| Title | : | A Dangerous Kind of Lady (Longhope Abbey, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 343 |
| Publication | : | First published July 7, 2020 |
Proud heiress Arabella Larke has little respect for rules and no time for scruples, not when she faces marriage to a man she loathes and fears.
Determined to save herself, Arabella comes up with a plan: a fake engagement with her childhood nemesis, Guy Roth, Marquess of Hardbury, recently returned home after years away. To Arabella’s surprise, Guy has become strong, honorable, and unexpectedly attractive…but he refuses to even hear her plan.
After leaving England to escape his corrupt, controlling father, Guy has vowed never to do anyone’s bidding again—certainly not Arabella’s. To Guy’s surprise, Arabella has become intriguing, quick-witted, and unexpectedly attractive, but he has enough drama trying to gain custody of his younger sisters, and he wants nothing to do with her dubious schemes.
Until Arabella shows up at his house one night, and Guy finds himself entangled to a dangerous degree…
A Dangerous Kind of Lady (Longhope Abbey, #2) Reviews
-
I wish I could be more coherent about this book, but YOU KNOW ME. Reading excellent romance melts my brain cells. All I can say is that I've been waiting for this book forever (because Mia Vincy writes the hilarious regency romcoms of my heart) and it exceeded expectations.
What a bloody epic romance. Not the tragic kind with a bad ending, but the neverending feels kind with a beyond satisfying ending that makes you want to hug yourself and squeal for the rest of the day.
There is an incredible, memorable heroine who I related to so strongly, and whose personal arc is a really great commentary on a particular kind of misogyny. There's a hero who grows so beautifully and fantastically walks the line between frustrating sexy prat I want to smack and genuinely nice guy who just keeps fluffing it up. The book has serious Persuasion feels, except they are childhood enemies. In short, it's perfect and divine and you should read it if you want to be happy. -
3.5 stars
There is SUCH GREAT BANTER in this book. Like truly, top tier. So I *really* wanted to like this book more than I did. Unfortunately, where the book fell flat for me was the female main character, Arabelle. She was wonderfully independent, witty, and cared for others while not caring what others thought of her. So where did she go wrong for me? The woman could NOT communicate effectively to save her (romantic) life. And unfortunately a plot that would practically completely disappear if an honest conversation would just happen, is not my cup of tea. Oh and the first romantic scene actually made me cringe a bit, which really isn't great for a romance novel.
But I would try this author again, because I did enjoy the another book I have read by her,
A Wicked Kind of Husband -
If I can find a historical romance that I like, so can YOU!
This was right up my alley, my cup of tea, my bag, etc. Loved the couple here - a strong, guarded, unbending, controlling Arabella and her childhood frenemy and reluctant betrothed Guy who doesn't want to be controlled and pushed around anymore.
Oof, they were hot! The dynamic between them was on point. I lapped this up, and the amount of rereading of certain parts I did, I should count this book as read twice.
There are, of course, some pitfalls of historical romance here. I think the book could have been shorter and some plot mechanics were too labored. But Vincy is a skilled writer, and I am glad she applied her English Lit degree to writing bodice rippers with well realized characters and tastefully sensuous smut.
Count me as a fan. When is the next one coming out? -
I've given this an A- at AAR, so 4.5 stars rounded up.
While A Dangerous Kind of Lady is the third published book in Mia Vincy’s Longhope Abbey series, it’s actually the second in the series chronologically . If you’ve read the author’s début,
A Wicked Kind of Husband, (which is chronologically book three) you’ll already have met Arabella and Guy Roth, Marquess and Marchioness of Hardbury as a happily married – even besotted – couple. But knowing that’s how they end up is, as any dedicated romance reader will know, not the point; the fun is in the getting there, in the emotional journey the characters take to find love and happiness. A Dangerous Kind of Lady is their ‘origin’ story, and tells how the fiercely independent, sharp-tongued Arabella, betrothed to Guy Roth since childhood, becomes un-betrothed, re-betrothed, un-betrothed again (sort of) and then marries him anyway. All while falling in love along the way of course.
When the book opens, Guy has recently returned to England following an eight year absence and has assumed the title – Marquess of Hardbury – he inherited on the death of his father around a year earlier. It’s widely believed that Guy left England in a sulk after the woman he was in love with spurned him (not only did she sleep with someone else, she then went on to become a much sought-after courtesan), but the truth is more complicated. The old marquess was obsessed with controlling his son’s every move, and leaving the country was the only way Guy could assert his independence. Now Guy is at last free to live his own life, one of the first things he does on his return is end his engagement to Arabella Larke.
The end of the betrothal doesn’t actually bother Arabella all that much – in fact, she’d be celebrating if it wasn’t for the fact that her father is so bent on marrying her off that he doesn’t particularly care who the groom is. Lord Sculthorpe, a handsome war hero who gives Arabella the creeps every time she so much as thinks of him, is about to propose any minute, and as Mr. Larke has threatened to cut Arabella off if she doesn’t get married, she’s desperate to find a way to avoid Sculthorpe without losing everything. To buy herself some time, she asks Guy to pretend their betrothal is back on, just for a few weeks, but Guy refuses to hear her out, certain she’s trying to manipulate him into marriage. After all, she never made a secret of her desire to be a marchioness, and her insufferable pride must have been dented when he ended their engagement. Guy’s refusal to help leaves her with only one option; to accept Sculthorpe’s offer and then jilt him as soon as she can. But she’s reckoned without her father’s determination to get her off his hands; rather than the spring wedding Arabella had intended, he insists she and Sculthorpe will be married within the month. Utterly repelled by Sculthorpe and his fixation on her virginity, Arabella decides that while she may have to become his in law, she doesn’t have to become his in spirit or give him any more of herself than necessary. And there’s one thing she doesn’t have to give him if she doesn’t want to.
