| Title | : | A Gentleman Never Tells (The Wetherby Brides #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 239 |
| Publication | : | First published November 20, 2009 |
Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquisate of Eastleigh, has just received an urgent letter from home. His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.
Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.
Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?
A Gentleman Never Tells (The Wetherby Brides #1) Reviews
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This was such a pleasant read. Benjamin Wetherby started out living in New York as the book opens and he has a mistress. The thing that automatically stood out to me was even though she was his mistress he still had general compassion and respect for her. He could have easily just use her for her purpose but instead was considerate to her needs. At the plea from his mothers letter Benjamin needs to return to England for his father has not much time left. He knows at 26 that it is time to grow up and take a bride.
Phoebe Blake has fallen on hard times. Her father has been dead for a year and her and her mother are still paying on past owed debts. Everything worth selling has reached an end and Phoebe fears what is next to come. The thing I enjoyed most was that with all the fear and darkness her characters faced the author managed to keep things light somehow. Benjamin's sister Kat was the cause for some of the lightness in my opinion. She was mischievous and funny to me. There is a time she has the h sprawled on a floor in her cups that brought a smile to my face.
It was truly Benjamin and Phoebe who had me engrossed because they were so good together. They waste no time in wedding each other and for those who may think it happens quick I fell in love with them both. I wish I could tell you why but I really don't think it was any one thing. I think you have to believe in love at first sight to begin with because it does happen quick but than again the pair do not profess undying love in the beginning but they do know in their own hearts that they are lost. Why not?
Ben is so tender as I have said and Phoebe has been in despair with all the debts and her mothers has just been inconsolable and along comes this man that expresses an interest and is kind, handsome, and can clear up all her financial problems. He promises to do all of that and more so yes, I could see why she fell for him. Ben is also a tiger in the sheets or under a Harpsichord whenever it strikes his fancy. If your wondering if that means there is graphic sex in the book. That should give you a clue. He is a very dashing H and Phoebe was a fast learner and remember her wild sister in law? Yeah, she helps educate Phoebe with some naughty books from the library. LOL
It is not raunchy it's just fun. The couple though hit a few bumps in the road that seemed natural and the way the couple dealt with it was well handled because it wasn't drawn out and they both were just so sweet. This brings up the villain and he was evil and I adored Ben and the way he took care of him. Hats off to a job well done to the author. Fabulous light read that just brought out all the beauty in what a relationship can be. -
This is I believe the first book in the series by Jerrica Knight-Catania. Although the story started out a bit slow, it gradually picked up its pace.
Phoebe Blake is just getting over her period of mourning and now needs to enter back into society. She has had to sell most of the household furnishings to take care of herself, her mother and maid as her father had squandered the family monies and placed them close to being in debtor’s prison. She feels destitute while struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. One day she attends a ball and meets the Earl of Glastonbury. She knows she must marry well and quickly, however she wants to have love in the process.
After a 1-year sabbatical, Benjamin Wethersby the Earl of Glastonbury is summoned home from the Americas to his ailing father the Marquess of Eastleigh. His father’s last wish was to see his son marry before he dies. He left London due to the guilt that he believed he had killed a man…a peer of the ton who happened to be Lord Grimsby, Phoebe’s father. So, it happens that they meet at a local gathering where Benjamin becomes smitten with Phoebe and is intent on making her his bride. The only dilemma for him is the fact that she is the daughter of the man that he believes he has killed. Will she ever forgive him once she finds out?
Phoebe is a strong heroine who finds her situation not the very best but won’t let it deter her from overcoming her external circumstances. She never lets the internal darkness that is slowly pulling her mother into depression get her down. Benjamin on the other hand does have his faults but proves he is an honorable gentleman who does not want to hurt or disappoint Phoebe. He is determined to do the right thing at all costs and desires to protect her.
There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and they all stem from the secrets held by both characters, her mother and an underlying secret with the maid. Some things I did not understand however was the fact that Phoebe goes overboard a bit with mistrusting Benjamin because of his past liaisons with his mistress in American but does not project the same sort of anger when she finds out that he has killed her father. She chalks it up to it being the nature of her father because he has lived a laxed life as a gambler. Also easing in the Colonel, a person of ill-repute that has been using her mother as a prostitute while she is in a state of severe depression was a bit much for me. The feeling of her being raped occasionally by this despicable person, while her daughter was not in the home, and he believing he is doing them a favor by providing a little bit of money to keep them out of debt was awful.
