion to painting was foolish (too underbaked to really land), but Caro and Zachary were pretty great. Also: Zachary's affections for Caro were definitely better drawn than Caro's for Zachery, but that's a minor quibble.
3. They talk about art! She cares about his opinions! He believes in her talent! She challenges him to do better! He loves her! It's very cute and enjoyable!
4. There is paint-covered sex, followed by disproving ducal eyebrows which is probably worth an entire star on its own.
1. I am legitimately not kidding about the boning: pretty much the moment she puts down the paintbrush, he gets her naked. THE SEX IT IS IMMINENT.
2. That said: this was really fun. I enjoyed it quite a bit: Caro calling Zachary on his free-floating bullshit and making him question his approach to life was pretty A+. It was slightly marred by the 'turnaround' of Zachary claiming that Caro's 100% devotion to painting was foolish (too underbaked to really land), but Caro and Zachary were pretty great. Also: Zachary's affections for Caro were definitely better drawn than Caro's for Zachery, but that's a minor quibble.
3. They talk about art! She cares about his opinions! He believes in her talent! She challenges him to do better! He loves her! It's very cute and enjoyable!
4. There is paint-covered sex, followed by disproving ducal eyebrows which is probably worth an entire star on its own.
March 21, 2017
Tudi drugi del je zelo lep. :) Družina Witfeld me močno spominja na Bennetove iz Prevzetnosti in pristranosti, kar vidimo recimo pri gospe Witfeld z njenimi “ubogimi živci” in željo, da bogato poroči svoje hčere, pa tudi drugi liki imajo nekaj značilnosti knjižnih likov Austenove. Duhovito, navihano in polno umetnosti (takšne ali drugačne) branje za vse ljubiteljice Enochove!
Ocena: 4 1/2 zvezdic.
Ocena: 4 1/2 zvezdic.
June 18, 2017
Caroline is the eldest of seven daughters to a farmer in England. She is also aspiring artist. Her dream is not to marry and bear children like her sisters, but to be accepted to a fine art school that will recognize her talents. In Griffin Family you have Sebastion the Duke of Melbourne and the oldest son of the family; Charlemagne (Shay) who is the second oldest son; Zachary the third son and Eleanor the Marchioness of Deverill and youngest child and only daughter. This is Zachary Griffin's story. Zachary is chaperoning his aunt on a trip to Bath when they take a detour to stay with an old friend of Aunt Tremaine's. The Witfeld's have 7 marriageable daughters and when a bachelor aristocrat comes to visit, chaos ensues. Zachary Griffin is known for not following through on much of anything. Lord Zachary is the duke of Melbourne's brother and it turns out his sister Eleanor wasn't the only one feeling misunderstood and smothered by the rest of the Griffin family. Zach tends to start lots of projects and then get bored... So when he gets it into his head to join the military, a ducal intervention sends him off to accompany his aunt to Bath, hoping he'll forget about his plans as soon as another idea comes around. Zach and his aunt end up staying with a family with seven daughters, six of which would like nothing more than marry him - and one who is only interested in painting him to help her dream career as a portraitist. So this book was almost a five star book however Caroline was really getting on my nerves towards the end of the book. But I still loved the book. I really like the Griffin family! I thought the end was fitting a little sudden. Zachary has decided he wants to join the Army. Sebastian, the Duke, orders him to accompany their aunt to Bath. The Duke prevails. I'm rather annoyed with Caroline in the end. And the ending is not satisfying enough for me. They just met and made love then when Zachary proposed her for the nth time she finally said yes. AFTER he assured her that he wouldn't let her stop her painting.
What makes An Invitation to Sin different from hundreds of other historicals:
1. The heroine is a painter.
2. She has no interest in getting married.
3. The hero falls in love first.
4. The heroine is logical, mature, and self-composed.
If you like your romance with a painting back drop this is a cute one. There are some very “fun” and unexpected scenes at one point with the said ‘paint’ ;-) A good story on the whole with strong characters and good writing. It doesn’t quite make 5 stars because the sexual tension becomes frustrating –the h/h aren’t together enough or they’re apart for long stretches and there are always other people taking up their time with useless things. I enjoyed An Invitation to Sin. A story was nice, however in my opinion Suzanne Enoch and her editor made one really huge and intolerable slip, namely, in the book it is written that Mona Lisa was painted by Michelangelo!!!! It was painted by LEONARDO DA VINCI!!!!! This is a fun book. Just what I would expect from Ms Enoch.
