| Title | : | Sin and Sensibility (Griffin Family, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0060543256 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780060543259 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 366 |
| Publication | : | First published December 28, 2004 |
| Awards | : | RITA Award by Romance Writers of America Long Historical Romance (2006) |
Young ladies just want to have fun...
Unfortunately Eleanor Griffin has three strapping brothers to frighten away any beau they deem unsuitable. She knows she's expected to marry eventually—probably to some staid, crusty, old lord—but until that dark day dawns, Nell intends to enjoy herself. However, her brother, Sebastian, Duke of Melbourne, isn't about to let his sister run completely wild, and asks his best friend, the Marquis of Deverill, to keep a close eye on the spirited lovely.
Could any chaperone be less qualified—yet more appreciated—than Valentine Corbett? Here is a man as sinful as he is attractive, a notorious rake, gambler, and pursuer of women, whom Nell has fancied since girlhood. Alas, the irresistible rogue seems uncharacteristically determined to be honorable, despite the passionate longing in his gaze. And Nell must tread carefully, for she has promised to immediately wed whomever her siblings choose should so much as a hint of scandal arise
Sin and Sensibility (Griffin Family, #1) Reviews
-
If there's highbrow and lowbrow taste I suspect I'm a crazy circus freak unibrow (what's the other kind? Tortured artist unibrow?). Backstory! So last night I was feeling the kinda low that's me forgetting lows from times past and feeling all nostalgic and shit for those other bad times. "What was I doing this time last year? Awwww, wasn't I sweet?" Holy bad idea, Batman. Weird kabuki romance in a perverted Jean Genet way of historical romance reading (just say voyeur, Mariel. Not wish fullfillment stuff. No way, Jose!). I read THIS book which made me feel lots worse. I'm an idiot. I can't even feel better like a normal person. It was boring and totally fake trashy with a tacked on message about normal and safe "excitement"! Oh noes! Wasn't it supposed to feel like spying on something fetishistic? Nope. Try having your hand slammed in the door and told you're naughty.
For something like a six month period I started reading historical romances again, after a something like fifteen years or more hiatus. (If I had herpes this would be a herpes outbreak. Uncomfortable and embarrassing with a social stigma on the side.) "Again" means absolutely no hardcore stuff (Mary Stewart does not count!) in the meantime or before that (it was probably a few months too). What I read back then was the Victoria Holt someone died on the moors and crazy mistresses hidden in attics and sex slaves to sultans type of shit. Preteen and teen me ate that shit up. I loved an the-author-won't-admit-they-are-gay "hero" who makes the flashing eyes tawny haired chick miserable. "Set him down! Set him down! Don't go for that guy! Nooooooo don't you ever listen to meeeee?" I loved to complain and giggle over how dumb they were (the retarded twin sisters of gothics. I never pillaged bodice rippers). They don't listen to me. It would be great if they did and the heroine didn't get together with the guy named on the effing book jacket. Readers of other genres wouldn't take too kindly to having the ending spoiled for them so blatantly. That's probably because romance readers don't read for the ending (at least I think they don't). They read for certain qualities they are more likely to find in this genre than others (cross dressing, evil twins, prostitutes, men who gamble and drink and whore and then decide to come home at the end of the day, bromances, women who don't have to have jobs, etc.). The leather fetish counts more than the whole outfit here. Anyway, my favorite parts were always the beginning before they get together. The endings are pretty much always boring. I guess this is a long way of saying that I am probably not the average reader and I am probably totally wrong on why anyone else ever reads these. (The unibrow thing.)
Did I ever write about my boy band chicken pox theory on goodreads? I hope not. It doesn't really apply to this... Soap operas fit better. If I watch a soap for three episodes straight, I will get addicted (the last time I was 19. I know better now!). Otherwise they have no affect on me whatsoever.
One man's trash is another man's trash blah blah...
When I was reading lots of historical romance novels Suzanne Enoch was my favorite. The women weren't annoying and the described bad boys were Han Solo style scoundrels. But this? This book pretty much sucked. It starts out with literal suckage too. Valentine Deverill (they freaking always have names like this! I want to see a Dudley other than Robert Dudley get some virgin ass some time) is getting his dick sucked by the token married mistress who will later have more attachments to the rake than the rake cares to mention during his initial "I'm a free man" routine. He happens to see the kid sister of his male friends behaving shockingly (as in not shockingly at all to modern eyes in some corners of the world) with other males. He NEVER noticed her before this. Really? That never happens!
Male friends who are the ONLY friends the rake has? Check! I'm waiting for homerotic subtext outside of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series because these guys always have bromances (sometimes the male friendships get more time than the couple). Unfortunately, he's not bff with the inappropriate male from the party who attempts to rape the heroine with a roofie prototype. If he's as bad as he SAYS he is, and everyone else says he is, wouldn't he be hanging with the other bad boys instead of the three fuddy duddy brothers? That's because he's not really bad. This sucks, Enoch! Don't promise bad boys and then give us this shit. (Eloisa James is not afraid to write a diseased bad boy. In my time of hr I appreciated that she was honest about the voyeuristic pervy side. The women were not whores because they liked sex. The men were gross and they didn't just envy them the dirt, they took what they wanted too.)
He agrees to help out Elinor think she's being bad when she's really being spied on by her brothers the whole time. Of course she won't find out after they've gotten close that he was asked to spy on her.
The heroine, Elinor, talks lots about wanting to be free but without letting anybody down. Her brothers are mean and bossy. Enoch should have written an out and out free trash novel and got down and dirty. Elinor sure talks about it a lot. Or, she should have written about how no one is ever really free, if they are not alone. It's just kinda hinted at and she doesn't ever say anything until the tacked on ending declarations. The girl getting tutored by the guy in the ways of being bad is one of the most overused historical romance tropes of all time. She should have had the rapist teach her, at least. Do something unexpected if the publishing world of romance doesn't allow for new plots. (It probably has something to do with those insane contracts. I couldn't churn out two books a year.) I mean, there should have been consequences. The guy ALWAYS marries her when they get caught in these things! Not having money for dresses and becoming a social outcast would have been interesting. Make her realize that no one is ever really free the hard way.
