Today Freddie would have been diagnosed with "Asperger's syndrome" which I've never even heard about, and the author added some very interesting notes. This is the second book I have read by this author and enjoyed it just as much as making this reader eagerly await to read her next book.
View all 4 comments. Jun 23, Daniella rated it did not like it. I had high hopes for An Heir of Uncertainty since I liked Ruined by Rumor , but damn, this book just rubbed me the wrong way. The writing wasn't as refined as Lorraine Heath's or as fluid as Lisa Kleypas', but it was passable. The mystery element was okay, too. What made me dislike this book was the fact that there was no chemistry between Lina and Win, at all.
Their relationship felt forced and, at times, contrived. None of the characters were likeable as well. The straw that broke the cam I had high hopes for An Heir of Uncertainty since I liked Ruined by Rumor , but damn, this book just rubbed me the wrong way. The straw that broke the camel's back was when Win kept on noticing other girls in the story--the housekeeper, and even Lina's sister! Okay, I don't know about you guys, but I do not like it if the hero is sexually attracted to anyone other than the heroine.
That's a big no-no for me. Seriously, it was all I could do not to throw the book across the room. I loved this book, but the audio version was a great disappointment. The narrator uses a Yorkshire accent for the female characters, which is fine, as they are Yorkshire natives.
Her male voices are less satisfactory. The hero often speaks in an urgent monotone, and it can be hard to distinguish his lines from the narration. Oddly enough, although the book describes the hero's younger brother as spe I loved this book, but the audio version was a great disappointment. Oddly enough, although the book describes the hero's younger brother as speaking in a monotone I presume that he is mildly autistic, although that term, of course, is not used , the narrator does not portray him that way. I would describe the narrator's voice as "harsh," and not pleasant to listen to.
I highly recommend reading the book -- it was one of my top five of -- but I cannot recommend the audio version. Mar 13, Linda Morris rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've recently glommed all of Alyssa Everett's books and have been really enjoying them. They're not cookie-cutter Regencies, to be sure. They tend to be Regency romance with a dash of mystery thrown in. They're well-written, well-researched, with well-developed characters and interesting plots. In this book, I particularly enjoyed the very realistic portrayal of the hero's brother, who is apparently on the autism spectrum although he is not explicitly described that way, this being a historical I've recently glommed all of Alyssa Everett's books and have been really enjoying them.
In this book, I particularly enjoyed the very realistic portrayal of the hero's brother, who is apparently on the autism spectrum although he is not explicitly described that way, this being a historical novel. Jan 15, Rosario http: Lately I've been forcing myself to try more new historical romance authors, as it's a subgenre I used to love and now I've almost abandoned.
Way too many have been unsuccessful experiments, but fortunately, this was one of the rare successes. Lina grew up in an impoverished family. When a young local nobleman became completely besotted with her she decided to accept his marriage proposal and become Lady Radbourne, ending all her financial woes. She didn't love him, but she was fond of him, so it Lately I've been forcing myself to try more new historical romance authors, as it's a subgenre I used to love and now I've almost abandoned. She didn't love him, but she was fond of him, so it didn't seem very wrong. But not long afterwards, everything goes to pot.
Her young husband is, well, young, and he behaves exactly like you might expect a spoilt young nobleman to behave. His foolhardy, risky behaviour ends up with him getting killed trying to win a bet while hopelessly intoxicated. And now the title and his property are going to a cousin, unless Lina is expecting a child and that child is male.
And it turns out that Lina is actually pregnant. The problem is that right after the accident, in a conversation in which she was still in shock and the magistrate was being a bit too delicate in his enquiries, she gave him the impression that she wasn't. So when the cousin in question, Colonel Win Vaughan, arrives to claim his property, daughter and teenaged brother in tow, it's a big shock to him to find that his future is not as secure as he'd been given to believe. I thought An Heir of Uncertainty was really solid.
Most of all, I enjoyed the characters and the conflict. Both Lina and Win are sensible, grown-up people, and that's one of the things that attracts them to each other. They're placed in an uncomfortable situation by the circumstances, and it's circumstances that aren't really anyone's fault. All, even the magistrate, behaved reasonably. But rather than set Win and Lina up as enemies who lust after each other as I thought would be the case afer an inauspicious first meeting , Everett has them push through the mistrust that results and get to know and like each other.
I also liked the secondary characters, particularly Freddy, Win's teenaged brother.
Freddy is a young man modern readers will most likely recognise as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, with his obsession with pigeon rearing and his difficulties functioning normally in society. Obviously, that's not recognised as such in the time period, and he's just considered eccentric and weird. It's a fond portrayal, and the way Win interacted with Freddy was sweet.
The book also has a pretty strong mystery much as I liked the romance, the internal conflict was not particularly substantial, so having a strong mystery was good.
Someone is trying to harm Lina, either by making her miscarry or killing her. Win would be ann obvious suspect, although it seems he's being targetted as well. It was really intriguing, and I enjoyed trying to guess what was going on. Still this was good. I'd happily read more by Alyssa Everett. Mar 12, Hilary Mack rated it really liked it. This book has everything I like: Its hero and heroine try valiantly not to fall in love, there's a mystery and danger and a whole host of suspects.