What makes An Invitation to Sin different from hundreds of other historicals:
1. The heroine is a painter.
2. She has no interest in getting married.
3. The hero falls in love first.
4. The heroine is logical, mature, and self-composed.
If you like your romance with a painting back drop this is a cute one. There are some very “fun” and unexpected scenes at one point with the said ‘paint’ ;-) A good story on the whole with strong characters and good writing. It doesn’t quite make 5 stars because the sexual tension becomes frustrating –the h/h aren’t together enough or they’re apart for long stretches and there are always other people taking up their time with useless things. I enjoyed An Invitation to Sin. A story was nice, however in my opinion Suzanne Enoch and her editor made one really huge and intolerable slip, namely, in the book it is written that Mona Lisa was painted by Michelangelo!!!! It was painted by LEONARDO DA VINCI!!!!! This is a fun book. Just what I would expect from Ms Enoch.
May 3, 2016
One of her best.
July 15, 2018
I really do enjoy Enoch's works. Even stories I don't love, I don't regret reading. That was the case with Invitation to Sin. It was a different sort of book and I appreciated that. I just didn't love it because I felt like it meandered a bit too much and I wasn't swept away by the romance.
Here is what I liked:
1. The heroine is the one with ambition. She wants to be a professional painter and she has the skills to do it.
2. The hero is not a nobleman burdened with the weight of responsibility. In fact, he is a bit aimless and spends the book growing as a person and finding his purpose.
3. The story takes place in the countryside. Loved the discussion of cows and small-town parties and such. Cows. Yep, loved the cows.
4. The hero isn't a rake and actually falls in love first.
5. The good and bad of family dynamics were depicted well.
6. There is a sex scene with paint...and it's awesome.
What kept this book from a higher rating?
1. The heroine was a bit too cold. I appreciated that she had ambition, but at the same time, I felt like she was in lust with the hero because he looked good. She badgered him for his lack of ambition and helped him find his purpose, but I never really felt like she knew him or loved him. When they do reconcile after time apart, I felt like the hero truly loved and missed the heroine but she just missed the sex.
2. At first, I enjoyed the heroine's family. But then it got tiresome. I wanted more time on the emotion between the leads and less on the stupidity of some of the sisters and the mother.
3. I wish there could have been some time spent with the hero's family. The hero's brothers did come to see him in the countryside, but I felt like the heroine being off her home turf and outnumbered would have done her good.
Overall, this still had Enoch's fun wit and I really enjoyed that the story had a different character dynamic (and younger hero) which had a nice, fresh feel of young love (especially on the part of the gentle hero). Plus, I loved that the heroine's father was an inventor and obsessed with cows. He really helped guide the hero in an unexpected way. There were so many moments that I loved. I just hated that the heroine was lusty without being in love. She was a hint too calculated and it kept me from having the bubbly "oh this is such a nice love story" feeling. This is still a fun story and it's well-written. If you're into art, different characters, and locales away from London, I'd still recommend it. Just be prepared for a less intense romantic storyline.
Here is what I liked:
1. The heroine is the one with ambition. She wants to be a professional painter and she has the skills to do it.
2. The hero is not a nobleman burdened with the weight of responsibility. In fact, he is a bit aimless and spends the book growing as a person and finding his purpose.
3. The story takes place in the countryside. Loved the discussion of cows and small-town parties and such. Cows. Yep, loved the cows.
4. The hero isn't a rake and actually falls in love first.
5. The good and bad of family dynamics were depicted well.
6. There is a sex scene with paint...and it's awesome.
What kept this book from a higher rating?
1. The heroine was a bit too cold. I appreciated that she had ambition, but at the same time, I felt like she was in lust with the hero because he looked good. She badgered him for his lack of ambition and helped him find his purpose, but I never really felt like she knew him or loved him. When they do reconcile after time apart, I felt like the hero truly loved and missed the heroine but she just missed the sex.
2. At first, I enjoyed the heroine's family. But then it got tiresome. I wanted more time on the emotion between the leads and less on the stupidity of some of the sisters and the mother.
3. I wish there could have been some time spent with the hero's family. The hero's brothers did come to see him in the countryside, but I felt like the heroine being off her home turf and outnumbered would have done her good.
Overall, this still had Enoch's fun wit and I really enjoyed that the story had a different character dynamic (and younger hero) which had a nice, fresh feel of young love (especially on the part of the gentle hero). Plus, I loved that the heroine's father was an inventor and obsessed with cows. He really helped guide the hero in an unexpected way. There were so many moments that I loved. I just hated that the heroine was lusty without being in love. She was a hint too calculated and it kept me from having the bubbly "oh this is such a nice love story" feeling. This is still a fun story and it's well-written. If you're into art, different characters, and locales away from London, I'd still recommend it. Just be prepared for a less intense romantic storyline.
December 17, 2008
I enjoyed An Invitation to Sin, and I think it is a nice compliment to Sin and Sensibility.
Caroline is the eldest of seven daughters to a farmer in England. She is also aspiring artist. Her dream is not to marry and bear children like her sisters, but to be accepted to a fine art school that will recognize her talents. Since this is definitely out of the ordinary for women to not want to marry, she is often chided by her family and others in town. She learns that she needs to paint a portrait of a nobleman and submit it to a school in Vienna in order to be considered. Where is she going to find a nobleman?