In the end, without some parts I truly disliked, I enjoyed the story and was happy it was not the typical boy meets girl, fall in love type of read. It was a very tender story of a man who fell in love and held strong to his belief that holding in secrets causes more damage than being truthful up front. It had two relatable characters finding their HEA. The central plot was all about secrets and sets up the next book in the series dealing with Becky the maid…What secrets does she have to keep from those who believes she is just a lowly maid?
3.5 Stars -
SUMMARY: Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquisate of Eastleigh, has just received an urgent letter from home. His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.
Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.
Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?
REVIEW: If you just read the summary (which I did), it would appear this would be a regency romance you might enjoy. DON'T BOTHER! This is the first in a series called The Wetherby Brides by this author. I rarely give a 1 to a book and usually don't finish one that I rate this badly. The storyline and characters actually had potential which is the only reason that I gave it a 1. Unfortunately, the entire book was bogged down by many implausibilities. But the thing that totally destroyed it for me was the author included TMI in intimate scenes both before and after marriage. I have the second book in this series as well (both were freebies on one of my more trustworthy sites) but I will simply delete it as well. -
Glad I read the third book in this series, The Wary Widow, prior to going back and getting this first one. VERY predictable romance here with the mistakes (for want of a better word) of the first effort. This was not nearly as well done and shows she has obviously improved in her skills. A quick read and time filler but could have set it down at any point and felt satisfied that I had had enough. Sorry I 'bought' it and not got it for a very low price or better yet, free.
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An enjoyable and engrossing story! It is such a nice change of pace to have both the hero and heroine written as good, upstanding people. They are just caught up in circumstances that threaten to destroy their love for each other. These two are very easy to love and root for. I especially loved the fact that Benjamin respected and honored Pheobe's virtue enough to hold himself back until their wedding night (don't worry that was fairly soon in the book) Hooray! A truly honorable man, for a change!
The only drawback in the story is the couple's reactions to some of the events. They seemed extremely juvenile and at times, roll-your-eyes silly. At first one can make an allowance for Pheobe, she's young and naive, after all, but after having (supposedly) learned from her mistake, she immediately repeats it by staying in her room and refusing to speak to Benjamin for six (yes, SIX) days because he won't divulge her Mother's secret!?!? Benjamin, on the other hand is supposed to be older, wiser and more responsible to begin with, yet after their first fight, he runs aways for THREE weeks!! Hmmmm, see what I mean?
Even with the obvious glitches, the story is a page turner. The writing flows effortlessly and the story is just plain fun to read! Ms. Knight-Catania is definitely an author to look out for as her star continues to rise. -
No. Just no. The story had some potential and i wanted to like it so badly, but the more i teas the worse it got. There was zero chemistry amongst the characters. Zero plot development. And so many random side stories that did not propel the story forward.
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This was one very complicated story with a few annoying occurrences. Phew 😅
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Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquessate of Eastleigh, has just received an urgent letter from home. His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.
Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors’ prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.
Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after? -
I read this book from start to finish in about two hours. I wasn't impressed. For a first effort in the genre, some things were just glaring to me in terms of historical accuracy. An engagement ring? Really? Calling each other by given names so casually. I wanted to like Phoebe, but her behavior seemed kind of erratic and she struck me as someone with the potential to be admirable, but she never quite made it there. Too much damsel in distress. All in all, it was an entertaining read, but if you read historical romances for the history and for admirable heroines, give this one a pass.
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Don't Know Where to Begin
I can't believe this author ever read a letter written in this time period. She surely never read a social history of the era or she wouldn't have put together the dialogue her characters use. The only plausible part of the plot was that the hero got out of the country after a duel. If the time frame was the early regency, he certainly wouldn't have gone to the states. We were at war with England. I don't want to waste any more time writing a review. I'm not even sure why I gave it two stars. -
TBH, I was mostly bored by this. Big Misunderstanding trope (actually more than one of them) and a lot of trouble that would have been avoided if people had fewer plot-induced "scruples." I never felt much of a connection with either of the main characters, and the reason given for the duel the hero takes part in is... dumb? After slogging through the book for what felt like forever and realizing I was only 25% done, I read the last few pages and felt like I missed nothing.