At least there is a character (even if it is before the story starts) who dies of syphillis so I can add this to my coughsyphilliscough shelf. Why the fuck did I read this? Why can't the bad boys and girls actually be bad?! And have something more to risk than catching a venarial disease or getting roofied. At the least! Or she could catch something nasty from him after they've declared their love. I should have just reread Dangerous Liaisons. -
Valentine Corbett –good Lord this man will have your heart skipping 10 beats in a row –he is that good !
The writing is spot on regency, Eleanor’s domineering older brothers are just perfect and there’s this one sex scene that’s easily one of THE best I’ve ever read. So perfect that you’ll have your hand on your heart going OMG, OMG (or at least I did anyway—lol!) The sexual tension is very well-done and the first 3 pages will have you doing a reread at least twice to make sure you’re understanding what you really know is happening –then you’ll check the spine to make double sure it says Historical Romance and not Erotica (!)
Valentine is so aloof, doesn’t care about anything, sharp wit, always a barb ready to fall off his tongue and he’s best friends with the Duke of Melbourne –one of the heroine’s older brothers –sticky, sticky, sticky! But what a super story it makes. Eleanor wants a taste of freedom and decides that Valentine will be her guide –and what service he provides ;)
Suzanne Enoch has a knack for turning a regency on its head and doing something a little different and unexpected. If you want a really good bad boy story with a strong heroine, good writing, beautiful steam then here you have your next read :D -
3.5 stars. An enjoyable read about Nell, who wants to escape the strictures of her bossy and over-protective brothers and have a bit of fun and adventure in her life. Her older brother's rakish friend Valentine seems just the person to help her have some safe adventures. Of course, along the way they fall in love.
I like the way the sibling relationships are drawn, with them sometimes not getting along but still always caring for and loving each other. I liked that Nell, even though she was trying to rebel, behaved realistically and believably for the time period. Valentine's slow fall for her was perhaps a little too slow and drawn out at times, and the book did drag a little in parts. But there were a couple of unexpected twists, and the ending was enjoyable. Overall, a good read, and I might read some more in this series.
This was a BOTM for October 2021 for HRBC, 'Secret Love' theme. -
1 you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me and Eleanor-boycotting star.
I despise a childish female. A bored aristocratic woman seeking adventure and freedom because she had too much time and money, that's Eleanor. I cannot tolerate such women. I wanted to tell her to do something with her life. I have a huge problem with such heroines who dream of "adventures". Seriously woman you have got too much time if your biggest problem is that your life is too boring. From where I see it, their biggest problem is that they live a meaningless life.
I can't type much because my iPad is driving me nuts. But I will give 2 examples of how stupid Eleanor is:
1. Her first wish after she got her "freedom" was to order scandalous gowns. She got such a kick out of it. I wanted to punch her, really.
2. She asked, literally begged, Valetine for sex. She begged Valetine to sleep with her because you know, she wanted adventures and having sex with Valentine was going to be her big adventure. The idiocy of sleeping with someone without prospects of marriage for someone of her position aside, she had the nerves to question Valetine the next day: "So last night meant nothing to you?" I wanted to kick her when I read that. Seriously, woman, it meant nothing. What did you think was going to happen? You asked for sex, and you got it. Valentine may not be Prince Charming but he NEVER said he was going to pledge himself to you or become a man in love after having sex with you. Get real woman, honestly. Eleanor disgusts me. No kidding.
Valentine isn't great but you know what, he was honest. It's fine, really. I don't care if Valentine or Eleanor slept around. That's just not the point. Sex is not shameful. What is shameful is engaging in sexual activity knowing that the other person wasn't emotionally invested and then getting upset when the other person said well I didn't promise you love. This is emotional blackmail and I despise an emotional blackmailer like Eleanor.
OK I think I have ranted enough about this despicable woman of a heroine so far. For now at least. Just you wait Eleanor, wait until I get my hands on my laptop. -
Lady Eleanor Griffin has three older, overprotective brothers who dictate her life. Valentine Corbett, Marquis of Deverill, has zero fucks to give except about himself and his boner. When Eleanor declares her independence, Valentine gets drawn into her Web of Secrets which obviously results in SEX IN THE MIDDLE OF HYDE PARK AT MIDNIGHT????
1. There are a number of reviews that complain about Eleanor's selfishness; that because she wishes to have an adventure, she is childish and foolish. And I don't necessarily disagree: reading the so-called trials of someone trapped in a gilded cage isn't exactly enthralling. But I ended up connecting more with a slightly murkier reading: that of a woman trapped in a misogynistic cage.
I mean: I fucking hated her brothers at turns. Their dictates, their demands, their inability to even pretend to understand what Eleanor was truly after was...extremely frustrating. And, unfortunately, extremely relatable. A woman, wanting more? But why? What else could a woman possibly want from the world that we built for her, in spite of her, around her?
It's not exactly a clear, well-done interpretation of the text but I ended up sympathizing with a character who felt confined in the life she was expected to live rather than the life she wanted to live. Did I perhaps read too far into things? Absolutely! Am I giving everyone too much credit for intentions and a ~larger metaphor? PROBABLY. But does that impact my final enjoyment and engagement with the story? NOT REALLY.
2. Valentine was a little too try-hard rake: his entire Tragic Backstory is nothing more than an excuse for him to say some gross shit before he recants in the Name of Love. ALSO: this thing opens with a blowjob scene AT A BALL so, y'know. That's a strange thing.
3. The arguments about freedom are cyclical and very boring after the third or fourth go round: Eleanor wants to do what she wants to do but she will not forget that she is a Griffin but also YOU CAN'T TELL HER WHAT TO DOOOOO. It absolutely undermines the entirety of #1, but it's also super obnoxious.