The dialogue is witty and real, and the author doesn't mistake lust for love, as so many romance writers seem to do. Yes, the two main characters lust after each other but you also get the sense that theirs is an attraction This book has everything I like: Yes, the two main characters lust after each other but you also get the sense that theirs is an attraction that is based on more than carnal desires, for which, hooray! The peripheral characters are well drawn, too.
The character of Freddie is particularly endearing and very realistic - perfectly drawn. I loved the way Win relates to him, as the mother of a son with learning difficulties, the mixture of defending him, making allowances for him yet not too much, as well as the feelings of frustration and embarrassment were all real.
I know Asperger's isn't really a learning difficulty, but the frustrations and misunderstandings in every day life can be similar. I didn't guess whodunnit, but then I rarely do, and there were enough suspects that I stopped to ponder who could have done what and when several times. However, usually, when the villain is unmasked and I go back over the story in my mind, I can see the clues I missed the first time around and it all makes sense.
That didn't happen with this book. Thinking back over it, I cannot recall one single moment when I can say, "Ah yes, I see how that pointed to the true culprit. With the benefit of hindsight, I may re-read the book in a month or two, and if I find those clues were there, I'll come back and reinstate the star. Clues or not, it is a book I would be happy to read again because I did enjoy it. I'll look out for more of Alyssa Everett's work from now on.
Mar 15, Kate Sherwood rated it liked it. I liked it, but not as much as I'd thought I was going to after reading the first couple chapters. This was a very interesting novel and there's a mystery in it regarding some murder attempts. I only started doubting the guilty part closer to the end of the book. The romance, however, wasn't as good as I hoped, despite both main characters having qualities I like my heroes and heroines having. Jan 23, Yackie rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoyed the mystery of who done it.
It kept me guessing throughout, thinking it was this person, no this one, no that one. At one point I guessed correctly, before it had become obvious who the killer was, but then thought no it can't be.
Of course then it got to a point where I was sure it had to be that person and was happy to see I'd guessed correctly. The romance was okay. I liked Lina and Win. I did think they're love came about a bit too fast for my liking. He was such a great character and found myself wanting some more page time with him. There were a couple of issues I had and didn't like too much and took off some points because of them: We got some background into Lina and Edward's marriage. I liked Edward and felt so sorry for him. Sorry that Lina did not grow to love him as much as he loved her and as much as he deserved for her to love him.
And sorry that he had to lose his life so young.
I understand that Lina didn't truly love him and wouldn't mourn him the way an in love wife would have. But I thought it was too soon for Lina to go off with someone else while she was still officially in mourning. She thought about it a couple times and I agreed that it was so wrong for Edward's memory for her to even marry someone else a mere months after he died. Maybe if Edward wouldn't have cared for her and she didn't care for him, I wouldn't have been bothered. But knowing how much Edward loved her, if felt like a betrayal to him that she couldn't even wait for his child to be born before she went off with someone else.
I was saddened by that and took half a star away because of this. I thought the proposal came out of nowhere. I was like where is she coming from with this? And I didn't like how she reacted to his response. Everything about this felt off and a bit contrived to create drama between the main characters. I also took half a star away because of this.
One thing that bothers me almost more than anything else is when the heroine has no self-respect or dignity. I thought Lina held her head high despite the circumstances surrounding her. She didn't let anyone bring her down. She didn't act like the fallen woman everyone thought she was.
So I respected her for her self-respect. But then she has to go and think she could be Win's mistress and nothing else. I thought that was so beneath her to think about. She had such resentment for her mother for being a mistress. For bringing children into the world without a care as to what her decisions would do to them. Yet now she's acting in the same manner? She doesn't think how being Win's mistress will affect the child she's carrying. She doesn't think about any other child that might result from being his mistress. She's no better than the mother she resented for so many years.
I lost respect for her as soon as I read that line. And I took off a whole star for that. But besides that, it wasn't a bad book and the writing was captivating. Mar 19, Kimberly rated it really liked it Shelves: Lina is woken one morning to be told her new husband is gone, tragically having fallen to his death. Or at least, it might if Lina has girl. But when Lina is almost killed, Win takes it upon himself to ask who would have it in for her- the obvious suspect is himself!
Can Win save Lina from a murderer? And what does this m Lina is woken one morning to be told her new husband is gone, tragically having fallen to his death.
And what does this mean for his fortune and future? I breezed through this quick and easy book, enjoying the suspense and the attraction between Win and Lina.
I have to admit, only towards the end did I suspect who the murder was, and it is a pretty fun twist! Honestly though, I was not a huge fan of Lina. She also goes back and forth a lot about her feelings for Win. Overall, An Heir of Uncertainty is a great, fun book. I have plans to re-read it again soon!
Rating 7 Would Recommend Apr 16, Amy A rated it really liked it. Lina had only been married to her husband for a short time before he died in the act of a dare. Win is the next is line for the title, and living the last few years close to poor, he's ready to be able to fully support himself, his daughter, and his brother. What he finds is that Lina is expecting and if the child turns out to be a boy, the child will inherit the estate and Win will be sent on his way.