Which is why Guy opens the door to his rooms one evening to be confronted by Arabella practically demanding to be seduced. He’s completely suspicious of her motives, and knows only too well the sorts of games she’s capable of playing – yet he can’t resist the challenges she keeps throwing at him or the glimpses of the woman behind the prickly, proud façade he knows she doesn’t mean to let him see. Taking Arabella to bed is a recipe for disaster and they both know it. It’s also a revelation. And marriage – to each other anyway – is not an option.
Arabella and Guy are superbly drawn, complex characters who are not always particularly likeable and who don’t always make the best choices, but whom the reader will want to root for nonetheless. When we first meet her, Arabella comes across as something of an ice-maiden; proud, aloof and calculating, she seems to be untouchable and impervious to her reputation for sharp-tongued arrogance. But it’s quickly clear that this is all a self-defence mechanism. Since the death of her twin brother, Mr. Larke has dismissed Arabella as useless and worthless, and she longs to regain something of the relationship they had before. But all he does is push her away, so she’s constructed thick walls and buried her true self deep inside, locking away the hurt of her father’s rejection and presenting herself to the world as proud, intractable and absolutely unassailable, someone who attacks before she can be attacked. But as Guy comes to know her – as difficult as she makes it – he realises that regardless of what is said about her, she never refutes it or fights back, and he begins to see an amazing woman, a woman who loved and fought, who made mistakes and fell down, then got back up to love and fight another day. Guy’s life with a controlling father has given him his own load of emotional baggage to deal with; he’s spent almost his entire life being denied choices in even the simplest things such as which tailor to go to, or when or how he could have his hair cut, and for him, his betrothal and Arabella herself became symbols of his father’s desire to crush his spirit and dominate him. Guy’s desire to have nothing to do with her is his way of proving to himself that he’s free to live as he chooses.
The main secondary storyline deals with Guy’s determination to gain custody of his two sisters from their guardian, who, he suspects, is stealing money from their trusts; Arabella is the first to clue into the fact that he is scheming to marry his son to Guy’s nineteen-year-old sister and gain control of her fortune that way. Then there’s Sculthorpe, a singularly unpleasant individual I was delighted to see get his comeuppance, but I’ll warn now that there’s one scene during which he physically attacks Arabella that is distressing to read.
Ms. Vincy’s talent for sharp and insightful dialogue is very much in evidence, and she does a wonderful job of using Arabella and Guy’s frequent sparring matches to show how perfectly matched they really are. Their chemistry is incendiary right from the moment they meet on the page, and the big seduction scene I’ve mentioned above (not a spoiler because it happens early on) really is one of the most unusual I’ve read:“You seriously think that we should take off all our clothes and pretend to like each other long enough for me to bed you, and then you’ll merrily go one your way?”
“That sounds right. Although we needn’t take off all our clothes. Or pretend to like each other.”
It’s funny and poignant and even sad, but insanely sexy all at the same time.
A Dangerous Kind of Lady pulled me in from the very first page and didn’t let me go until the very last. The emotional journey these two characters travel leads them not only to discover how badly they’ve misjudged each other, but also to learn a lot about themselves as well. Arabella and Guy are extremely well characterised, their motivations are clearly put forward and the romance is expertly crafted. But a couple of things about the book as a whole caused me to lower the final grade a bit. Firstly, some of the things Arabella says go way beyond antagonistic verbal sparring and are downright hurtful. Guy is no angel in that department either – I thoroughly disliked the way he completely dismisses Arabella in their opening scenes together – but Arabella really is her own worst enemy and while I know why she behaves as she does, she still sets out deliberately to wound. Secondly, watching the two of them continually find new ways to say the exact opposite of what they mean, only tell each other partial truths and misunderstand each other got rather exhausting after a while.
But even with those criticisms, A Dangerous Kind of Lady still earns a strong recommendation and Mia Vincy continues to live up to the promise she showed in her début. -
Highly enjoyable Regency with a terrifically self-sufficient heroine grimly determined to hang on to her pride and self-worth despite the patriarchy as expressed in her remote and dictatorial father and her ultra-creepy suitor, plus a kind-hearted hero who needs to sharpen up his emotional literacy. Granted, theirs is a conflict that could be resolved very quickly with better communication, but the failure to communicate is very specifically rooted in character and situation, and they both steadily learn how they're failing and how to do better throughout the book.
Great sharp dialogue, acute characterisation, a lot of fun. -
On Kindle sale today 26th Oct 2022 for USD 0.99.
I am re-reading all my 5 star rated romance novels. There are 63 on my shelf (and counting). This is book 61.
Tropes: Unstarched (her), Enemies to Lovers, Fake Relationship
I think my favourite catnip in this genre is strong and prickly women, with walls bigger than China’s, and the men who accidentally either climb or crush through them.
Arabella might seem cold and at times unlikable, but I adored her. Hidden behind her icy front is a woman with admirable traits and a heart-breaking vulnerability. There are good reasons why she is the way she is.
This book is for sure about miscommunication BUT done very cleverly. They talk, spend a lot of time together, but things are misunderstood, unspoken and assumptions are made. The confusion makes complete sense, and I never found it frustrating. Discovering each other, how wrong they are and how well suited they are was such a reward. Not only for Arabella and Guy, but also the reader.
It’s witty, sexy, charming, romantic and at times a little painful.
I adored this book.
5 stars.
*****
- They were adults, both unmarried, and matters had a way of getting confused. Their entire relationship had been characterized by mutual resentment and the desire to defeat each other; that, at least, had not changed.
