I did not like the main male character! Instead of a romantic read I found myself feeling dreadfully sorry for the heroine through most of this book! I mean geez 🙄

I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

What a horrible book, I skipped most of it and then I gave up and just went yo the epilogue. The end.

The storyline is great, but the characters are simply extraordinary! You rejoice, then cry right along with the heroine. Please, don’t pass on this spectacular novel! She writes beautifully and keeps you enthralled until the last written word!

I understand that Nicholas had been through a lot but I hated how he treated Ashleigh. Ashleigh was such a beautiful and loving person I hated the verbal abuse. All in all great book . The characters were well developed . I loved the fun dialogue. I also liked that it referenced abuse and alcoholism.

This will make you cry.

I love angsty stories so this was perfect:-) Love the characters, story lines, and from one of my favorite author!❤️❤️❤️

Read it in one sitting. First book I have read from this author but looking forward to her other books now. Good character development and enough twists to hold my interest throughout.

Didn’t care for the either of the characters. Nicholas was a jerk and ashleigh was a pushover. Story was alright though.

I read this story in two days,got no house work done because I could not put it down.my sorrow is I can’t afford books on a fixed income but if I could you would be my only purchase.

I enjoyed this book very much. Love is a funny thing.

I have had this book in the cloud. My late husband mother was beat and abused and disappeared in '66. We have always felt their dad killed her but never had proof. So they didn't have a graven to go to.your story had a happy ending.

I liked the book, however, in order for it to be a great book it needs some changes.

The writer asked for comments so I would suggest the following:

There is a scene where Ashleigh meets her Uncle James in the garden and Nick sees them. Nick thinks she is cheating and almost rapes her. This entire scene needs to be completely removed! This is horrific and makes it hard to like Nick after that. This scene doesn’t add any enjoyment to the reader.

There are too many “misunderstandings” between Nick and Ashleigh. I don’t even remember how many times Nick got mad at Ashleigh and called her horrible names and she kept forgiving him. I have no problem with a few misunderstandings in books. It adds to the drama, but there were just too many of them.

Also, there is too much detail given on every dress Ashleigh wears. That much detail is fine for a ball dress or wedding dress but other than that it slows the story down and bores the reader.

Finally, more words don’t make a book better.

All that said, I did like the book, I just didn’t love it. With changes made, I could love it.

The twists and turns of the plot kept me turning pages. For someone who loves vocabulary, I find that Jennifer McNare has an incredible ability to use a vast amount of words to create a very vivid tale!! Great job!!

Wonderfully done! I seriously could not put it down.

More dialogues between the main characters and supporting characters.

The constant verbal abuse the lead character, Nicholas pulls on his supposed "love" is a major turn-off for me.

This is my first Judith McNare book. I enjoyed the story and the two main characters. I will admit the I skipped about 50 or 60 pages when I was about 3/4 of the way finished with the book. There was just one too many events that caused the Nicholas and Ashleigh to be star-crossed lovers. I don't normally skip pages in a book - especially when I have read 500 of the total 650 page count. I simply could not go Thru another catastrophe on the part of Nicholas. I'm looking forward to reading her next book.

This was a wonderfully written love story, loved it!!!

This was one that I could not put down. I was entertained, shocked, sad. But most of all I enjoyed it.

I must admit that when I first started reading this story I thought it was boring. However the more I read it I love it. It's a good read.

I truly loved this book! The characters were believable,and the descriptive text made me feel as if I were there amongst the ton. Not too descriptive or explicit when they were being intimate either,too much can ruin a book for me.

I'm going to try another by this wonderful author right now!!!

Loved the book...I wish it could be made into a movie

I liked the storyline. I would have liked a stronger heroine. She let Nick hurt her two many times. It was disappointing! But otherwise it was ok.

Love this proper love story, couldn't put the book down until I was finished!

Page turner. Nice build up with just enough ump to keep you entertained.

Another beautiful love story that is well written by McNare! The two main characters are well developed with personalities that are so believable that you are immediately caring about their lives and their love. Ashleigh and Nicolas are both strong personalities that carry this book quickly along. You find that you must keep reading until the very last page. A beautifully written love story that you will not want to put down. Read this novel as you will not be sorry!

I just read some reviews that said that Nicolas wasabusive-emotionally. McNare spends time at the beginning of the book laying groundwork for his personality having anger issues with women but really only with Ashleigh because of his love for her which frightens him. Ashleigh is a young woman granted I would have liked her to be older perhaps 20 or 21 having been living with her grandfather isolated in the country, thus never having been jaded by society. I think under aged kids should not be reading these novels anyway--so it is not the author's job to "soften" the characters but the parents to check the downloaded books their children read. And how many of them will be reading Fifty Shades of Gray? I bet all the ones that can sneak a copy. Signed a former teacher and still a mother!