4. And OF COURSE it turns out her brother was A-OK with Eleanor falling for Valentine THE WHOLE TIME because WE CAN'T ALLOW POTENTIAL FUTURE HEROES TO BE SURPRISED BY ANYTHING. JFC. This comes up in the last chapter and it kind of just spits in the eye of any actual development that might have been possible for Sebastian because OF COURSE he has nothing to learn from anyone: he knows everything already. (#2 and #3 were both super obnoxious but THIS PARTICULAR PLOT POINT TRULY RUINED ANY GOODWILL I HAD.)
5. I did end up liking Eleanor and Valentine together, even if everything about it was kind of meh. For that reason and that reason alone I'm giving this damn book 3 stars under duress. -
The author does a really good job tap-dancing around the fact that there's no plot, here. Once I realized that I couldn't pin down the motivation of either main character (beyond platitudes you'd find in pop-songs and bad poetry, BIRM) I sort of lost interest in continuing. I liked both well-enough, I suppose. But if there's something harder on plot and pace than negative motivation*, it's no motivation.
I did like them together. That was some fine tap-dancing with their interactions. You can see that Valentine cares for her and she for him. But I couldn't face the inevitable back and forth (and the stupid rapist wannabe threat plot) with no rudder to steer my expectations. I'll grant this a second star for the craft that kept me interested for half the novel. Enoch is a decent writer. I just wish she'd done better by these characters.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term.
Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story. -
5 Sparkling Stars
This book was such a hit for me! It had everything: an interesting, relatable and pretty cool heroine, a delectable and swoony hero, an adorable family with three overprotective brothers, a sparkling setting in regency London and an amazing plot. I couldn't put it down while at the same time I wanted to stretch out this amazing read and never finish it.
And I found this gem in the middle of a reading slump and was totally enchanted from the first page. I was dead tired when I picked it up and suddenly I couldn't put it down and stayed up way too late. -
I have another author to add to my favorites list with Suzanne Enoch. It has been some time since I have read a historical, and this was the perfect one to jump back in.
Eleanor Griffin is a daughter of privilege in London England. She has three older and very protective brothers. Her brother Sebastian is the Duke of Mellbourne, and takes care of the family since their parents’ death. Sebastian is determined to arrange a marriage between Eleanor and an approved suitor that will be a good match with the Griffin name. He and her other brothers keep her under his thumb, and on a very short leash when they attend events of the season. They chase off any unworthy suitors, which most likely are gold diggers that will do anything to match up with Eleanor and her family’s money.
Well Eleanor has had enough of this! She strikes a deal with Sebastian that she is old enough to handle her own social calendar, and will see whom ever she wishes whenever she wishes, as long she does not cause a scandal that will tarnish the Griffin name.
Valentine Corbett, the Marquis of Deverill, is a known rake and all around bad boy. He passes time by gambling, socializing, and keeping married women ‘happy’. He is called upon by his good friend, Sebastian, to keep an eye on Sebastian’s younger sister, Eleanor.
At first Valentine is a bit put out about having to baby-sit the younger sister of his friend. After all, he has many more enticing things (ladies) to attend to. However, he is taken aback when he sees Eleanor at a function though different eyes. She is noticeably without her brothers' close scrutiny and she is also dressed different than she ever has. As part of her rebellion, she commissions a dressmaker to make her some beautiful, if not revealing gowns. This draws much attention to her of course. As the London men are lining up to get a chance to call on Eleanor since the word is out that she can see whomever she wishes.
Eleanor has had a crush on Valentine since she was a young girl. Of course, he never knew it. As she starts attending functions with her new independence, she starts confiding in Valentine about her hopes and dreams of independence and the wish to select her own husband. She has no idea Valentine has been tasked with guarding her from foolishness. She starts to realize that she seriously likes this man. However, she could never marry him, could she? After all he is her brother’s best friend.
Valentine also realizes that he likes Eleanor way more than he is comfortable with admitting to himself. He starts having jealous feelings when he sees her in the company of other men, and doesn’t understand why he is compelled to go to events that he normally would never attend, only because he wants to see her.
This is a wonderful romance, and the author does an excellent job with the H & H. I felt I knew them both and understood their reasons for what they were doing and how they felt. Valentine is a true bad boy. He’s the guy all women want and dream they will be rescued by and carried off into the sunset for HEA.
I did have one small annoyance. The characters all went by more than one name. For example, Valentine would be referred to as Valentine, Deverill, the marquis. Her brother was Sebastian, or The Duke, or Mellbourne. It took a while to get used to, and to understand who was being referred. However, that was minor and I still give it 5 stars. -
The blurb sounds interesting but the vapid stupidity of the heroine makes this book unreadable. The trouble starts from the very beginning when the brothers come off as bullies instead of protective but the heroine's entitled TSTL behavior shows that she is indeed incapable of making her own decisions.
She lies, cries at a drop of hat, whines, gets caught in a compromising position out of sheer STUPIDITY! and has to be rescued by the hero and is simply completely brainless twit. I'm supposed to like this bimbo? To me, the heroine is a combination of Lydia from Pride and Prejudice and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. That is NOT a good combination.
The hero? Eh. There is such a thing as 'too much of a rake' IMHO but that's not really the point. I never got a chance to really make up my mind about him because of the twit heroine.
Frankly I'm stunned that this is the same author that wrote the awesome England's Perfect Hero.
Did I mention how much I HATED the heroine? GRRRRRR!!! -
The first time I read this book I gave it four stars, I reread it and gave it 5 stars!!
From the cover:
Young ladies just want to have fun…
Unfortunately Eleanor Griffin has three strapping brothers to frighten away any beau they deem unsuitable. She knows she’s expected to marry eventually-- probably to some staid, crusty old lord--but until that dark day dawns, Nell intends to enjoy herself. However, brother Sebastian, Duke of Melbourne, isn’t about to let his sister run completely wild, and asks his best friend, the Marquis of Deverill, to keep a close eye on the spirited lovely.