*****
Arabella and Guy have known each other since small children and loathed each other just as long. Having not seen each other in many years, their reunion and subsequent meetings are simply magic.
- She eyed him with some perplexity. “How astonishing that no one did kill you.”
“Many tried. None succeeded.”
“Perhaps one did succeed but the Devil spat you out again.”
“He sends you his regards.”
- “I was surprised to learn you were not already married and making some poor man’s life an utter misery,” he said.
Arabella shrugged. “Well, there are so many men who deserve to have their lives made a misery, it’s difficult to choose just one.”
- When their eyes met, a slow smile spread over his face. Arabella fired off the kind of withering look that sent other men scuttling for the drinks trolley.
So what did Guy do, but saunter to her side.
- “If there is any woman who can make a man jump through hoops, it is you.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a compliment.”
“Hm.”
- A rifle salute drew her attention back to the soldiers. Inexplicably, Guy lingered. “If you did have all those guns under your control, what would you do?” he asked.
“You would be the first against the wall,” she said automatically.
Arabella needs Guy’s help to get her out of a prickly situation and quite boldly goes for it.
- “If you want me, earn me.”
With an exasperated sigh, she marched across the room, yanked the bunch of flowers from their vase, and marched back to shove them into his hands. Their stems were slimy, and cold water trickled down his wrists. “There. Flowers.” She wiped her hands on a serviette. “And poetry. Ah… Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Your eyes are nothing like the sun. All coaxed and flattered? May we begin?”
And when Guy realises, he needs Arabella to help him with a situation of his own, they reluctantly join forces.
- She pressed her fingers into the table. “At any rate, it’s ridiculous. The very notion of us being…”
“In love?”
“Yes. That. No one will ever believe it.”
“They will if we pretend.”
“How on earth do we do that?”
“It’s easy. For example, every now and then I shall comment loudly on how pretty your eyes are and how sweet you smell.”
“How I smell?”
- “Yes. It’s very romantic. You try.”
“You smell like horse.”
This time it was he who laughed.
- “Teasing you is excellent sport,” he said. “You take on this confused expression, as if no one has ever teased you before and you don’t know what to do.”
“Of course people have teased me. But they’re all rather dead now.”
- “Spare me a blush.”
“Not on your life.”
“And declare yourself devoted to my every pleasure.”
“I haven’t the faintest notion what your pleasures even are.”
He shrugged. “They’re very simple. Comfortable boots, hot buttered toast, and the fragrant silk of your unbound hair sweeping over my naked skin.”
She made a strange sound, like a baby crow’s call.
- “I hope you get what you want,” she said sincerely. “One’s home should be one’s heart and soul.”
“You take an interest in my heart and soul?” he finally asked.
“Don’t be absurd.” She tossed her head haughtily. “The only part of you I find remotely interesting is your body.”
Guy stopped short, his jaw dropped.
Shooting him a cool look, Arabella continued on toward the bustling churchyard.
His laughter chased her. “Take care, Miss Larke. You’ll make me blush.”
- “Any man would happily choose Miss Treadgold over every other lady in the room.”
Her eyes widened. “Even over me? Good grief. I cannot imagine why.”
“Ha! Because men prefer a woman who nurtures her young to one who eats them.”
“Don’t be absurd. I haven’t eaten any babies in years.”
Surprised laughter burst out of him.
- “Do you ever think about that night?” he asked. “The way we touched each other? What we did?”
It was a pointless question with only one conceivable answer. “No,” Arabella lied. “Never.”
- “I remember every curve and angle of your body. I remember the taste of your skin. I remember how you responded to my touch, so wild, so furious, so demanding. It was splendid. You were splendid.”
Her breath caught. “Do not mock me.”
“I don’t.” The words were simple, sincere. “It was like standing in the middle of a storm. It’s thrilling and dangerous and leaves one feeling intensely alive. I cannot stop wondering what else lies behind those eyes.”
- For all her restraint, Arabella was not without feeling, but she had learned to bury her emotions so deeply they erupted with fury whenever they had a chance.
- “I don’t need you to rescue me,” said her pride, which did not know how to thank him.
“Don’t be absurd. I’m not rescuing you,” he said, mimicking her. “I’m helping you rescue yourself.”
- “Honestly, Arabella, I have no idea what to think of you. You hide behind that aloof façade, and make outrageously arrogant statements that you do not mean, and you never defend yourself from accusations, yet your schemes are as undeniable as your ruthlessness in carrying them out.”
He stepped closer, his eyes intent, as he brushed a hand over her jaw, to rest on her shoulder as lightly as a bird. “Yet you fight for others’ well-being, and use your cleverness to help and protect them, and your splendor… Your splendor cannot be denied.”
- Guy chuckled. “For someone who claims not to know how to flirt, you are very good at it.” He brushed a knuckle against her throat. “I’d like to point out that your pulse is racing.”
“And I’d like to point out that my mother is watching.”
“Ah.”
- He was helplessly aware of her presence, as if she had become some kind of necessary function, the way one knew that one’s heart was beating or that one’s stomach required food.
- His glass hovered at his lips, but his eyes did not leave hers. Nervousness—that was this unfamiliar sensation! How horrid it felt, to want someone’s good opinion, to care so much what another person thought that she had to say these things. How did people live like this?
- Arabella, who knew everything, did not know how to ask for affection or help. His heart ached for her, this woman so accustomed to raising her walls that she had forgotten how lonely it could be behind them, so determined not to seem helpless that she refused to make any requests.
Oh, Arabella, so commanding and clever, who understood everything except her own self. She terrified men, she had said. The notion seemed to puzzle her, as if she genuinely did not realize that she glared and hissed, which was why men turned tail and ran. Sensible men, anyway.