Very engaging read! I like the plot though I personally found some parts a bit repetitive which made me skip them ; but overall, I enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading more from this author.

At first I couldn't get into the book, and honestly I almost stopped reading it. I'm so glad I didn't because I loved it once the pace picked up a bit, I had a hard time putting it down. This book was an easy, and good read overall. I'm giving this book a 4 star rating only because some of the details in the story were drug out and they were pretty much unnecessary details. I'm looking forward to reading more by this Author in the future!!

It was fun and written very well. The author kept you on your toes the whole time with a few twists in between. It wasn't your typical love story but it was filled with a lot of emotion. It was a little long but it was worth the read :)

My first book by this author and I was impressed. Very clever written but I wish there was a villain to make the book more interesting.

It had great potential, but in the end it just felt really drawn out.

It bothers me greatly that somewhere out there is a 14, 15, 16 or so year old girl reading this book and finding an ounce if romance in this book. Nicholas is abusive - emotionally, physically and sexually. Ashleigh has to almost die to get an ounce of mercy from him, and forgives when she should run for her life.

Never mind that Ashleigh is 17 and Nicholas 29. It would have killed the author to make her the current legal age?

Run from this book and never waste your time in a guy like Nicholas.

A must read! And i truly Love it .. Enjoy !!!

Reading this book made me both angry and sad at the same time. I LOVE romance novels, their escapism and flights of fancy can engage the imagination and create fun divertissement. In contrast this book tells the story of a female character who time and again is the subject of vicious attacks from her "unwilling" paramour. He repeatedly degrades her, belittles her, violently shakes her, and threatens her. This is not to mention their sexual encounters where he blames his attraction on her, takes her virginity while he is drunk, then gets a hairs breadth away from raping her, AND SHE COMES BACK EVERY TIME! This book is the kind of stuff that supports the erroneous assumption that if a woman loves a man enough that he can change, that a man who is abusive will stop being abusive. In the real world it is that kind of thinking that keeps women trapped in their abuser's web potentially getting them killed. Even this is alluded to since his father killed his mother! I am appalled that a woman, a writer with the opportunity to uplift women, would instead choose to perpetuate a repressive cycle of abuse.

Readers, if you choose to read this book, PLEASE read with a conscious mind aware of the negative messages held within.

This was a great book to read, loved the story and could't put it down. The story line is great and the characters are well developed.

Jennifer, you said you read these and appreciate feedback. I usually don't write reviews, but if I can be of help, I will write one for you. I enjoyed reading your book. (Excuse my spelling of names.). Ashleigh was very sweet, patient, smart, and talented. I liked her and cried with her. But I couldn't understand why in the world she would give her heart to Nicholas. He was so, so mean. Usually in real life when a man has had an abusive father, and he starts down an abusive path (like Nicholas was treating Ashleigh), he wouldn't be able to just turn around and be so loving like your hero/villain did. So, that part of the story made me become un-absorbed, brought me back to reality, so to speak. But, keep writing:)

Great writing and story enjoyed discovering a new writer love her style

I give this book five stars because it is soo good. So well written. I have read three books by this author. Not disappointed. Highly recommend all she has written. Her next book should be about Brendon

.. If I must say so myself lol. Loved it! The emotions of the characters felt real. Made me feel heartbreak & I loved it.

I started reading and couldn't stop. Finished it in one day, this doesn't happen normally for me. I am buying the next story, want to see what happens with the rest of the characters.

It was lovely

Couldn't put this book down. Wonderful strong characters, great story.

This book was beautiful amazing funny very entertaining I read it out in a few hours time I could not put it down

He challenged her! He didn't want to fall but he did. It was fun to take the journey with them.

Ashleigh should have run away sooner and not let Nicholas hurt her again and again. Overall great story line...really good!

I loved this story. Even though it is a familiar story line, the author avoided the usual over used plot misunderstandings between the main characters. The heroine was strong and smart and the characters were well written and believable. I will definitely read more by this author.

Aside from the obvious appeal of being. Regency romance this story had a wonderful story line. Just enough intrigue to make it believable and an ending that had me in tears! I loved every moment of this book!

Such a great story, I took almost a full day to read it! I couldn't put it down! I'm a helpless romantic of course and so I absolutely loved this story and I believe it was very well put together. I agree with the other reviewers, I would love to read about Alex and Tiffany! Also, about who tames Brendon!

Excellent storyline. Keeps you hooked. Couldn't put it down!

Nicholas is a mean jerk that refers to Ashleigh as a wh*re. Can't see why she fell in love.

I would have liked to read more about Nicholas and Ashleigh after they finally got back together. Would also like to read more about Alex, Tiffany , Brendon , also be cool to see her grandfather and his grandmother get together.

I really enjoyed this book. I like a hero with a bit of baggage, and a heroine willinging to fight for the man she loves. Looking forward to reading the author's other books. Hopefully they are as good as this one!