∎ PDF Gratis Rules of Engagement An Anthology Lester Family Stephanie Laurens Kasey Michaels Delilah Marvelle 9780373776658 Books

Rules of Engagement An Anthology Lester Family Stephanie Laurens Kasey Michaels Delilah Marvelle 9780373776658 Books

Download As PDF : Rules of Engagement An Anthology Lester Family Stephanie Laurens Kasey Michaels Delilah Marvelle 9780373776658 Books

Rules of Engagement An Anthology Lester Family Stephanie Laurens Kasey Michaels Delilah Marvelle 9780373776658 Books

I enjoyed all of the stories in this anthology. Stephanie Laurens' "The Reasons for Marriage" is a re-print of her British-style Regency, also with the same name. It comprises two-thirds of the book. It is full of great banter between a strong hero and strong heroine, detailed descriptions of life during that era and the craziness of the ton's actions and reactions to daily life among those that don't have to work for a living. It was very well written . . . strong character growth and truly a very sweet romance. It abounds with old English spelling and sayings which I really did enjoy . . . even though it took me longer to read. This doesn't have the spicy scenes that many of Miss Laurens' other romances have.

The other two stories, "The Wedding Party" by Kasey Michaels and "Unlaced" by Delilah Marvelle, are much, much shorter. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable; I enjoyed them both. Love abounds and good stories are within each. Each one brought a laugh and smile and I `felt' what the hero and heroine were feeling in both. I was intrigued with both story lines and will be reading more of each author's books.

I enjoyed all three stories for different reasons. I loved the romance and details of life during the period of time in Stephanie Laurens'. I enjoyed the sweet `young-and-in-love' story by Kasey Michaels and the true deep love (and the bit of spicy-ness at the end) in Delilah Marvelle's.

I would be hard-pressed to have to choose a favorite . . . that would be like choosing my favorite out of a box of assorted chocolates. It was a delightful book, each story as different as different can be and I will revisit all three stories many times in the future.


Tags : Rules of Engagement: An Anthology (Lester Family) [Stephanie Laurens, Kasey Michaels, Delilah Marvelle] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Everyone loves a wedding. The quiet country girl. The sophisticated member of the ton. A graceful duchess. Follow these charming ladies and their handsome suitors on their journeys down the aisles of England's grand cathedrals and castles as they make—and break—society's most sacred rules. <em>Rules of Engagement</em> – A lady shall never be caught unchaperoned with a stranger. – A gentleman shall never flirt with a lady below his social standing. – A lady shall never waltz with a man to whom she is not promised. – And above all,Stephanie Laurens, Kasey Michaels, Delilah Marvelle,Rules of Engagement: An Anthology (Lester Family),HQN,0373776659,Historical fiction.,Love stories,Love stories.,Man-woman relationships,Regency fiction,Weddings,10019829,115026X,20120501,707220,Alpha Hero; Betrothal; British; Different Worlds; country vs city; Marriage; Reluctant Bride,Alpha Hero;British;Betrothal;Different Worlds;country vs city;Marriage;Reluctant Bride,FICTION Romance Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction-Romance,General Adult,Historical fiction,Historical romance,MASS MARKET,Romance - Historical - General,RomanceHistorical,Romance: Historical

Rules of Engagement An Anthology Lester Family Stephanie Laurens Kasey Michaels Delilah Marvelle 9780373776658 Books Reviews

I bought this book because I like the Author and so far I own all of her books. I haven't read the book yet but so far I have enyouyed all of Laurens books. I also like Kasey Michaels.
If you enjoy Regency Romance Novels, this one is for you. Especially Stephanie Lauren, I have been a fan of hers for many years, and I have read everything she has written. Check her out!
Jason, the Duke of Eversleigh, never wanted to be a duke. The arrangement was that his younger brother Ricky would be the one to marry and produce heirs for the duchy. Makes no sense that Ricky was the one who went off to war, then. Jason pursued all the licentious pleasures he wanted without any concern for the succession while Ricky went off to defend England. Perfect scenario, right? Well, maybe not, since Ricky ended up killed in battle, leaving Jason to face up to his responsibilities, especially after realizing that the distant relative who is now his heir is completely unsuitable for the task.

With his six aunts and other relatives pressing him to marry and produce heirs, Jason reluctantly turns his attention to finding a wife. He won't choose just anyone, however. She can't be someone who will make a fool out of him with other men, because, after making a habit of cuckolding other gentlemen, he doesn't like the idea of having an unfaithful wife himself. She does, however, have to be reasonably attractive, mature, and intelligent enough that he won't strangle her on the wedding night. Although he doesn't need a handsome dowry, being wealthy enough himself, he does believe she should bring aristocratic connections to the deal as well. She should be a reasonable woman, one who will accept her place in the country while he continues his rakish lifestyle in London.

Hey, he's a wealthy duke with society mamas chasing after him at every turn. He can afford to be choosy, right?

However, instead of making lists and checking out the available debutantes on the marriage market, he rather arbitrarily fixes his mind on the sister of a couple of his cronies. I scratched my head a little on this one, because he doesn't remember ever meeting her, and she apparently hosts her brothers' racy house parties, which should make her virtue somewhat dubious. But okay, sometimes you have to suspend belief.