*****
- “You are prickly like a blackberry bush. Like a tangle of whips and leaves covered in sharp thorns. But among those thorns dangle delicious berries, fruit so enticing that the mere promise of a taste is worth being scratched and snared.”
-
Fraught with tension, miscommunication and a bludgeon of feminism,
A Dangerous Kind of Lady wasn't much a romance book as it was a rallying cry against the patriarchy.
It was aggravating, more so when the heroine, Arabella, was like a bull in a china shop while our hero, Guy, was a bore and a simpleton.
The only saving grace is the author's skill and talent. I loved
A Wicked Kind of Husband, however, this was altogether too much. -
Confession: I actually started this last night, not Monday.
And then stayed up too late.
And then woke up, read it, worked, then snuck off to finish it instead of working.
UHHHHMAAHHHGAHHHH
So allow me to say something superlative but untrue, instead of an actual review, even by my standards.
NOTHING gets me like an entitled (I mean this in a not terrible way) heart of gold hero loving the prickly as hell & challenging heroine.
Nothing.
(But... What about the tortured hero and the one who never....NOTHING...
Wait... What about the forever pining hero and...NOT.A.THING
Except... what about the shy hero who....I SAID NOTHING.
)
This book is freaking wonderful, ok, let's not split hairs. -
It's cliched to argue that patriarchy is an underlying theme of a historical romance novel, but still, in Vincy's third book, the ill effects of patriarchy drive the story and shape the main characters' lives in devastating ways and in such totality that I struggle to think of a novel where this is demonstrated so consistently from start to finish.
Guy Roth manages to escape from his controlling father who is determined to marry him to a local and titled family in order to secure property for the Roth patrilineal name. His betrothed from childhood, Arabella Larke, isn't quite as fortunate as Guy because as a woman she cannot simply flee family expectations and hope to return in her own good time. No, Arabella is deserted by her fiance and is then forced to live under the dictates of a tyrannical father who insists that she marry and reproduce male heirs or be disinherited and cut adrift from her entire family and society. It's a depressing and formative set of circumstances both Arabella and Guy face as children. There is no love lost between these two childhood foes, though they do recognize a kindred spirit in their rebellion from harsh fatherly demands. The novel begins with Guy's return to society eight years after abandoning his role as the heir of the Roth line and just as Arabella is at her wit's end trying to forge a marriage to the least constrictive man she can hook.
The plot is winding and intricate as Arabella and Guy maneuver around each other, trying to avoid an unwanted marriage, drawn to each other nevertheless for so many good reasons, and ultimately tied by circumstances beyond their control. To say that their happy ending is well-earned is a serious understatement as these two go through a tortuous path to love. That the love exists though is not in any doubt to readers, and that is one of the most wonderful things about this brilliant book. We get to see through each interaction how much both characters appreciate and respect the other and how dismayed at times they are by falling in love with the one person who best represents the strictures placed on them in their world. They do eventually find a way together to turn the tables on the rules that constrained them and the ending of the book is just perfect in its unique resolution to their conflict. I had some genuine moments of surprise reading this book because there are scenes here that I don't think I've read before in a romance. After their first sexual encounter, for instance, Arabella upends Guy's masculine crowing in a way that left my mouth open. I've been reading reviews that indicate that Arabella is a tough heroine to understand and like, and I have to say that I felt the exact opposite. She is such a sympathetic and complex figure. Never simply a victim even while victimized at times; never a "harridan" as her father calls her because women can be controlling and endearing all at the same time; and never unattractive because being "feminine" is a construct that traps women rather than enables them to redefine sexiness. Guy is a bit less of a presence in this book, partly because he's paired with a larger-than-life heroine. However, Guy recognizes Arabella's vastness and adores her for all of her strengths as well as flaws. It's always hard not to love a hero for convincingly loving a complex and difficult woman.
I'm so impressed with Vincy for writing this book. I've left out so much that I loved here, including the fact that Vincy never demonizes the socialite women orbiting around Arabella, including her rival for Guy's affections. They too are complex and their seeming myopic focus on marriage is a facade for much underneath. I'm hopeful that Juno the artist will have her own book. And, oh my goodness, Arabella's mother makes Arabella's machinations look like child play.
I've enjoyed all of Vincy's books and can't wait for the next one. -
4.5 stars and Confession time- Sometimes it feels great to be proven wrong.
So, I read 'A Beastly Kind of Earl' a while back, even though 'Beauty and the Beast' is one of my favs tropes, I found it just okay. But, the proud Arabella(h) caught my attention. So, I ignored my past messy affair with the 'fake relationship trope' and decided to give it a go.
Result- I finished the book within a day and now I am sad because WTH Miss Vincy has written only 3 books. 😭
I am also pleased to say that my love for Arabella makes me ignore the 'monster miscommunication' trope done throughout the book. But, hey!!! I am turning my blind eye to it and calling it the' Enemies to lover trope' done right.🤭🤭🤭🤭
Summary- I am writing it only because I can write something more about my latest crush, Arabella. 🤩🤩 No, she is not flawless or sensible or ready to trust and love, like some of my other fav from the genre. She is too proud, too rigid, and prickly. She reminded me of some of my other fav Heroes.
She and 'Guy' have been betrothed since childhood but they also consider one another their mortal enemies. Guy had been missing for 8 years and the first thing he did after coming back was to break his betrothal with Arabella.
Each has their notions about the other. They both are flawed, prone to judge the other person harshly and no good at expressing their feelings. But, they still kept falling for each other.
Yet, I am not sure why I am not giving it a 5-star, maybe because sometimes the miscommunication felt too much or maybe 20-page drama in the end or maybe(definitely) because I wanted an epilogue.😔😔😔
But, if you ask me
1. Did I love the pair-hell!!! yeah
2. Banter-Top notch
3. Steam- Don't even ask🤭🤭🤭🤭 okkk there were 3scenes (I bookmarked🤣🤣) and I loved them. But, then I may be biased because I enjoyed every single scene between the H and h.