Lord Zachary Griffin is the youngest Griffin son and at four and twenty, is a wild boy that takes nothing seriously—except for chasing willing chits. His latest idea is to join the military. His brother, the Duke of Melbourne, isn’t pleased and doesn’t really take him seriously. The Duke asks him to accompany their Aunt on a trip to visit some friends for a few days. Zachary really doesn’t have a choice in the matter. However, when they pull up at the friends home out spill a gaggle of women all surrounding him like he is the last piece of chocolate! Five of them are of marrying age. Damnation! He does notice that one of the girls does not participate in fawning over him which peaks his interest.
Caroline asks him to pose for her much needed painting. He agrees. However, during his stay he is subjected to her sisters who are all vying for his attentions. This adds a lot of humor to the story. In those times, all a woman needed to do was feign him dishonoring her, and the father would be there with the clergy in the same day.
This is a kind ‘finding yourself’ story as Zachary comes to realize his lack of direction in life and now actually wants to do something about it. I was rooting for Zach and Caroline. I loved he she never wanted to bend and give in to her dream of becoming an artist. It has a wonderful HEA that any romance reader will love.
Caroline is the eldest of seven daughters to a farmer in England. She is also aspiring artist. Her dream is not to marry and bear children like her sisters, but to be accepted to a fine art school that will recognize her talents. Since this is definitely out of the ordinary for women to not want to marry, she is often chided by her family and others in town. She learns that she needs to paint a portrait of a nobleman and submit it to a school in Vienna in order to be considered. Where is she going to find a nobleman?
Lord Zachary Griffin is the youngest Griffin son and at four and twenty, is a wild boy that takes nothing seriously—except for chasing willing chits. His latest idea is to join the military. His brother, the Duke of Melbourne, isn’t pleased and doesn’t really take him seriously. The Duke asks him to accompany their Aunt on a trip to visit some friends for a few days. Zachary really doesn’t have a choice in the matter. However, when they pull up at the friends home out spill a gaggle of women all surrounding him like he is the last piece of chocolate! Five of them are of marrying age. Damnation! He does notice that one of the girls does not participate in fawning over him which peaks his interest.
Caroline asks him to pose for her much needed painting. He agrees. However, during his stay he is subjected to her sisters who are all vying for his attentions. This adds a lot of humor to the story. In those times, all a woman needed to do was feign him dishonoring her, and the father would be there with the clergy in the same day.
This is a kind ‘finding yourself’ story as Zachary comes to realize his lack of direction in life and now actually wants to do something about it. I was rooting for Zach and Caroline. I loved he she never wanted to bend and give in to her dream of becoming an artist. It has a wonderful HEA that any romance reader will love.
April 3, 2018
3.5 Sweet Stars
Suzanne Enoch is a wonderful author and this book was very sweet, but for some reason or another I didn't connect with the main characters. And sadly we got to see very little of the Griffin family - so frustrating since the first book didn't have a proper end or an epilogue!
Suzanne Enoch is a wonderful author and this book was very sweet, but for some reason or another I didn't connect with the main characters. And sadly we got to see very little of the Griffin family - so frustrating since the first book didn't have a proper end or an epilogue!
January 4, 2012
A very good novel following the debut novel of the Griffin Series.
Well, I should have figured when Zachary offered to help Eleanor in the previous book that he was dissatisfied with his life. When I started reading this novel, I was not sure what to expect. I mean I kind of knew it would be another rake-innocent girl story. I love those kind of novels, but at the same time I wanted to read something s bit different.
I have to say I got my wish.
Zachary is 24, the third son of a duke. He wants to become something, someone in life, who other people will look up to. He wants recognition from his family and other people for being someone other than a Griffin. So he tries different places and occupations but no sooner than he starts something he realizes it is not for him. The novel starts with Zachary's new fascination - the army. Sebastian is thoroughly against it. And so he sends Zachary to accompany their aunt to Bath, hoping the change will shift his mind. Zachary knows what Sebastian thinks about him and his plans, but he agrees to go with his aunt just to show Seb that he can go through a plan.
Unknown to him, his aunt decided to take a detour and visit her school friend, who has not one, two but seven unmarried daughters, almost all marriageable age. And this group literally falls on him, except their oldest daughter. He finds Caroline staring at him intently but other than that she made no move to approach him.
Caroline is a painter who wants to join an academy in Vienna, but her portfolio must include a portrait of an aristocrat. She doesn't have to look far, because right in front of her sits Zachary, who very easily agrees to be her subject.
They bait each other, seduce one another and then fall in love. But Zachary has plans to go to the army and Caroline wants to go to Vienna. So how could they afford to fall in love? Even if Zachary changes his plans, finds something new to become - a cow breeder for instance - Caroline never wishes to marry and become a polite society wife. And of course if and when Seb hears this blooming romance, he will do whatever he can to protect Zachary from a fortune hunter, as he thinks Caroline is. So how do they end up together?