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I read this book along with the second one "More of a Governess" in the Wetherby Brides Series. (The third was The Bedeviled Bride) I'm disappointed in the fact these books were cheap dime novel type stories. The sex scenes a bit over the top for these short stories and I couldn't even read the third one. A total waste of time.
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I loved this book! The whole thing surrounding Phoebe's father and how Benjamin blames himself make your heart go out to him. I absolutely love his father and cried when he died. Phoebe's mother's story made me cringe and feel sorry for them and Phoebe was a little annoying at first, but you love her by the end. So many twists and turns that you have to love it.
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Read half from the e-book then listen to the rest from audible.
The story was just ok. Stretch for to long. And I didn't feel the connection between the H & h.
AUDIOBOOK: April 1st 2015
Narrator:Sherill Turner she did a fair enough job of it, though didn't like her tone of voice. -
Ends with a blatant hook after being an average romance. One of the main reasons I've been reading romances lately is because I can usually rely on them to END. At least it is hook not cliffhanger, but infuriating and unacceptable.
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It rambles
This book moved around in rambling circles lacking the cohesive entertainment factor I was looking for. However since it was a free download I would say it was worth the money. -
Standalone/Cliffhanger: Standalone but part of a series.
Ages of H and h: h is 20 and H is 26
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No but look above
>>Detail: N/A
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: Yes
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
My Thoughts
Fab free read. -
Vikki’s Musings
I found this book on Amazon for free and since I could purchase the audio for an excellent price, decided to give it a read. I had never heard of the author, but this is the first book in the Whetherby Brides series and I normally enjoy sagas a great deal. I am so glad I found A Gentleman Never Tells. I thoroughly enjoyed reading/listening to it.
Phoebe Blake is a damsel in distress. Her father died a year ago, and she and her mother are on the verge of losing it all. They barely have enough money for food. She knows she must find a man to marry and quickly, but she also longs for a love match.
Benjamin Whetherby, the Earl of Glastonbury, suffers from a huge case of guilt for wounding a man in a duel, and this man succumbs to fever days after. Guilt-ridden, he leaves hearth and home and goes to America, where he spends a year. When he learns his father is ill, he rushes back to be at his side. The Marquess wants to see his heir married before he dies, so Benjamin goes to London to find a wife.
When Benjamin meets Phoebe at a ball, he is immediately smitten, and wants to pursue her, intent on making her his bride. The next day he decides to visit her, but he must pay a visit to the widow of the man he killed first. When he arrives at the baroness’s residence, he is greeted by none other than Phoebe.
Benjamin has a dilemma on his hands. Should he follow through with his plans to wed the lovely Phoebe, or will he allow guilt to drive them apart?
This is a sweet romance that’s unfolds gently. It is a boy meets girl, they get married and along comes baby story, but is not boring at all. The pacing is excellent and the many twists in this tale kept me listening well into the night to finish it.
While both characters have strong motivations to marry, the attraction is instant between them, so they actually choose each other because of this more than their external reasons for marrying. It is refreshing to read a story where, the couple truly likes each other from the beginning.
Phoebe is a great heroine. Even though she finds herself in a deplorable situation, she does not let it pull her into the darkness as it has her mother. While she is a waif character type, she has a touch of the spunky kid rolled in. Her ability to grab the brass ring is evident and had me liking her from the start.
Benjamin is a fantastic hero. While not completely without faults (he has a mistress at the start of the story, and he has a short fuse at times), he is an honorable man, determined to do the right thing. His desire to protect Phoebe’s innocence is commendable, and causes him great distress. His secrets eat at him, and then he becomes the keeper of Phoebe’s mother’s secrets as well. Even though these secrets could very well tear him apart from the woman he loves, he will not break faith with the baroness.
While there is very little internal conflict in Phoebe—most of hers is external—Benjamin on the other hand, has a great deal of both. He has easily definable goals and strong motivation, which makes this book a great read.
Since I listened to the audio version of A Gentleman Never Tells, I want to mention the narration. Sherrill Turner reads with an abundance of feeling, getting the emotions the characters feel across to me. However, she needs to work on her male voices. Her voice is a bit high-pitched, so I’m sure that makes it more difficult. Even with this issue, I enjoyed her narration and look forward to listening to the other books in this series.