4. Hero- Well!!! nowadays any H who is not a rake is most welcome.
I am sure going to reread this book in the future. -
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and this promised to be a scorcher. Vincy's debut was sensational, but unfortunately her second book (which confusingly is #3 in the Longhope Abbey series) didn't quite match its predecessor's high standard. This one (allocated as book #2 in the series although written after #3) is definitely better, but is let down by the heroine's frustratingly tight-lipped behaviour.
The betrothal of Arabella Larke and Guy Roth had been arranged by their respective fathers since childhood, much to the ire of the parties concerned. The head strong and highly competitive Arabella has been a thorn in Guy's side for almost as long as he can recall, and the animosity between them has not subsided one bit upon his return back to England after an absence of eight years to take over his late father's title of Marquess of Hardbury.
“When a woman marries, she gives everything to her husband—her property, her body, her very safety. If I must give so much power to a man, I should prefer one who will not abuse it. Who respects me for who I am and takes me as an equal partner.”
“He would need to be brave, too.”
She shot him a look. “True. Terrifying men is one of my more notable talents.”
“Maybe you should not try so hard to terrify them.”
“I do not try at all. I achieve it with the greatest ease.”
Arabella clasped her hands. “I am exceedingly sweet and demure. And if anyone says otherwise, I shall strike them with my crop.”
Arabella has never been thrilled by her father's first choice of husband for her, but she has recently discovered that the alternative is even worse than the coolly, arrogant Guy. She doesn't have to like him in order to need him, and she needs him to remain as husband-in-waiting for a while longer, while she puts in place one of her elaborate schemes. Unfortunately, Guy has never been cooperative when it comes to Arabella. Nevertheless, they slowly realise, that they really have been fighting the imposing shadows of their dominant fathers more than each other.
“I don’t need you to rescue me,” said her pride, which did not know how to thank him. “Don’t be absurd. I’m not rescuing you,” he said, mimicking her. “I’m helping you rescue yourself.”
Guy is a great character, ultimately decent and noble and so refreshingly straight forward in his thinking to her complex cognitive processing.
“What is your scheme? I confess I haven’t the wits to keep up with you. I have only my principles to guide me, and my desire for you so addles my mind I hardly know what to think.”
How easily he revealed his weaknesses, so sure of his strength that it diminished him not at all to reveal his flaws.
Arabella is spirited which is admirable, but her misplaced pride and stubborn refusal to confide in Guy frustrated me. I really didn't get her fear of Sculthorpe . Her internal dialogue was all over the place at times, perhaps deliberately to reflect how her predicament had affected her usually razor-sharp and rational mind. I think, Vincy left it a bit late to explain Arabella's character. I think, I would have been less frustrated with her, if I had known her back story earlier, but I guess that's how Guy was feeling also - perplexed by her contradictory behaviour and not understanding her motivations until much later.
Arabella's dialogue with her deceased twin was poignant and well done. I do love her mother who was equally as fierce and clever as Arabella, although in a less overt way. And I liked that Guy recognised this and had a healthy respect for Lady Belinda.
Lady Belinda did not move an inch. “You will not see my daughter in this agitated state and with another man’s blood on your hands.”
“To be fair, some of this blood might be mine.”
“Why do I not find myself comforted?
In the hallway, Guy paused to consider Lady Belinda’s odd parting speech. He did not possess the subtlety of thought displayed by Arabella and her mother. But he suspected he was learning fast.
All in all, a very enjoyable book elevated by the great writing and bantering that is becoming Vincy's style. I look forward to the next book. Will it be Freddie's book?
Why shouldn’t I, too, have a chance to sow my wild oats?”
What a load of nonsense! But Arabella clearly had no intention of explaining, so Guy didn’t waste his breath pressing for more. Instead, he said, “Women don’t have oats to sow. Women are the field, so to speak, in which the oats are sown.”
She did not sigh, but she gave the impression of having sighed. “Let us not debate metaphors. You understand my point. But speaking of that, you will take care to avoid sowing any oats in this field.”
“There will be no oats.”
“If you say so. So long as the plow enters the field, I am unconcerned as to whether there are any oats. Only that if there are oats, they do not, in fact, enter the field.”
Guy hardly knew whether to laugh or groan.
“Arabella, you and I have never been friends, but I have always respected your abilities. So please understand that I speak with the utmost respect when I say: You are dreadful at seduction.”
She was proud, and desire and pride could not coexist. Desire was the great leveler, turning emperors into beggars and paupers into kings.
“Looking at you is like looking at the night sky. So vast and varied and infinite, the view changing depending on where one stands, or the hour or the season. One can only ever see a tiny bit of it at a time, unbearably, voraciously, insatiably aware that however wondrous the view, there is always so much more.”
“I cursed you, you know,” came his low voice in her ear. “I cursed you so long and hard it’s a wonder you don’t have a cloud of locusts swarming around your head.
“You started thinking, didn’t you? You and that brilliant diamond mind of yours. But thinking is like walking: If you begin in the wrong place, facing the wrong way, you’ll head in the wrong direction, and end up falling off the edge of the world.” -
4.5***** stars
I liked that one very very much. It somehow felt different from other books I’ve read so far - historical and contemporary alike.
Because it was our hero Guy who had to fight our heroine Arabella’s insurmountable walls. A beautiful love story about a hero that wanted to tear down the heroines walls of snarls and witty comebacks and a heroine who was longing for affection but had such a hard time allowing it to happen.