Could any chaperone be less qualified--yet more appreciated--than Valentine Corbett? Here is a man as sinful as he is attractive, a notorious rake, gambler, and pursuer of women whom Nell has fancied since girlhood. Alas, the irresistible rogue seems uncharacteristically determined to be honorable, despite the passionate longing in his gaze. And Nell must tread carefully, for she has promised to immediately wed whomever her siblings choose should so much as a hint of scandal arise...
My review:
The story starts off showing the reader just how sinful Valentine actually is. He is at a party, concealed by a curtain, observing the different goings on, while his mistress is performing oral sex on him! He very casually talks about the different people he sees and what gossip he has recently heard while she is doing this. One person he observes is Eleanor Griffin, the sister of his best friend. At this point you think, "what a creep"!
Eleanor has come to a point in her life where she is tired of doing what is expected of her by not only society but also her very overbearing brothers. She longs for something different in life but doesn't quite know what it is. So she writes a Declaration of Independence for herself, stating that she is an adult and will no longer allow her brothers to run her life.
After agreeing to Eleanor's Declaration, her oldest brother Sebastion asks Valentine to secretly keep an eye on Eleanor and to follow her around to make sure she isn't getting into trouble or anything scandalous! Valentine agrees only because he owes Sebastion a favor.
So their story begins with Eleanor searching for something adventurous and fun in her life and Valentine watching her every move, becoming more and more intrigued by this woman who is unlike any other woman he has ever known, and he has known a lot of women. (Thank heavens he doesn't have any more interactions with any more mistresses in the book!)
What makes the book so good is what all Eleanor and Valentine go through to get to the point when they both find happiness and love. They both do a lot of growing and maturing and it is wonderful to see that. They are good for each other and you can definitely see that in the story. Eleanor has an innocence about her that draws out the goodness in Valentine. And Valentine is so reckless that it gives Eleanor the sense of adventure that she craves.
One major complaint was the ending. It was too abrupt! If you read it you will see what I mean, I don't want to give it away! But I really wanted to read about their next adventure where the book leaves off!
I loved the interactions between Eleanor and her three brothers Sebastion the Duke of Melbourne, Charlemagne (Shay) and Zachary. I am really looking forward to their stories!
In my mind I hear "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaak for Valentine's theme song!
Characters:
Eleanor- Rachel McAdams
Valentine- Gilles Marini
Sebastion- Gerard Butler
Charlemagne- Chris O'Donnell
Zachary- Henry Cavill
[image error] -
3.5 Stars!
I read this book as a part of BOTM for HRBC. I have mixed feelings about this book, I did not hate it, nor was I jumping for joy over it.
The Plot
Lady Eleanor Griffin, tired of living under strict rules, has staged a rebellion and declared independence against the overprotective nature of her 3 overbearing older brothers. Her formidable older brother & patriarch of the Griffin clan, Sebastian, the Duke of Melbourne has called in a favour from his best friend, Valentine, the Marquis of Deverill a notorious rakehell, to follow and protect Eleanor during her adventures. Valentine & Nell have known each other for years, an easy friendship develops during the course of Nell experiencing her freedom, sparks fly and adventure becomes courting scandal.
My Thoughts
- This was my first Suzanne Enoch and to be honest, I am not very impressed. The story in itself was not half bad, but it was too long and abrupt, I guess.
- The older brother's best friend, heroine's need for independence/ strong heroine rebelling tropes can be fun most of the time, but in this book, it felt too contemporary and not particularly era-appropriate.
- The romance aspect got lost in Nell's need to rebel (this should have been the title of the book), the chemistry between the main characters, to me felt lacklustre. I swear, the Griffin brothers had a more interesting dynamic between them.
- The pacing was ridiculously slow initially and in the final third moved at an alarming speed, it felt uneven to me as a reader and took away from steady enjoyment, that's unfortunate considering there were some really interesting things in this book. Not a lot happened till 60% and then a lot happened in the next 40%.
- Another downside, no Epilogue, I want a glimpse of what the characters' HEA looks like, marriage, kids, the relationship dynamic, the works.
- I found 3 major issues:
1. Nell's need to rebel was not explained properly and at times was explained too many times without it making any sense, I am still confused.
2. The character development was abrupt, their background was callously thrown in at the most unexpected times making it difficult for me to understand what is making them act the way they are.
3. The villain was either unnecessary and should have been eliminated from the story or should have been given more word count, that too was abrupt.
The Hero
For a jaded, hardened rake of the first order & a man with no scruples, Valentine was weirdly charming. What I loved was his disarming honesty, most people around him had no idea what to do with it and that was fun to read. Even in face of some serious introspection, he was sure of himself and that was unique. He is the way he is and makes no apologies for it, take it or leave it, got to love an alpha hero like him!
The Heroine
I did not fully understand her, it felt like she refused to grow up, even at age 21. She was a petulant child for most of the time, showing defiance just to be contrary and then said some uncharacteristically mature stuff. I don't know what I make of her, so I am withholding myself from passing a positive or a negative judgement.
My Reccomendation
It was not half bad, it needed to be crisper, more to the point as I am missing the romance, which was shoved in much later, also it lacked sexual tension. If I don't look at it as a typical example of a good HR story, I can live with it otherwise, not. If I run out of interesting books to read, I may pick up the next one in the series. -
Well this wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was dull and boring and the heroine criminally stupid. I didn't care for the hero or the heroine either, felt no chemistry between them and felt the end ILU were forced.
-
Aww! This was simply wonderful. I completely fell in love with the characters and their story. Really looking forward to the sequels! 4.4/5 stars
-
I'm a huge fan of Suzanne Enoch's contemporary books, especially FLIRTING WITH DANGER, DON'T LOOK DOWN, and the rest of the Rick and Samantha series. I was prepared to not enjoy her Regencies as much, but even so, this book really didn't work for me.