In this novel I have read about how Zachary grows. He is very young man and there are so many holes in his personality. He is confused, rebellious, bored and may be a rake-in-becoming. But before reaching that hard shell, he meets Caroline who makes him face a lot of questions in his life. He slowly fills up those empty spaces in his character. He finds something that he can aspire to be and tries his best to complete all the things he started. He goes against Sebastian and in this way he learns to be his own man. He confesses his love to Caroline knowing he will be rejected. And when Caroline decides to leave him, he sticks to the life he carved out for himself. He grieves, but he doesn't turn his grief to a negative feeling. He gives Caroline time to realize what she had let go before pursuing her. I find his change, his growth, very interesting.
I liked Caroline's belief in herself and her talent. I liked how she went after what she wanted. But I hated her when he turned Zachary down. It tore me apart reading it. What I didn't like was the inconstancy of Caroline's character. I could understand why she turned Zachary's proposal down, but I didn't understand why she accepted him in the end. It was too quick. I absolutely dislike when in the second last chapter authors fast forward to the future. "Two months later" No. I don't want to read two months later. I want to know what happened in those two months to change the story completely by the last chapter. Not 5 lines saying they regret.
But other than that I loved this novel! Peep is too cute. Sebastian still intrigues me. Shay so far seems like a rake. Yup that means I will be picking up the next one in this series pretty soon!
Well, I should have figured when Zachary offered to help Eleanor in the previous book that he was dissatisfied with his life. When I started reading this novel, I was not sure what to expect. I mean I kind of knew it would be another rake-innocent girl story. I love those kind of novels, but at the same time I wanted to read something s bit different.
I have to say I got my wish.
Zachary is 24, the third son of a duke. He wants to become something, someone in life, who other people will look up to. He wants recognition from his family and other people for being someone other than a Griffin. So he tries different places and occupations but no sooner than he starts something he realizes it is not for him. The novel starts with Zachary's new fascination - the army. Sebastian is thoroughly against it. And so he sends Zachary to accompany their aunt to Bath, hoping the change will shift his mind. Zachary knows what Sebastian thinks about him and his plans, but he agrees to go with his aunt just to show Seb that he can go through a plan.
Unknown to him, his aunt decided to take a detour and visit her school friend, who has not one, two but seven unmarried daughters, almost all marriageable age. And this group literally falls on him, except their oldest daughter. He finds Caroline staring at him intently but other than that she made no move to approach him.
Caroline is a painter who wants to join an academy in Vienna, but her portfolio must include a portrait of an aristocrat. She doesn't have to look far, because right in front of her sits Zachary, who very easily agrees to be her subject.
They bait each other, seduce one another and then fall in love. But Zachary has plans to go to the army and Caroline wants to go to Vienna. So how could they afford to fall in love? Even if Zachary changes his plans, finds something new to become - a cow breeder for instance - Caroline never wishes to marry and become a polite society wife. And of course if and when Seb hears this blooming romance, he will do whatever he can to protect Zachary from a fortune hunter, as he thinks Caroline is. So how do they end up together?
In this novel I have read about how Zachary grows. He is very young man and there are so many holes in his personality. He is confused, rebellious, bored and may be a rake-in-becoming. But before reaching that hard shell, he meets Caroline who makes him face a lot of questions in his life. He slowly fills up those empty spaces in his character. He finds something that he can aspire to be and tries his best to complete all the things he started. He goes against Sebastian and in this way he learns to be his own man. He confesses his love to Caroline knowing he will be rejected. And when Caroline decides to leave him, he sticks to the life he carved out for himself. He grieves, but he doesn't turn his grief to a negative feeling. He gives Caroline time to realize what she had let go before pursuing her. I find his change, his growth, very interesting.
I liked Caroline's belief in herself and her talent. I liked how she went after what she wanted. But I hated her when he turned Zachary down. It tore me apart reading it. What I didn't like was the inconstancy of Caroline's character. I could understand why she turned Zachary's proposal down, but I didn't understand why she accepted him in the end. It was too quick. I absolutely dislike when in the second last chapter authors fast forward to the future. "Two months later" No. I don't want to read two months later. I want to know what happened in those two months to change the story completely by the last chapter. Not 5 lines saying they regret.
But other than that I loved this novel! Peep is too cute. Sebastian still intrigues me. Shay so far seems like a rake. Yup that means I will be picking up the next one in this series pretty soon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2010
I was introduced to the Griffin Family in the first book of this series Sin and Sensibility. In their family you have Sebastion the Duke of Melbourne and the oldest son of the family; Charlemagne (Shay) who is the second oldest son; Zachary the third son and Eleanor the Marchioness of Deverill and youngest child and only daughter whose story we read about in the first book. This is Zachary Griffin's story.