Guy and Arabella were such authentic and likable characters and their banter was so very entertaining. I enjoyed listening to this so so much.“Direct that wit elsewhere. I know my own mind.” “Nonsense. How can you possibly know your own mind when I have not yet explained it to you?”
********
This was the third book I’ve read from this author and in this series and I can totally recommend it.
3.5 stars for Book #1:
A Beastly Kind of Earl
4.75 stars for Book #3:
A Wicked Kind of Husband -
4.5 stars, rounded up because of Kate Reading's spot-on narration.
The heroine is not very likable, but as we learn of her travails with a cruel father, our sympathies are engaged. Our hero also has so daddy issues, which led him to flee his home and spend eight years knocking around the Continent.
Arabella and Guy were "betrothed" by their fathers as infants. When Guy returns from his exile (after his father's death), he announces that he does not consider himself bound to marry Arabella. Arabella's father then arranges for her to wed the odious Lord Sculthorpe. When Arabella realizes that Sculthorpe has a creepy obsession with her being a virgin, she begs Guy to deflower her so that Sculthorpe will be deprived of doing so. Guy refuses, but this is Romanceladia, so Arabella successfully seduces him.
The bulk of the book is spent with Guy and Arabella admitting and then denying their attraction. Sculthorpe causes problems, which leads to a shocking end to his story. When Guy and Arabella finally do become engaged, they keep calling it off. And calling it off. And calling it off. I could have especially done without the final break-up, but then I am not an author.
Arabella is whip-smart, and I really like that Guy liked that about her. Guy is incredibly honorable, but not without a sharp tongue himself. Their banter is so well written that I sometimes rewound and listened to a scene again. That was due in no small part to the remarkable talent of narrator Kate Reading. As a relatively new author, Mia Vincy was quite fortunate to obtain Reading's services.
Highly recommended. -
I'm sorry to say it, but I didn't enjoyded this one as much as I hoped I would!
Instead of great dialogue - and here it would have worked very, very well - we saw too much of what's happening inside the MCs heads and that disrupts the dialogue flow.
Often I found myself going to the beginning of the dialogue because I forgot what they were saying because of all their internal musings in between the spoken sentences! It was so annoying!
And that's not all: often their thoughts were the complete opposite of what they actually were saying to each other! Also annoying...
I really hope the next book would be different... -
‘Nothing on this Earth will induce me to marry Arabella Larke.’”
“I thought you’d like that one.”
“I was almost inspired to embroider it on a cushion.”
I hope that makes sense even taken out of context.
Arabella and Guy are childhood frenemies who were also engaged as children. No other relationship reminds me of dog and a cat than these two people.
I loved watching them banter and what a creative banter that was. I also loved watching them fall for one another. In that respect they were like fire and oil. When they were together it was like a raging storm.
Mia Vincy writes with a humor and lightness but in between she manages to squeeze in some deep inspirational thoughts.
“But thinking is like walking: If you begin in the wrong place, facing the wrong way, you’ll head in the wrong direction, and end up falling off the edge of the world.” -
3 stars
rtc. -
5 Stars!
I've enjoyed each of Mia Vincy's stories, but I'm tempted to say that this might be my favorite. If not favorite, a very close second.
Because Vincy has written some strong and independent-minded women, the angst of this oppressed heroine who felt imprisoned by her father’s stipulations, was unexpected and it hit me hard. I blame my 21st century mindset, rather than the heroine or her predicament. I really liked Arabella and felt she was an honest portrayal of a female straddling the line between independence and aristocratic propriety.
My fascination with the hero (Guy) is hard to explain. He wasn't the typical rake or rogue, yet he did periodically come across as arrogant. Oftentimes, while purposefully playing the antagonist with Arabella. Even in those times, he was humble when Arabella pointed out his entitled past. Their childhood history was a fun precursor to their enemies to love romance. Yet, it was their antagonistic repartee, a revolting and perverted fiance, and a conniving extended family that increased the angst ten-fold. For this romance reader, Guy and Arabella's eventual relationship was well-earned.
While a happy ending is the definition of the romance genre, I'm sometimes dissatisfied with how they're executed (ie. cheesy lines, ott grand gestures.) Without a doubt, Vincy excelled in this book. While I enjoyed the story from the beginning, the final chapter had me breathless. It was the literal definition of romantic "feels." And, I mean, chest heavy, dopamine-addled romantic euphoria. One of the best and most romantic endings of the year. -
STORY GRADE: A
NARRATED BY: Kate Reading
NARRATION GRADE: A
I was one of the lucky ones who received an advanced reader copy of A Dangerous Kind of Lady in June, andI loved it – but I waited to write a review until I finished listening to the audiobook. I mistakenly assumed the audio couldn’t improve on the text, and I worried I wouldn’t like Ms. Reading’s portrayal of our heroine, Arabella Larke, whom we met in
A Wicked Kind of Husband, the first Longhope Abbey novel. Reading’s slightly nasal, borderline disdainful sounding Arabella in earlier books didn’t work for me, and I was concerned about a full-length novel in this same voice. Fortunately, while Ms. Reading’s performance doesn’t vary from the earlier books, my feelings about Arabella – and her story arc – did; I liked her more! I also think Reading nailed this character from the get-go. In this entertaining and absolutely lovely third Longhope Abbey book we get to know the hidden side of proud, flawed, sharp-tongued Arabella, as she fights falling in love with the man brave enough to love her, Guy Roth, Marquess of Hardbury.
Arabella Larke spent a lifetime trying and failing to live up to her father’s expectations. Since the death of her twin brother as a young boy, Mr. Larke has treated her as little more than an inconvenient and tiresome thorn in his side. But rather than reveal her hurt at his dismissive attitude, Arabella buried her truest self, replacing it with an aloof, ice cold persona that keeps strangers – and sometimes friends – at a distance. Although clever, loyal, and good to those she loves, she hides this version of herself away, afraid to be vulnerable with anyone but herself.