How can you tell when a Regency author hates Regencies? When she has a heroine who calls herself a "chit." That's a negative word denoting a stupid, shallow young girl, and a word no Regency heroine would EVER use about herself. Elinor Griffin finds every single aspect of Regency life boring and stupid. Valentine the hero is just as bad. He actually refers to some lonely spinsters as "marriage challenged." The courtship is not elegant, it's just modern talk about a woman's freedom followed by random hot sex -- and there's not even a lot of that! The only hot love scene in the book between the hero and heroine actually has to be livened up by some sort of furry wild animal burrowing into the hero's breeches. (I'm not making this up.)
Elinor was fun, sexy, and tough, but never for one minute did I believe she was a Regency heroine. She's just a modern girl in Regency clothes, laughing off the loss of her virginity and routinely swearing and even punching men who get on her case. Her "sensibility" is pure Sunnydale slayer, not Regency refinement.
With Valentine it's more of a character issue. Lisa Kleypas (who creates the best heroes anywhere) once wrote in a blog post that if a hero is advertised as a rake then he'd better be a real, genuine, 100% rake. Not an almost-rake. Not a nice guy pretending to be a rake. A real rake.
Valentine is not a real rake. He spends much too much time whining about his father's lovers and his unhappy childhood. And whining about being bullied into watching over Elinor. And whining about how much he hates having feelings for a nice girl (only he calls her a "chit," not just in his thoughts, but to her face, just to show that no one in this book speaks Regency slang or understands Regency values.)
I really, really hate to trash this book, since I know that Suzanne Enoch is an amazing writer. But I still feel her contemporaries are much, much better than her Regencies, judging from this one book I've just read. Are her older titles more traditional? -
Odlična! Ne vem, kdaj sem tako uživala ob takšni komediji zmešnjav, kot ravno tukaj. Greh in rahločutnost je zabavno in nagajivo branje, ravno prav romantično in zelo iskrivo. Dialogi med Deverillom in Eleanor (Nell) so bili kot ping pong žogica in uživala sem ob njunih porednih dogodivščinah. Ah, seveda moram omeniti še brate Griffin, ki so kljub svojemu že kar nekoliko dušečem nadzoru v resnici čustveni, skrbni moški, ki bi za družino naredili vse, ne glede na čast in ugled. Čista petica!
-
-3,5-
Sweet and fun historical romance with sassy comments. Nell and Valentine are friends ,so they can adjust the rules with the ton.
She is childish on the moments but since we know that she has three big over protective brothers ,she had to fight for her freedom.
Typical story of this author and not bad at all. -
I love the relationship between the brothers and Nell. And I love that this was a sort of 'brother's best friend' relationship. Though the main lady did irritate me quite a few times, I knew she was going to just my the synopsis, I did like some of her spunk.
-
1.5 stars
I feel like if I've read this when I first got into HRs, I might have liked it much better but unfortunately, I've met with way too many truly headstrong heroines with an actual brain, so Eleanor just comes off as an insipid, whiny spoilt brat. Case in point:
When the Duke Was Wicked,
The Suffragette Scandal
Eleanor constantly whines about wanting independence and that her brothers were being way too protective of her but the minute she gets what she wants, she goes off, makes a stupid decision and proves that she really DOES need someone looking out for her and saving her. Cue eye roll. Also, that constant yapping about wanting an adventure when she's clearly too immature? Not fun. That plus the romance gets somewhat draggy with the push and pull between Valentine and Eleanor makes not for a good read.
On the other hand, I am liking the Griffin brothers. So here's to hoping the rest of the series gets better. -
Primo libro dì una quadrilogia (vedendo le recensioni probabilmente anche il migliore della serie, ma staremo a vedere). L’ho trovato molto piacevole e in vari punti divertente 🤣.
I Griffin: quattro figli di un duca e ottocento anni di nobiltà e pomposa arroganza che incombe su di loro.
Lady Eleanor, unica sorella, si è ritrovata catapultata da una giovinezza in campagna, passata a cavalcare e giocare con i tre maschi, a una gabbia londinese di rigide regole sociali, dove lei sorride e s'intristisce, mentre i fratelli le selezionano il marito adatto e intanto continuano a godersi libertà e giovinezza. Giammai! Nell dice basta e ha un piano: vuole un po’ di tempo per ritagliarsi uno spazio suo, vivere avventure un po' folli, commettere pure qualche sbaglio, per imparare da sola cosa vuole o cosa si sta perdendo.
Il duca suo fratello non la prende bene e escogita un’unica via d’uscita: piazzarle come angelo custode il suo miglior amico, non esattamente uno stinco di santo. E non esattamente un tipo disponibile ad accettare l’incarico.
Anche perché, per una giovane lady, un piccolo scivolone può significare uno scandalo rovinoso.
A parte Nell, a cui si perdona qualche ingenuità pur di respirare un po' di vita libera, ho trovato l'intera famiglia affiatata e risoluta, a cominciare dal duca Sebastian, un trentenne che deve giostrare tre parenti più giovani e pure un'adorabile figlia (le scene con Penny sono deliziose, per quanto dubiti che una bimba di sei anni possa essere così perspicace e acuta), per passare a Zachary e Charle.
Una menzione a parte spetta ovviamente al protagonista maschile, Valentine, marchese e ex-compagno di scuola del duca, rimasto amico di famiglia nonostante la sua nomea scandalosa che contrasta con i rigidi canoni di comportamento dei Griffin.
Per quanto abbia sempre sguazzato nel peccato, lui stesso non può permettere che la dolce Nell ne sia travolta, ma capirà a sua spese quanto possa essere pericolosa una personcina determinata.
Scena preferita: il marchese che innaffia le rose e medita sulle tante bugie che si è raccontato a se stesso.