If you enjoy a tender romance with plenty of plot twists and turns, then you will enjoy this lovely tale of two amazing characters, finding their happy ending. I can’t wait to read/listen to the next book in this great series. I’m sure I will enjoy them as much as I did this one. Happy reading! -
Too many moving pieces in resolutions
The basic structure of a plot is: inciting incident, rising action, climax and resolution. If you can not force the characters to be hateful to each other or unreasonable then add a subplot. Hell, add fifteen if you have to to spice up the original story. Just don't add useless complexities for the sake of page count. The book should have ended with the declarations of love. Not continued on with a exaggerated conflict to drag out the timeline. If there needed to be page filler then set up for the next book not make both your main characters look like melodramatic idiots. -
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This was an exceptionally captivating historical romance, which lacked the Christian aspect I prefer. However, it was well written and the loveable characters developed nicely. In this case, 'love conquers all' applied appropriately. I really liked it.
This book was able to stand on its own in the series and twisted and turned you in knots before arriving at a HEA.
Unfortunately, for those that prefer a clean and wholesome read, this one should be avoided. I really wish that author notated this in their descriptions. -
This was a very entertaining, fast read. It was essentially a popcorn book but it had a very pleasant story. Boy meets girl, Boy falls in love with girl, Boy killed her father...at least he think he did. I really like Benjamin he portrayed the ultimate regency gentleman and you couldn't help but like Phoebe. All I have to say is Yeah for happy endings.
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Love this book
as soon as I started reading I couldn't put it down. awesome book and I can't wait to read the next in the series -
3.5 estrellas. La verdad es que fue el libro perfecto para sacar de mi mente el horrible final de "me Before You", fácil y rápido.
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DNF. Lame
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You know the drill at this point. The price was right and as much as I might read other subgenres of romance, Regency is what I keep coming back to. Self-publishing has been great in that sense, because there are now so many options to choose from that I'm pretty much guaranteed to never run out.
A Gentleman Never Tells is a fairly standard entry into the genre. Benjamin Wetherby is in America, when he receives the news that his father is dying and he needs to return home immediately. His father makes the request that he marry before he assumes the title and as a dutiful son, Benjamin sets about to do just that. Phoebe, on the other hand, is desperately trying to make ends meet after the death of her father a year ago. Her mother is so grief-stricken as to be bedridden and what little funds they have are rapidly dwindling. She needs to marry well and marry soon.
They encounter each other at a ball, where Benjamin falls for her at first sight and makes arrangements to visit her the next day. That's when he discovers, to his horror, that Phoebe is the daughter of the man who died of fever two weeks after a duel with Benjamin — a death Benjamin feels responsible for and one that precipitated his departure from England. He can hardly ignore the dire financial straits the family is in either, especially after he discovers that one of the more unscrupulous members of the ton is demanding sexual favors from Phoebe's mother in return for holding off some of the creditors.
Resolved, he proposes to Phoebe and takes both her and her mother (and her maid) back to his father's estate, since word comes that he is rapidly approaching the end. They are married, granting his father's deathbed wish, and all seems well — except for the secrets Benjamin is keeping from his wife. One of which she discovers when she reads some of his correspondence in an attempt to help. Cue the normal miscommunications until the expected happily ever after resolution. (I try to avoid spoilers in these reviews, so apologies if this seems a little rushed. Then again, parts of the book did too.)
Overall I enjoyed the story as a single read but it's not going on my reread shelf. I'm not a stickler for historical accuracy but there were a few things that threw me out of the world for a moment, the largest of which was Phoebe's maid accompanying her to the ball as a guest. If that is something that's important to you, this might not be the right book to dive into. Some of the side characters felt a little one-dimensional and more than one of the points that provided conflict in the book were due to irrational decisions by characters that seemed out of place or silly, with no clear motivation.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book in the series or not, but if the price is right on this one, it's a decent enough way to pass a few hours. -
Benjamin has been running from his past and he doesn't know how he could ever make up for his part in the duel. He believes that he killed a man but if only he knew the truth. He goes to pay his respects and he is surprised to see the young lady that he was hoping to call on. Phoebe knows that she has to find a husband as her father left them with nothing after his death. But she is about to fall for this man that would give her everything but lies and secrets almost tear them apart. Can they ever move forward with their lives? Phoebe knows that she loves him but he is so distant and she has no idea what she can do to make him see that they are happy together/ Can Caine let the past go and be happy with his life?
A good read.