When A Dangerous Kind of Lady begins, Mr. Larke has determined it’s time for Arabella to marry. Betrothed as a young girl to her childhood nemesis (and neighbor) Guy Roth – who’s spent the past eight years abroad in an attempt to escape his corrupt, controlling father – she’s so far managed to put her father off. But now that Guy is back (to assume his title as Marquess of Harbury), he’s made it clear he no longer intends to honor the betrothal and will not marry her. While Arabella doesn’t believe in love or happily ever after, and she hasn’t pined after Guy, he was still a convenient excuse to avoid considering anyone else. But she’s finally run out of time. Undeterred by Hardbury’s refusal to marry his bothersome daughter, Mr. Larke quickly finds another bachelor to take Guy’s place. Much to his delight, Lord Sculthorpe, a handsome war hero, offers to marry Arabella instead. He threatens to cut Arabella off if she doesn’t marry Sculthorpe and is unwilling to entertain any other options for her future. Unfortunately, Sculthorpe’s perverted and not-so-secret fascination with Arabella’s virginity, along with his repellant personality, leave Arabella frightened and scared of their future together. Desperate for anyone else as a prospective husband, she schemes to find an alternate solution.
Enter Guy Roth, the man she was supposed to marry.
As a young boy, Guy was often frustrated by Arabella’s competitive nature. She wasn’t like other girls and it annoyed him. Ahem. And although most of the ton believed he fled England eight years earlier after a disastrous failed love affair, the truth was more complicated. Guy was heartbroken and hurt, but he also needed to escape from his father’s near total control of every aspect of his life. Now that he’s returned to England, he has no plans to honor any commitment his father made on his behalf – including marriage to sharp-tongued, ambitious – though surprisingly attractive, Arabella Larke.
When Arabella cleverly finagles a meeting with Guy at a costume ball, and then suggests they fake a betrothal for a few weeks, he cuts her off and doesn’t give her a chance to explain her scheme. He mistakenly assumes she’s trying to trap him into marriage, and so he ignores her attempts to convince him the temporary arrangement could benefit him, too (marriage minded mamas have him in their sights). He rudely rebuffs her, even after she attempts to soften him with conversation about his two younger sisters, now under the guardianship of one of his father’s cronies. Guy doesn’t need Arabella meddling in family matters and is well aware their guardian is up to no good. He dismisses her concerns and tells her to mind her own business.
Arabella is frustrated, but undeterred. She decides to play along with the engagement and then jilt Sculthorpe. But her father spoils her plan by moving up the wedding date, leaving her no time to jilt her betrothed. Increasingly frantic and terrified by Sculthorpe’s smug references to her virginity, she decides to spoil his fun and lose her virginity on her own terms.
While there are multiple plotlines that overlap as the novel unfolds, Ms. Vincy deftly moves the story along – cleverly stringing together seemingly disparate threads. Arabella is tormented by her relationships with her father, with Sculthorpe, and with Guy, and spends much of the novel simply trying to understand her feelings and how to regain the steely control she’s known for. She’s overwhelmed by her attraction to Guy – who’s everything she’s ever secretly desired in a partner – but she’s hidden herself so deeply behind her defensive walls, she struggles to break through them. Meanwhile, Guy is equally bewildered by his feelings for Arabella – does he even like her? (yes!) – and he’s determined to regain custody of his beloved sister Freddy, and younger half-sister Ursula. Guy and Arabella have lots of lovely, sharp and witty conversations with one another, sexy interludes…and fights. Guy doesn’t trust Arabella even though he longs to, and Arabella won’t let him see the vulnerable, fragile woman that she sometimes fails to hide. It’s one step forward, two steps back, and meanwhile, everyone else is up to no good!
There’s the obviously evil Sculthorpe; Mr. Larke – who comes off even worse in audio than he did in the book; Arabella’s mother who loves her and knows her better than anyone – and might be the most Machiavellian of them all; Guy’s siblings with whom he struggles to forge a relationship; the evil guardian lurking in the background; and then Arabella and Guy themselves. All of these compelling characters are masterfully rendered, and none feel superfluous to the narrative. It’s a lot; Ms. Vincy makes it work.
But what about Ms. Reading’s performance? Well, in a nutshell, it’s brilliant. Her Arabella is a masterstroke – readers experience the same sense of frustration and tenderness Guy does as they get to know Arabella and unearth all the many facets of her character: the aloof, sometimes droll, sometimes haughty persona she adopts as a protective measure, and the vulnerable girl/woman who simply wants to be loved and acknowledged. I came to love Arabella despite her protective, prickly thorns, and Ms. Reading deserves all the kudos for humanizing this challenging character. Meanwhile, she strikes just the right balance of machismo, bemusement, and tenderness, in her rendition of Guy – and once again, I’ve fallen in love with her interpretation of a man I already liked a lot! Her Guy is mischievous and playful one moment, and tender and affected in the next. It’s a lovely balance. I have few complaints about any of the other secondary characters and her Sculthorpe is nicely creepy and sleazy, but I wasn’t as enamored of her interpretation of Guy’s younger sister Freddy. Frankly, she sounded like she was high most of the time, and I didn’t have that sense when I read the book.
A Dangerous Kind of Lady is dangerous indeed! To your pocketbook! But it’s worth every penny to listen to this one (and then read it, too!), it’s another hit from the uber talented
Mia Vincy. I can’t wait for Juno’s story in
A Scandalous Kind of Duke. -
3.5 stars
-
3.5 Stars. I liked this but didn't love it as much as I would have liked. Arabella was interesting but the story is bit forgettable.