Sono molto motivata a continuare la serie. -
I originally planned on giving this 3 stars but then I hit the 85 percent mark and the book just devolved into idiocy.
I love character driven romances, I love that such books showcase dozens of small moments that make up the big ones, that lay the foundation for a strong emotional connection, but a character driven novel is only as good as the characters.
both the H and h were underdeveloped, floundering, one dimensional and with some very unclear motivations.
the only enjoyment I derived from the book can be attributed to the writing, Suzanne Enoch writes well and even with a plodding story line and blah characters she manages to deliver a few genuinely entertaining scenes. -
I thought I would read about Lord Valentine on Valentine's weekend but it didn't really hit the spot for me. The heroine was annoying wanting 'adventure'before she was married off to someone her brother choose. She appeared weak and spoiled in her pursuit of this adventure. Valentine was a player and followed the usual route of once he had the heroine no one else would do but still carried on like a pompous prick then near the end made a startling discovery he was in love with her and you could practically write the rest yourself at this point. Disappoint ing plot, weak characters decent enough steamy scenes.
-
Enoch has created another entertaining regency tale with a delightful set of protagonists I enjoyed. While it held no surprises as to the outcome, her engaging dialogs, fresh and vibrant writing style, and likable characters made this experience a real pleasure.
-
2.5. Not very enjoyable. Friend’s sister, rake tropes. The premise is dependent on characterisation, which was unfortunately weak, and was not well supported and so the plot was scattered and all over the place. Eleanor (“Nell”) is an aristocratic young woman who wants to rebel against the oppressive and smothering control of her three brothers, and wants a life of freedom before she finally settles down and marries. Lost somewhere amongst her protestations (entirely too modern for 1811) is the irony that Nell has more freedom compared to the average young aristocrat miss, because she is not already in an arranged marriage, has no pressures of poverty, has had a freer childhood as an orphan with those aforementioned brothers of a similar age to raise her, and enjoys freedom of mind even if not exactly a freedom of destiny.
For some reason or the other, she does not have a clue what she wants other than freedom - not really to fall in love, or seek employment, or anything other than to rebel. Wants an adventure, doesn’t know what adventure. So she’s a rebel without a cause, and with not much worldly wisdom either. That’s fine for me, bit dull but fairly realistic. Youth. She “declares her independence” to her clueless brothers, who inexplicably accept her declaration despite there being perhaps nearly no jurisprudential basis for an unmarried woman to declare her independence while maintaining the idyllic privileges as a rich and titled lady. Talk about eating and having one’s cake while having no bargaining power. We are told she is intelligent, but she really isn’t. I haven’t seen her use that alleged intelligence for anything other than complaining and shopping.
Enter Valentine, a trusted family friend and a ne’er-do-well. He, like many other rakehell heroes, keeps a life of leisure and liaisons. He is entrusted by Sebastian, Nell’s eldest brother aka. chief gaoler, to keep an eye on her, on account of a favour called in. The plot revolves around him being attracted to this immature young woman despite having a personality and reputation and friendships that run contrary to the attraction (very attractive to some readers who like a rake to be reformed by love). He was selfish and living his best selfish life, and I did not sense much character growth for him. I was actually surprised he was such a misogynistic playboy, given his mother’s early death and his father’s implied death from syphilis. All that wasted character potential.
The plot is thin. These two characters have to discover their attraction and find their way to each other. So each event that occurs simply is a happening that adds to the growing steam… which wasn’t remotely remarkable for a rake.
This book tried to create a historical setting but ultimately failed for me. There were many amateurish mistakes which could have been prevented with a skilled editor. It shuffled around different backdrops: the Griffin home, various balls, Hyde Park, shopping places, Valentine’s home, etc. The description of places being “only five blocks away”, “two blocks from…”, etc, is an utter Americanism. London is not a grid planned city, it does not exist as blocks. I couldn’t find any contemporaneous British author who used “blocks” other than Charles Dickens in 1842 for Martin Chuzzlewit, which was incidentally set in America. The description of an obese man to weigh “twelve stones” - over 75 kilograms or 160 pounds, was clearly an error. Further, on chaperones, maids do not qualify as chaperones. There was also a conspicuous lack of mention of any corsets, especially during a scene where Nell manages to get uh, nearly date-raped at a masquerade party and have a tit hanging out. (Not that she was traumatised or anything.) I found myself wondering exactly how many layers of clothing she was wearing. Lady, where are your stays, corsets, or petticoats?
Finally, the turns of phrases like “fighting for her independence” would have been utterly shocking in polite society, as nobody except the Americans actually regarded rebellion as freedom-fighting. And this was not the era of suffrage. Women were kept under lock and key, and had companions and governesses hired for this purpose. Nell strangely had nearly no women near her - the women who also enforced the social order. It really wasn’t overbearing brothers but the weight of a rigid social order keeping women from freedom. Other women policed immorality and made swift judgment of fallen women. So Nell really enjoyed more freedom than average, and her brothers were acting in her best interests, as is abundantly clear from the context and the story itself.
Despite all that, I’m not always a hard stickler for historical accuracy. It’s only when there’s nothing particularly exciting to catch my attention I land on these things. I hope to have my opinion changed by Enoch’s other books. -
Reviewed for
THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Sin and Sensibility was my first read by Suzanne Enoch and the first in her Griffin Family series. Ms. Enoch has long been on my TBR list, so I was really looking forward to trying her work. However, this first foray into her writing left me with very mixed feelings. First, I thought the plot could have been better constructed. It took a really long time for things to get moving. Eleanor takes what seems like forever to make up her mind as to exactly what her adventure is going to be, and during that time, the story moves very slowly with little of note occurring. Even after she has her little adventure, it still plods along for a few more chapters until Valentine realizes that he can't bear the thought of any other man claiming Eleanor and acts upon his feelings. I thought the characterizations could have gone deeper too. While enough backstory was given to help me generally understand where both of them were coming from, I couldn't help feeling like I wanted to know more. Finally, there are some events that occur that IMHO, weren't very well explained. On the upside, though, there were some good moments of sexual tension and a couple of pretty romantic scenes for Valentine and Eleanor, such as their midnight swim in the pond and parts of their elopement, so I did feel a connection between them. However, it just wasn't quite enough to push this one into the realm of greatness.