Lenore is a 24-year-old spinster who enjoys her life in the country managing the family estate and hosting her brothers' risqué parties. She's a superb organizer and hostess, although she often has her work cut out for her to keep things under control. She has no wish to put herself under any man's control by marrying; she is a bluestocking who would rather study ancient Assyrians than indulge in the typical feminine pursuits. She doesn't understand why the Duke of Eversleigh begins paying her particular attention during the house party that he attends at a moment's notice, but is determined to rebuff him. He, on the other hand, finds himself determined to make her his wife. In order to do that, however, he has to prove to her that the advantages of being his wife outweigh the advantages of remaining single. And he does have his work cut out for him the last thing Lenore wants is to be the wife of a rake who will ignore her while he pursues his pleasures elsewhere.

The effort of having to woo Lenore effects a major change in Jason; spending time with her makes him appreciate her and work hard to allay her fears of marriage. Their courtship--although it lasts more or less the week of the house party--seems much longer, as Lenore stubbornly refuses to trust him, and Jason seeks to prove himself trustworthy. While the courtship seems utterly romantic, there are no words of love, and the reader wonders if Jason's feelings are truly engaged or just tactics to win him his perfect country wife.

It is inevitable that Lenore realize that her current life as chatelaine of her brothers' home cannot continue forever, as she will eventually be replaced by a sister-in-law, once her brother Jack marries. (She's intelligent; one wonders why this has not occurred to her before.) She finally agrees to marry Jason--knowing that his plans for her consist mostly of duties and responsibilities--and steels herself for a loveless marriage. At this point, you know there is something more to this than a convenient marriage, because Jack doesn't just return to his hedonistic lifestyle and allow the ladies to plan the wedding. On the contrary, he takes an active hand in all the wedding arrangements, including choosing Lenore's new wardrobe. His Aunt Agatha warns Lenore to insert her own will in the relationship from the beginning, which she does very effectively, in such a way as to earn her affianced husband's respect.

Jason finds himself more than pleased with the way things have gone in his marriage. The honeymoon in the country is idyllic. However, Lenore knows the honeymoon will not last forever. Sooner or later, Jason will leave her to return to his life in London, and she steels herself to prepare for the pain. However, it is she who plants the idea in her husband's head. While he is ecstatic to learn that she has conceived a child, she mentions at the same time that she knows he will want to return to London. Jason is hurt that she seems to want him to leave, so he does so, but instead of enjoying his newfound freedom, finds himself feeling resentful that she is apparently keeping to their contract and unwilling to go to the next level.

This is definitely a story based on the Big Misunderstanding. You want to say if only they would just TALK to one another! And yet, one knows that Jason is not a hero in touch with his feelings. He doesn't want to love anyone, and a woman demanding love is guaranteed to turn him off. WE know he loves her because he thinks and behaves like a man in love. Lenore doesn't know what he's thinking at all, and can't trust him not to trample all over her heart. If all things were equal, you might expect her to take more risks in this relationship. But things aren't equal. She's completely dependent on the goodwill of her husband, and if she disgusts him by demanding more than their original contract allows, she and their children have to live with the consequences.

When it all comes right down to it, it's Jason who has to risk rejection in order to make their marriage a truly equal one, and one wonders if he will ever become emotionally aware enough to manage it.

I have to say I really enjoyed this story, agonizing though it was at times. There are things that make me scratch my head a bit--like why Ricky was allowed to go off to war in the first place and why Jason was so determined to pursue Lenore before he even met her. But the romance was there from the first, even though neither party realized it, and both Lenore and Jason were worthy protagonists.

I will echo another reviewer's warning that "The Reasons for Marriage" is not a new release (although if I read it in the last 18 years I don't recall it). I do appreciate that authors' older works are being made available electronically, but it irks me that more often than not, there is no indication of the original publication date. This is not playing fair, !

The other two stories are typical of an anthology; I won't review them here, because, although I did enjoy them, they aren't the main course.
It was well told.
Rules of Engagement was engaging especially the first story by Arthur Stephanie Laurens, the other two arthors were not as compelling as her writings. I did however enjoy them. I just happen to like some suspense in my reading and usually Ms Laurens supplies this.
Interesting trilogy by three historical authors who are fantastic writers.
Good entertaining books to read. They were all separate stories in themselves. Each worth a read. Each kept you wanting to read until the finish
I enjoyed all of the stories in this anthology. Stephanie Laurens' "The Reasons for Marriage" is a re-print of her British-style Regency, also with the same name. It comprises two-thirds of the book. It is full of great banter between a strong hero and strong heroine, detailed descriptions of life during that era and the craziness of the ton's actions and reactions to daily life among those that don't have to work for a living. It was very well written . . . strong character growth and truly a very sweet romance. It abounds with old English spelling and sayings which I really did enjoy . . . even though it took me longer to read. This doesn't have the spicy scenes that many of Miss Laurens' other romances have.

The other two stories, "The Wedding Party" by Kasey Michaels and "Unlaced" by Delilah Marvelle, are much, much shorter. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable; I enjoyed them both. Love abounds and good stories are within each. Each one brought a laugh and smile and I `felt' what the hero and heroine were feeling in both. I was intrigued with both story lines and will be reading more of each author's books.

I enjoyed all three stories for different reasons. I loved the romance and details of life during the period of time in Stephanie Laurens'. I enjoyed the sweet `young-and-in-love' story by Kasey Michaels and the true deep love (and the bit of spicy-ness at the end) in Delilah Marvelle's.

I would be hard-pressed to have to choose a favorite . . . that would be like choosing my favorite out of a box of assorted chocolates. It was a delightful book, each story as different as different can be and I will revisit all three stories many times in the future.