-
This was glorious. Loved Arabella so so much. She is smart, prickly, proud and lonely. Is she anachronistic? Totally. But it did not bother me here. We do have a miscommunication obstacle but it's totally plausible considering personalities and history of our leads. They are both nice believable humans and these are my favourite types of characters in a novel. Mia Vincy is an exciting fresh and talented new voice in the historical romance genre.
P.S. That scene with hairpins was so charged. -
3.5 stars. I probably ruined part of my reading experience by being so so fucking tired yesterday but oh well, that's life isn't it? Still very fun and refreshing in a genre that makes me rage more often than not, and I genuinely rooted for those two, despite the drama. I will definitely keep an eye on
Mia Vincy's novels from now on. -
I started reading this yesterday in the afternoon, and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up till like 2am reading and now, understandably, I look like a sleep deprived zombie. But the unputdownableness (ha, try saying this five times in a row!) of this book doesn't make it perfect.
Arabella intrigued me in A Wicked Kind of Husband and I was quite happy when I found out she'll be getting her own story. She is an interesting heroine, but I'm not sure whether she'll be up to everyone's taste. She's always plotting and scheming and thinking ten steps ahead, but it is her way of getting control of her life in a situation where she has little choice. I found that most admirable about her. That for all her manipulation, she really tried to make life better and easier for others, even if her actions painted her in a bad light. Which doesn't mean she doesn't feel things deeply, but she hides it rather too well. And I found that most frustrating about her.
The confrontation between her and her father was quite unsatisfying, and I did not accept her father's SUUUUUPER lame apology for all the humiliation and mistreatment that we witness throughout the book. The confrontation serves as a catalyst for a pretty dumb decision Arabella makes in the final 7% of the book, which I must say, totally kicked me out of the story and ruined all the good work she accomplished in opening herself and trusting other people, or at least trusting our hero, Guy. God, how I hate the I'm-leaving-you-for-your-own-good trope. This trope needs to die out! Please, no more!!
Guy was a sweetheart, when he didn't have his head stuck up his own ass, where it spent like a loooooot of time. He'd start pulling it out a little bit, but then he'd decide that he liked the interior of his posterior and choose to spend a little more time there. Sorry for the gross visual.
Granted, Guy wanted to get to know Arabella, he wanted to understand her, but he was also reluctant to give up his preconceived notions of her character in general, of what he thinks he wants, of what his plans were and so on. He struggles between his prejudice, his desire for Arabella and what he learns of Arabella during the house party (because of course there is a house party), and I actually quite like the tension this created. There is something about the trope where the hero grossly misjudges the heroine that really appeals to me.
It was so cute to see how he liked spending time with and getting to know his little sister.
I thought a lot about how to rate this book, because I had a good time reading it. I love how Arabella and Guy clashed, they had great chemistry, but the fact is that the story blows hot and cold for too long. With the addition of the much hated trope, the final declarations of their feelings feel rushed and out of place, which makes me an unhappy reader. -
I thought (spoiled) Arabella + Guy were too harsh and
sarcastic with each other. The 2nd half was slightly
better. Guy acted principled and perfect. Bella mostly
responded to impulses, with the exception of her care/
concern for the future of Guy's younger sisters. Bella's
dad was wound too tightly & Bella needed to calm down
her insides. Hiding her emotions: not a good idea &
self-destructive.
I felt mostly indifferent to the HEA for the MC. -
I was really looking forward to this one because I really liked what I’d seen of the heroine and hero in a past book (set chronologically after this one), but I guess that also set some false expectations. They weren’t the couple I saw in that book. They weren’t even really quite there by the end of the book.
I don’t know. I liked the characters (well, not the ones I wasn’t supposed to like), but it just didn’t all gel for me. Maybe I’d have liked it better in a year that wasn’t 2020! -
Absolutely magnificent. Love, love, love Arabella! Best heroine ever. And the hero was great too, beautiful couple. Great secondary characters (loved the mother, sister Freddie, the Miss “I like dead things”). Real people! Wonderfully written. Funny, witty, emotional.
Only minded the many engagements. I think Arabella was betrothed 3 times? -
I absolutely loved this
-
Gah, this was my second book by Mia Vincy, and if you like historicals, you need to jump on this series asap. A Dangerous Kind of Lady is the story of Arabella and Guy, who have been betrothed since birth. And who have also loathed each other since birth. Enemies to lovers doesn't always work for me, but Mia Vincy does witty, sharp banter SO WELL. I highlighted this book up and down!
Now some of you are going to read Arabella as *gasp* unlikeable. She has a sharp tongue, is proud to a fault, and schemes and manipulates. But everything she does is to help and take care of others. And everyone's admonishment of her hoydenish ways - being too smart, too industrious, too *tall* 🙄 - has made her afraid of letting her guard down. Instead she hides behind an ice facade and sharp tongue. I've never identified with a heroine more than her. I love her so much. And frustrated, honorable Guy does too, eventually. She doesn't make it easy for him.
Guy has his own family issues from the past to work through before he can see Arabella clearly. And he has some current family drama that Arabella helps him overcome, which brings them closer.
Another 2021 favorite for me!
CW: There is a villain here - Arabella's other fiancee who is terrible. He violently assaults Arabella on page. He gets his just deserts, if that helps.
I also highly recommend A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy from this Longhope Abbey series. They are both stand alones, and that one is marriage of convenience with a CW for miscarriage. -
SERIES: Longhope Abbey #2 - it can be read as standalone!
GENRE: historical romance
TROPES: fake dating, enemies to lovers
CLIFFHANGER: no
RATING: 5⭐
this series is so much fun!!