Valentine is easily one of the most dissolute rakes I've ever read. I've heard some romance readers complain about historical romance heroes who are described as rakish not really being rakes at all, so I don't think those readers would be disappointed with Valentine in that regard. In the opening scene, he's receiving a blow job from one of his numerous paramours, and a married lady at that, at a ball while he indolently watches the proceedings from their hidden alcove. I can't say that he really changed all that much throughout the remainder of the story. It seemed to me that he'd done little else in his life other than drinking, gambling, and womanizing, yet despite his frivolous lifestyle, he'd somehow managed to maintain his family fortune even though we never see him doing any actual work, not even looking over estate ledgers or anything. I suppose Valentine had his charms, but overall, he wasn't a very heroic romance hero for me. I understood that he didn't think much of women because of the parade of women his father brought through the house while Valentine was growing up after his mother died. Because of that, he'd come to the conclusion that all females were conniving and manipulative and only good for one thing. Throughout the story he said some extremely unflattering things about women in general which rubbed me the wrong way. He's known Eleanor for most of her life, but perhaps because she's the youngest sister of his best friend, he's never really taken much notice of her as a woman until she declares her independence. There are a few moments where he seems to realize that she's somehow different from the other women he's known, but by and large, I had a hard time discerning what precisely made him fall for her when he didn't seem to have much of a heart. He says that he enjoys her company, but I felt like that was more told than shown. I would have liked to see more instances of him specifically having a good time with her. Also, he vacillates back and forth between doing something honorable, such as rescuing Eleanor from a man who had drugged her and was about to rape her, and then saying something terrible about women that seems, to some degree, to encompass Eleanor as well. It was just really hard for me to truly like Valentine and understand what Eleanor saw in him when he's all over the board. It was also a little difficult to believe that she truly had changed him when his declaration of love, or even his own realization that he's in love with her, doesn't come until the very end.
Eleanor is a young woman who is tired of her three older brothers constantly interfering in her love life and scaring away potential suitors in whom she might be interested. She wants the freedom to choose the man with whom she's going to spend the rest of her life and not end up with someone who's old or boring, so she writes up a declaration of independence and presents it to her oldest brother, Sebastian. He isn't too thrilled by it, but reluctantly agrees to allow her the latitude she seeks so long as she doesn't cause a scandal, in which case, the agreement is voided and she will immediately marry a man whom he deems suitable. Little does she know, though, that Sebastian has engaged the help of his best friend, Valentine, to look after her, thinking that Eleanor will be more receptive to his presence than that of her siblings. Eleanor did have a point about a woman deserving more freedom, but at the same time, she could be quite the handful. Sebastian became duke when he was only eighteen and Eleanor was just a little girl. She was allowed to run wild on the estate, but when she became a young lady, she had to button down those tendencies, which now chafes at her.
While Eleanor was certainly opinionated, not afraid to speak her own mind, and perhaps even a bit reckless and daring at times, I appreciated that she had some sense of caution. After her run-in with the man with dishonorable intentions, she didn't really go out without one of her brothers or Valentine nearby. I did have to admire Eleanor for her fearlessness, not only in going up against her brothers, but also for taking her own destiny in hand. However, it was a little frustrating at first when she doesn't seem to know her own mind. She knows that she wants an adventure, but what exactly she wants to do eludes her for a long time. There were also a few times when I felt like she was a little too stubborn and dismissive. She seems to have no qualms whatsoever about giving up her virginity to Valentine, even though she fully believes it's a one-time deal. Also, neither of them seems the least bit concerned by the possibility that she could be pregnant or about her future husband being upset about her not being a virgin. Eleanor also says some pretty ugly things to Valentine when she finds out about his agreement with her brother. Much like I had a hard time discerning Valentine's attraction to Eleanor, the reverse was true as well. I just couldn't quite seem to figure out what she saw in him, and I had a somewhat difficult time believing in that forever love when she was prepared to marry someone else right before Valentine kidnapped her. I think that if both of them had opened up about their feelings for one another a little sooner, this would have been a lot better for me.
Sin and Sensibility had it's good points and not so good points, but overall, it was a fairly entertaining read, which is why I decided to give it 3.5 stars. Some parts could have been stronger, leaving my mind wandering at times, but other parts were engaging and fun, almost making me bump it up to four stars. The only real stand-out secondary characters were Eleanor's three brothers, Zachary, Charlemagne, and Sebastian, all of whom get their own stories in the series, in the order in which I've listed them, which is youngest to oldest. Even though Suzanne Enoch didn't exactly hit this one out of the ballpark for me, I still have lots of her books on my TBR list, including a couple more of the Griffin Family series, so I'm sure I'll give her another chance to wow me in the future. -
Romance authors steal from themselves and this is most blatant when they regurgitate plots within the same series. Enoch demonstrates this in the Griffin Family series where Sins of a Duke and Something Sinful are, for all intents and purposes, carbon copies of each other. What makes Sin and Sensibility interesting, however, is that it borrows the plot from an Enoch classic, London's Perfect Scoundrel (LPS). Instead of an overbearing brother at war with the heroine's love interest, a no-good rake, the overbearing brother is now best friends with the no-good rake. Instead of, won't somebody please think of the children, the heroine is freeing the nipple.
Sin and Sensibility is a highly enjoyable read that grows on you, not because of the sin but because of its sensibility. Eleanor's cry for freedom is half-baked as Evie's is in LPS, primarily expressing it through the purchase of new ballgowns, but her desire for personal independence stands for something. Valentine Corbett, Marquis of Deverill finds himself in a unique situation where he must babysit his best friend's sister in case her rebellion gets out of hand. Valentine, as he grows to understand and empathize with Eleanor, becomes one of the sweetest heroes in romance, by virtue of defending her perspective to her overprotective brothers.