Zachary is chaperoning his aunt on a trip to Bath when they take a detour to stay with an old friend of Aunt Tremaine's. The Witfeld's have 7 marriageable daughters and when a bachelor aristocrat comes to visit, chaos ensues. All of the daughters vie for his attention and all of them are so completely silly- except for one. The oldest daughter, Caroline, isn't silly at all.
Caroline is quiet and all she does is stare at Zachary. He soon finds out why; She is an artist and wants to paint his portrait. In order to gain admittance to the only art school that did not turn her away, she must paint the portrait of an aristocrat, and one very handsome aristocrat just showed up at her door!
Caroline is very serious and goal-oriented. She has a plan for her future and being stuck in a marriage or being some bratty-kid's governess is not in the plan.
Zachary has wandered through life from one hobby to another, being charming and easy-going but not really having a purpose. Zachary is funny and likes to make everyone happy, he has a way about him that puts everyone at ease. He is very intrigued by Caroline, she is so quiet and serious, and she actually has a plan in her life, unlike him.
As Zachery splits his time between sitting for the portrait and trying to make the other 6 sisters happy by spending time with them, he happens upon what he wants to do with his life. He calls it his serendipity. He also falls in love with Caroline during this time and eventually asks her to be his wife. But Caroline doesn't want to marry, she feels like it would ruin her chances of becoming the artist she wants to be.
Caroline is so focused on her one goal of becoming an artist, that she closes her heart and her mind to Zachary. It is frustrating to watch because he very obviously loves her and wants to marry her. At one point Zachary and Caroline end up in an argument and he really tells her off! I was cheering him on because she needed to be talked to like that, she needed to be slapped or shaken too, in my opinion!
I felt so bad for Zachary, his heart was broken and he was in a depression for a little while, although the book didn't stay in that mood for very long, thank goodness! Caroline did finally realize that she could have both her passion for art and a husband, but only because Zachary decided to give her another chance. I'm telling you, Zachary was gold! He was a good guy and I don't think Caroline deserved him, she wasn't my most favorite heroine. But I did really like Zachary and I really love the Griffin Family.
I'm looking forward to continuing to read about the Griffin's, I'm especially looking forward to Sebastion's story, which is the last in the series.
In my mind Zachary's theme song is A Twist In My Story by Secondhand Serenade.
Characters:
Zachary- Henry Cavill
Caroline- Emily Blunt
[image error]
Zachary is chaperoning his aunt on a trip to Bath when they take a detour to stay with an old friend of Aunt Tremaine's. The Witfeld's have 7 marriageable daughters and when a bachelor aristocrat comes to visit, chaos ensues. All of the daughters vie for his attention and all of them are so completely silly- except for one. The oldest daughter, Caroline, isn't silly at all.
Caroline is quiet and all she does is stare at Zachary. He soon finds out why; She is an artist and wants to paint his portrait. In order to gain admittance to the only art school that did not turn her away, she must paint the portrait of an aristocrat, and one very handsome aristocrat just showed up at her door!
Caroline is very serious and goal-oriented. She has a plan for her future and being stuck in a marriage or being some bratty-kid's governess is not in the plan.
Zachary has wandered through life from one hobby to another, being charming and easy-going but not really having a purpose. Zachary is funny and likes to make everyone happy, he has a way about him that puts everyone at ease. He is very intrigued by Caroline, she is so quiet and serious, and she actually has a plan in her life, unlike him.
As Zachery splits his time between sitting for the portrait and trying to make the other 6 sisters happy by spending time with them, he happens upon what he wants to do with his life. He calls it his serendipity. He also falls in love with Caroline during this time and eventually asks her to be his wife. But Caroline doesn't want to marry, she feels like it would ruin her chances of becoming the artist she wants to be.
Caroline is so focused on her one goal of becoming an artist, that she closes her heart and her mind to Zachary. It is frustrating to watch because he very obviously loves her and wants to marry her. At one point Zachary and Caroline end up in an argument and he really tells her off! I was cheering him on because she needed to be talked to like that, she needed to be slapped or shaken too, in my opinion!
I felt so bad for Zachary, his heart was broken and he was in a depression for a little while, although the book didn't stay in that mood for very long, thank goodness! Caroline did finally realize that she could have both her passion for art and a husband, but only because Zachary decided to give her another chance. I'm telling you, Zachary was gold! He was a good guy and I don't think Caroline deserved him, she wasn't my most favorite heroine. But I did really like Zachary and I really love the Griffin Family.
I'm looking forward to continuing to read about the Griffin's, I'm especially looking forward to Sebastion's story, which is the last in the series.
In my mind Zachary's theme song is A Twist In My Story by Secondhand Serenade.