When strange things begin to happen around the house, and when Lina's life is put in danger mo Lina had only been married to her husband for a short time before he died in the act of a dare. When strange things begin to happen around the house, and when Lina's life is put in danger more than once, suspicion is directed Win's way for if there is no baby, Win will still inherit. Win decides he needs to clear his name, but by looking into the matter, he may be putting his own life at risk as well. The mystery set up in this book was done really well.
Alyssa Everett did a great job of twisting the story around and offering up enough possibilities that I wasn't sure who-done-it until it was revealed. That has to be a mark of a good mystery. The clue's are all there but it's someone you never suspect. Freddy was probably my favorite character. While constantly described in the story as slightly "peculiar", I found his straightforwardness to be endearing.
I liked how he often was the voice of reason to his brother. Someone had to talk sense to Win on occasion and no one was better than Freddy. I felt like it was a rather quick read, but regardless, the attraction between Win and Lina was very palpable. On top of all the deception going on, there was the conundrum of the inheritance. Could Win set aside his pride over being named heir if Lina had a boy?
Coincidentally this conundrum was also the root of suspicion against Win in the first place. I liked how it kind of tied together. I really enjoyed this book and it was nice to read a good mystery. I've not read anything else by Alyssa Everett, but based on this book I certainly would give more of her works a try. Feb 04, Lynsey A Bookish Life rated it really liked it. A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with a compelling mystery component, An Heir of Uncertainty will provide readers with hours of entertainment!
As romance set ups go, you can't get much more complicated than what Alyssa Everett has done here. A recent widow, newly pregnant with the heir to a fortune, meets the distant cousin of her deceased husband, who was told he was the new heir right before it became apparent she was expecting! Throw in a murder mystery? Why th A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with a compelling mystery component, An Heir of Uncertainty will provide readers with hours of entertainment! Why the heck not? I just couldn't resist such an interesting dynamic and had to see how it would all play out.
I can hereby confirm I was not disappointed. I must warn, however, that An Heir of Uncertainty is perhaps not as focused on the romance as other books of this genre may be - it's not a bodice ripper, that's for sure. Instead, the mystery was a strong presence throughout and the thing - aside for the little matter of the unresolved heirdom - that kept bringing our heroine, Lina, and our hero, Win, together. Both of whom were fabulous in their own way.
It would have been very easy to simply have them bickering and one-upping each other like petty schoolchildren, but neither character was capable of sinking so low. They were both dignified, quietly unassuming and incredibly likeable people. I recommend this to all readers of historical mystery romance who can appreciate a more subtle approach to everlasting love. It went to the top of my TBR pile. I love the situations Everett puts her characters in. This one is not uncommon but how she uses it is. The current title holder dies and there is no apparent heir.
A very distant cousin is told he is the new titleholder but when he arrives it turns out the widow is pregnant. All of that sets up the plot. Someone is trying to kill both the widow and the cousin. The plot revolves around the murder attempts and the growing attraction between Lina, the widow, and Win, the cousin.
Lina, Lady Radbourne is the widow and she is a wonderful character. She is very strong and has worked hard to overcome her background and take care of her sister. Winstead Vaughn, Win, had a very bad marriage. Now he is a widower and that background affects everything he does. Like Lina he is a wonderful character. The structure of the story allows both of their characters to grow and change.
Strickland and several others who add depth to the story. I have to admit I was very surprised by who was trying to kill Win and Lina. It kept me guessing right up to the end. I liked how the title fit into the plot of the story. Pick this up and spend a few hours with Win and Lina. Jun 21, Melanie rated it it was amazing. Every time I meet a well written story from a brand new author, I wonder where they have been hiding. At times their writing is Melanie for b2b Complimentary copy provided by the publisher. Oct 29, ReneeW rated it really liked it Shelves: Feb 18, Kate rated it really liked it Shelves: Both Lina and Win are sensible, grown-up people, and that's one of the things that attracts them to each other.
They're placed in an uncomfortable situation by the circumstances, and it's circumstances that aren't really anyone's fault. All, even the magistrate, behaved reasonably. But rather than set Win and Lina up as enemies who lust after each other as I thought would be the case afer an inauspicious first meeting , Everett has them push through the mistrust that results and get to know and like each other.
I also liked the secondary characters, particularly Freddy, Win's teenaged brother. Freddy is a young man modern readers will most likely recognise as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, with his obsession with pigeon rearing and his difficulties functioning normally in society. Obviously, that's not recognised as such in the time period, and he's just considered eccentric and weird.
It's a fond portrayal, and the way Win interacted with Freddy was sweet. The book also has a pretty strong mystery much as I liked the romance, the internal conflict was not particularly substantial, so having a strong mystery was good. Someone is trying to harm Lina, either by making her miscarry or killing her. Win would be ann obvious suspect, although it seems he's being targetted as well. It was really intriguing, and I enjoyed trying to guess what was going on. Still this was good. I'd happily read more by Alyssa Everett. Blog template by simplyfabulousbloggertemplates. Posted by Rosario on Saturday, October 24, Newer Post Older Post Home.
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