The major drawback to reforming a rake is how low the bar is set for Eleanor to impress Valentine. Deverill is absolutely keeled over by Eleanor's idea to take a swim, "he would never have suspected that." Elsewhere, Deverill condescendingly notes with growing respect towards Eleanor, the nebulous idea that she is a human with her own will beginning to form and take shape in his mind, "there she went again, expressing that odd independent streak, that desire to do for herself. Considering how much experience he had with females, the level of confusion she caused in him was astounding." When the bar is set low, compliments can become backhanded compliments. In fact, the reader is astounded too by how much more telling moments like these are about Valentine's deeply ingrained misogyny than his experience with women as a whole.
Fortunately, Sin and Sensibility has its funny moments. The letter exchange between Eleanor and Deveril is the Regency equivalent of modern-day texting, and Sebastian destroying the evidence of a list of suitors he has been accused of creating for Eleanor? Now that made me want to read Sebastian's book! -
It is a rare book that can somehow pull off making me hate the characters and still enjoy the story. Sin and Sensibility is one such rare book. Valentine is an enormous playboy with low morals and little care for others. Eleanor is a stupid, entitled brat willing to take risks that could harm her family simply out of spite. Despite these character traits that I abhor, I still enjoyed reading the story. While I would not want to be friends with either Eleanor or Valentine, they were truly perfect for each other and since I do not usually associate with people that behave in the manner of Eleanor and Valentine, I was always surprised at what they said and did. I kept turning pages even though I was convinced after the sleazy opening scene that it would be a DNF.
In this story, Eleanor is the privileged younger sister of the famous and well-respected Griffin brothers. She tires of their protectiveness and overbearing attitudes and strikes an ultimatum with her eldest brother that she will make her own choices and if scandal erupts, she will immediately marry a man of his choice. Now, I am all for women that want to find themselves and be independent, especially during a time period where women had little breathing room, but Eleanor proved that she couldn't handle the freedom. She behaved with unbelievable stupidity at every turn. Enter Valentine Corbett. Eleanor's older brother essentially forces Valentine to watch over Eleanor to fulfill a past debt. At first, Valentine is resistant to this, but as Eleanor and Valentine spend more time together, sparks fly. While I really didn't like either of these characters due to their selfish self absorption, it was apparent that they were good together. I enjoyed their dialogue and how they discovered that despite their narcissism, they did somehow have enough space left in their hearts to care for each other. While their devotion to each other was touching, that's where the caring ends. They screw over numerous other people, including family members with their antics, which is why this book will never be a favorite for me.
In a nutshell, this was a surprisingly enjoyable read despite my distaste for the characters. If you like bad boy heroes, you will probably really enjoy this story. Valentine's redeeming quality is that beneath his rakish exterior lies a very sharp mind. Some of his lines were great. Eleanor was not a character I think most women like, but she does grow up a little...but only a little. 3.5 stars -
At the age of 21, Eleanor Griffin has decided that she needs freedom from her three older, overbearing brothers. She wants to do what she wants, say what she wants, choose her own husband, choose her own wardrobe, and have "an adventure". Unwilling to give her too much freedom, her oldest brother enlists his friend Valentine Corbett to keep an eye on her.
The storyline of this book was pretty weak for me. I often found my mind wandering and had to re-read pages, especially during the first third of the book. This part of the book mainly centered around Eleanor's initial rebellion against her brother's rules and her "declaration of independence" as she called it. I believe the author intended for Eleanor to read as a strong-willed heroine taking charge of her life, but she came off as a whiny, pouty brat.
Once Eleanor started to spend time with Valentine, the book picked up speed. Valentine was one of the best heroes I have read in a long time. He had a really dry sense of humor that was a joy to read. He was also super sexy and the steamy scenes between the two of them were extremely well written. He was the perfect rake and when he fell for Eleanor, he fell really, really hard (I love when that happens!). Valentine is the kind of guy you would want to just hang out with...I'm sure there would never be a dull minute!
I want to give this book 3.5 stars because I found it somewhat boring in the beginning, but I'm rounding it up to 4 because I loved Valentine so much. -
My review / What I learned from this book:
What I learned from this book is that I dislike books where the heroine gets herself in a multitude of silly scrapes with no serious reason and the hero has to save her from them and herself.
In this particular book I empathized with her family who kept asking the heroine why she made her "revolution", what she hoped to accomplish with it and what exactly her "revolution" consisted of besides a new wardrobe and making her brothers sick with worry. By the middle of the book, she couldn't answer any of those questions (her default answer is that she wants an "adventure" before she settles in a boring wedding) and thus I found no logical reason as to why I should keep on reading this book. -
(3.5 stars) Sin and Sensibility, the first book in Enoch's Griffin Family Series, is a fun read with great leading - and supporting - characters. The premise for the book, or rather what propels the H&H to interact and develop a relationship, was not very strong and didn't make much sense and as much as I didn't want it to, this kind of detracted from my enjoyment of the story. No one reads historical romances in order to be swamped in reality - quite the reverse, actually - however there's a difference between fanciful/improbable and weak/contrived, and this book's premise falls into the latter category. Nevertheless, the characters make the book interesting and I wouldn't mind rereading it in the future.
-
This is one of those regencies where the hero is the rich rake used to getting whatever he wants all the time. He falls for his best friends little sister which has the air of the forbidden.
I would have given this three stars because I'm not super fond of books where the womanizer falls in love and spends the whole time denying his feelings until he finally "gives in" and "surrenders" to them.
That said, the last fifth of the book was very lovely, exciting, and romantic and was a great ending! That can make all the difference to a successful historical romance.
The writing and prose itself is very good, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