Characters:
Zachary- Henry Cavill
Caroline- Emily Blunt
[image error]
October 6, 2009
This book reminds me of one of my favorite books, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. The hero, Zachery is an immature, aimless gentleman. Caro, on the other hand, has only one thing in mind: becoming a painter. There is no room for marriage in her plans. Throw in some a half dozen sisters, a cow, lots of paint and you got 'An Invitation to Sin'.
The biggest feature of this book is the maturation of the hero. I know alot of people don't like reading about it in this genre, but I love the hero facing his own growing pains. Zach is young, only 24, so it makes more sense. Caro also changes, but its more closer to finding love. She was already pretty mature (and actually, she educated the hero in finding himself a path). They are actually quite explosive together and I love how they experienced a real fight. Unlike the typical path of dumb misunderstandings so common in this genre.
Worth a read, if you enjoy a mix of a coming-of-age for the hero. Thankfully, there are no bitchy females or greedy subspecies suitors.
The biggest feature of this book is the maturation of the hero. I know alot of people don't like reading about it in this genre, but I love the hero facing his own growing pains. Zach is young, only 24, so it makes more sense. Caro also changes, but its more closer to finding love. She was already pretty mature (and actually, she educated the hero in finding himself a path). They are actually quite explosive together and I love how they experienced a real fight. Unlike the typical path of dumb misunderstandings so common in this genre.
Worth a read, if you enjoy a mix of a coming-of-age for the hero. Thankfully, there are no bitchy females or greedy subspecies suitors.
November 28, 2017
*3.75 stars*
There are a lot of ideas in this book that I really liked- there's a hero who is desperately searching for a purpose in life and a heroine who has already found hers, and is doggedly pursuing it. The clash of personalities between the two characters makes for an interesting concept, and the broad strokes of their relationship development was compelling.
That said, I feel like the book could have been a lot shorter than it was, as there were what felt like many pointless scenes and deviations. And as the prose was serviceable rather than evocative, the extra length damaged the story rather than enhancing it.
There are a lot of ideas in this book that I really liked- there's a hero who is desperately searching for a purpose in life and a heroine who has already found hers, and is doggedly pursuing it. The clash of personalities between the two characters makes for an interesting concept, and the broad strokes of their relationship development was compelling.
That said, I feel like the book could have been a lot shorter than it was, as there were what felt like many pointless scenes and deviations. And as the prose was serviceable rather than evocative, the extra length damaged the story rather than enhancing it.
December 7, 2015
Savršena!
August 1, 2024
Слатко и све то, ал крај ми је мало не знам , није то то.
Било је симпатично али много прзо је прешло са не на да и онда као њех.
Не знам шта бих желела да кажем, збунила сам саму себе.
Било је симпатично али много прзо је прешло са не на да и онда као њех.
Не знам шта бих желела да кажем, збунила сам саму себе.
March 1, 2017
There is a lot of physical chemistry between the two main characters, but my growing dislike for the heroine and general indifference towards the hero made it a mediocre read. I didn't understand what was the heroine's problem, why she thought she couldn't have her career and him at the same time, which predictably, ended up happening anyway. There are a lot of really great Suzanne Enoch books - I just don't think this is one of them.
September 9, 2014
This is a fun book. Just what I would expect from Ms Enoch.
Zachary Griffin is the younger brother of a wealthy Duke. He is known for not following through on much of anything. He has had projects and ideas and after a short period of time, he lets them drop. Right now, his idea is to join the Army and go to join Wellington at war.
His brother is very afraid that this time he may follow through long enough to get into the Army and be killed.
The plan is to send Zachary to Bath with an elderly aunt. That will keep him out of harm’s way long enough for him to come to his senses. At least that is the hope.
When on the road to Bath, his aunt announces that they are making a stop along the way. The person they are visiting happens to be the mother of a bevy of beautiful daughters. Let the games begin.
The daughters are mostly air heads. Not the eldest. Caroline Witfield is a painter. She will be accepted as an apprentice at an art school in Vienna, if she can submit a portrait of a noble person and a letter from that person saying they approve and like the portrait.
We welcome Lord Zachary.
The sisters are all man crazy and their idea of attacking as a group becomes rather tiresome. But, they are funny. Mrs Witfield is desperate to find happy marriages for at least some of her daughters. Mr Witfield is an eccentric inventor and he and Zachary find that there are interests they may share. Their friendship becomes a plan to go into a business together. Zachary has a new idea.
There is an attraction that develops between Caroline and Zachary. They share a love of art, and they both have a silly sense of humor. And physically they are drawn to one another.
Ms Enoch is a very talented writer. She generally writes about people who seem human. Fortunately for the reader, those people are generally blessed with a sense of humor as well as a sense of adventure.
Caroline feels she is fighting an uphill battle. She has wanted to paint since she was a very young girl. But, art schools are not willing to accept a female artist no matter how talented she may be. And society thinks she is simply dabbling, and her dabbling does not make her an artist.
