TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD by Sarah MacLean Book Review
Published: October 26th 2010 by Avon
Rating: 
I usually read a lot of historical romance for fun, but it is not something that I usually review. TEN WAYS caught my eye at NetGalley and I was lucky enough to have the chance to review it courtesy of Debbie Mercer from HarperCollins. Thanks Debbie!
Book Summary: Since being named one of London’s “Lords to Land” by a popular ladies’ magazine, Nicholas St. John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps—only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!
The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.
But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless…like falling madly, passionately in love.
I adored the main character, Isabel, because she is vivacious and strong-willed. I loved how it started out as an atypical story, with Isabel out in the country and not out and about in London prancing around during her Season. I just loved the thought of Minerva House – a house operated by women. Furthermore, I loved the buildup of the relationship between Nicholas and Isabel. Though the romance in this book does occur throughout a couple of days, it did not seem rushed. They had strong chemistry and very entertaining banter.
I was hoping to see a little bit more from the secondary characters such as Lara and Rock. I found that I really enjoyed hearing about their story, but I felt that the novel could have touched upon them just a little bit more. Also, the pet names in the book got a little too much for me, to the point that it was almost cringe-worthy. Specifically, the nickname “beauty” was adorable at first but I felt that it got so overused, it was turning me off.
I felt that the story did get a little too predictable for my tastes toward the end, but overall it was satisfying. TEN WAYS is definitely steamy, and historical romance lovers will enjoy this one quite a lot. I would rate this book three out of five stars because, while it is enjoyable, it did not leave a lasting impression on me. I thought that the writing was great and enticing, and I will definitely check out more of this author’s work, but there was not enough “oomph” in the book that makes it stand out. However, I do feel that MacLean has the potential to become a great and successful writer like Julia Quinn and Eloisa James.
this looks so good! i still need to read her first historical romance too!