The plot follows the growing romance as well as the family dynamics of both the Witfields and the noble Griffin family. The reader gets a sense of the family expectations of a titled family as well as the family expectations and difficulties for unmarried daughters of a middle class family.
The characters are very well defined. We get to understand the main characters and the secondary characters. Each of them add texture to the story. And each of them is interesting.
If you enjoy a romance with humor and characters who are fun to meet, this is a book you will enjoy.
Zachary Griffin is the younger brother of a wealthy Duke. He is known for not following through on much of anything. He has had projects and ideas and after a short period of time, he lets them drop. Right now, his idea is to join the Army and go to join Wellington at war.
His brother is very afraid that this time he may follow through long enough to get into the Army and be killed.
The plan is to send Zachary to Bath with an elderly aunt. That will keep him out of harm’s way long enough for him to come to his senses. At least that is the hope.
When on the road to Bath, his aunt announces that they are making a stop along the way. The person they are visiting happens to be the mother of a bevy of beautiful daughters. Let the games begin.
The daughters are mostly air heads. Not the eldest. Caroline Witfield is a painter. She will be accepted as an apprentice at an art school in Vienna, if she can submit a portrait of a noble person and a letter from that person saying they approve and like the portrait.
We welcome Lord Zachary.
The sisters are all man crazy and their idea of attacking as a group becomes rather tiresome. But, they are funny. Mrs Witfield is desperate to find happy marriages for at least some of her daughters. Mr Witfield is an eccentric inventor and he and Zachary find that there are interests they may share. Their friendship becomes a plan to go into a business together. Zachary has a new idea.
There is an attraction that develops between Caroline and Zachary. They share a love of art, and they both have a silly sense of humor. And physically they are drawn to one another.
Ms Enoch is a very talented writer. She generally writes about people who seem human. Fortunately for the reader, those people are generally blessed with a sense of humor as well as a sense of adventure.
Caroline feels she is fighting an uphill battle. She has wanted to paint since she was a very young girl. But, art schools are not willing to accept a female artist no matter how talented she may be. And society thinks she is simply dabbling, and her dabbling does not make her an artist.
The plot follows the growing romance as well as the family dynamics of both the Witfields and the noble Griffin family. The reader gets a sense of the family expectations of a titled family as well as the family expectations and difficulties for unmarried daughters of a middle class family.
The characters are very well defined. We get to understand the main characters and the secondary characters. Each of them add texture to the story. And each of them is interesting.
If you enjoy a romance with humor and characters who are fun to meet, this is a book you will enjoy.
April 8, 2012
This was a re-read. This is the second book about the Griffin siblings and it's about Zach, the youngest brother who has been accused of flitting from one thing to another with no solid goal in life. When his latest interest is to join the army to fight Bonaparte, his brother, the Duke of Melbourne sent him off to do escort duty for their aunt to Bath.
On the way, his aunt decided to stop and visit her old school friend in remote countryside who happens to have 7 daughters of marriageable age!
Caroline is the oldest of the lot and has always wanted to be a painter. After unsuccessfully applying for an apprenticeship with a studio for years, she's finally got a positive response from a studio in Vienna. However, for her application, she needed to do a portrait of an aristocrat and have the same provide her with a letter of endorsement, all within a short timeframe. So, when Zach arrived unexpectedly at their doorstep, it seems fate was lending a helping hand.
However, even though Zach good-naturedly agreed to sit for her, his fleeting interest caused her to lose valuable time when her preliminary sketches were destroyed by his uncontrollable puppy. Caroline decided to give Zach some home truths about his nature that eventually made Zach rethink about his outlook on life.
This was a light and enjoyable read and reminded me that Suzanne Enoch is one of my favorite Historical Romance author. I shall have to go and see what's she been writing lately!
On the way, his aunt decided to stop and visit her old school friend in remote countryside who happens to have 7 daughters of marriageable age!
Caroline is the oldest of the lot and has always wanted to be a painter. After unsuccessfully applying for an apprenticeship with a studio for years, she's finally got a positive response from a studio in Vienna. However, for her application, she needed to do a portrait of an aristocrat and have the same provide her with a letter of endorsement, all within a short timeframe. So, when Zach arrived unexpectedly at their doorstep, it seems fate was lending a helping hand.
However, even though Zach good-naturedly agreed to sit for her, his fleeting interest caused her to lose valuable time when her preliminary sketches were destroyed by his uncontrollable puppy. Caroline decided to give Zach some home truths about his nature that eventually made Zach rethink about his outlook on life.
This was a light and enjoyable read and reminded me that Suzanne Enoch is one of my favorite Historical Romance author. I shall have to go and see what's she been writing lately!
July 8, 2012
So funny and so ...well I thought it was great. And I just have to say "I got to go Julia, we have cows!"
Reread 7-7-12: Going through some of my reviews, I realized I had no idea what I meant by this one. So here goes: Lord Zachary is the third brother in the family, his older brother is a duke no less. Because of this or in spite of this, Zach has been trying to find his path (I guess you could call it) and now has decided to join the military. Well the Duke does not like this and decides to distract Zach long enough for this plan to fall apart like the others (has a problem sticking with these types of things). He sends him to take their aunt to Bath. Aunt T plans a little detour. Well because of this little detour Zach meets Caroline. After some initial misunderstandings, Zach and Caro settle down to her doing a painting of him for submission to an art studio. Things get very complicated (lust). Zach also decides on a new plan.....breeding cows. The Duke of course steps in and tries to control things again but Zach has changed and just has to decide how to proceed now with his new life plan and to get Caro to agree.
Reread 7-7-12: Going through some of my reviews, I realized I had no idea what I meant by this one. So here goes: Lord Zachary is the third brother in the family, his older brother is a duke no less. Because of this or in spite of this, Zach has been trying to find his path (I guess you could call it) and now has decided to join the military. Well the Duke does not like this and decides to distract Zach long enough for this plan to fall apart like the others (has a problem sticking with these types of things). He sends him to take their aunt to Bath. Aunt T plans a little detour. Well because of this little detour Zach meets Caroline. After some initial misunderstandings, Zach and Caro settle down to her doing a painting of him for submission to an art studio. Things get very complicated (lust). Zach also decides on a new plan.....breeding cows. The Duke of course steps in and tries to control things again but Zach has changed and just has to decide how to proceed now with his new life plan and to get Caro to agree.
September 12, 2014
Zachary who is somewhat mocked by his siblings for being the mail version of "flighty", has a new spur of the moment kick he's on. When he tells his brother the Duke of Melbourne he wants to join the army he is sent a on task with this aunt to Bath. Along the way they stop and visit an old friend of Aunt Tremaine's who has 7 daughters. 6/7 advance upon Zachary with marriage minded determination. Caroline the eldest wants him- for a subject of a painting. She needs to send a portrait of an aristocrat as part of her application and to fulfill her dream of attending art school. She and Zachary charm each other, while he fends off the other sisters. There is a lot of giggling, shrieking, debating, swooning and plotting in this light hearted romance. Cute, with some charming scenes. Melbourne really acts like a -rick in this one while trying to protect Zachary from making another mistake. Great advice for single women on how to attract a man. good fun.
March 4, 2025
I enjoyed book #1 in this series years ago, but this one was just plain silly.
The story starts out with the hero being reprimanded by his eldest brother, The Duke of Melbourne, for being irresponsible, never following thru on anything and basically going thru life aimlessly. Fast forwarded a bit to the first time the heroine gets upset with the hero, and she starts in on reprimanding him for the exact same things. Really? He was a guest in her parent’s house, and she had only known him for less than a week. So that seemed over the top dramatics.
The heroine's marriageable-aged sisters all acted as if they were 5 years old, forever stomping their feet if they didn't get a turn to spend time with the hero (in hopes that he would fall in love with one of them).
I just found the heroine to be way too focused on her art career, and way too opposed to marriage for my liking in a romance heroine.
The story starts out with the hero being reprimanded by his eldest brother, The Duke of Melbourne, for being irresponsible, never following thru on anything and basically going thru life aimlessly. Fast forwarded a bit to the first time the heroine gets upset with the hero, and she starts in on reprimanding him for the exact same things. Really? He was a guest in her parent’s house, and she had only known him for less than a week. So that seemed over the top dramatics.
The heroine's marriageable-aged sisters all acted as if they were 5 years old, forever stomping their feet if they didn't get a turn to spend time with the hero (in hopes that he would fall in love with one of them).
I just found the heroine to be way too focused on her art career, and way too opposed to marriage for my liking in a romance heroine.
July 30, 2012
The second in the series of books about the Griffin family is about the youngest brother, Zachary and Caroline Witfield, a spirited and beautiful artist whose overwhelming ambition is to train at an art academy in Vienna. He is shocked when she insists she does not want to marry(unlike her 5 other sisters) and every other young lady in society! Used to being chased by frivolous and scheming society chits, he is startled and relieved to relax in her company.This is a tender romance of budding friendship and respect. I loved Zachary's humor and endearing flirting and Caroline's no-nonsense manner. I adored both their characters and the growth that they showed. Another book destined to be a favorite!
December 26, 2008
The Griffin family chronicles were the first of Enoch's book I read. Sebastian, Charlemagne, Zachary, and Eleanor, all are fabulous characters. Zach wants a military commission, but Sebastian, the head of the household, refuses. Instead, Zach is to accompany their Aunt Tremaine to Bath for her gout. They stop to visit with Aunt T's friend, Mrs. Witfield. The Witfields have seven daughters. The oldest is Caroline. She is an artist, and she asks Zach to sit for her. She needs a portrait of someone of the aristocracy as part of a scholarship application for an art school. The reader can easily guess where all this painting will lead.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews