Originally posted on Adria's Romance ReviewsMarried to the Viscount is one of my favorite Sabrina Jeffries books. It is one of the few books that checks off all the things that make a historical romance a hit for me.Spencer Law, the Viscount Ravenswood is such a stuffy, arrogant and a generally unlikable fellow when he is first introduced to readers in Dance of Seduction so finding out he was to be the hero of the next book was a little hard to believe. Would this stuffy man lower his lofty standards and harsh character long enough to attract a woman? Apparently not, he had to be forced into a marriage in order to have a chance at love. Spencer was handsome and rich of course but at the beginning of Married to the Viscount he really doesn't have much else to commend him. He's courteous of Abby, the woman who claims to be his wife, but when he finds himself becoming attracted to her, he lets his insecurities and his secrets rule his verbal responses to her. At times he's cold and cruel to her and other times he's caring and sweet. It's enough to make a woman's head spin!Abigail is a lovely heroine. When reading historical romances set in Regency England, it's always nice to have at least one American (preferably a woman) thrown into the mix to turn things upside down and Abby doesn't disappoint! She's definitely kind but she's also forthright, intelligent and sarcastic. She tries so hard to please her stranger husband, whom she's desperately attracted to but she doesn't cross the line into "wimpdom" by letting him walk all over her. That's so important in a heroine, just because she cares for the hero, she shouldn't let him do or say what he wants to her. Of course, she isn't made of stone and Spencer's objections to their marriage hurt her, but she doesn't shrivel up and whine, she gets up and fights dirty. She isn't afraid to tease him or to face him head on in an argument.There's plenty of sexual tension between Spencer and Abby, almost from the beginning and it builds slowly and passionately. Mixed in with that passion is such angst from both characters, each one wanting the other and thinking it isn't possible. The longing adds such an appeal in the story that when I first read it, I just could not put it down until I finished it! Years later, upon reading it again on my Kindle, I found that I still loved Married to the Viscount as much as I did when I bought it in print.Spencer and Abby's road to a happy ending was well written and perfectly timed. They got to know themselves and each other better through their forced circumstances, and Spencer had to choose between confronting his fears or losing Abby forever. Married to the Viscount is the last book of the Swanlea series but in my opinion can be read alone since the previous characters don't do much but play supportive roles.
Another wonderful novel by Sabrina Jeffries. In this this story we are introduced to Abigail Mercer and Spencer Law. Abigail met Spencer when he accompanied his brother on a business trip to the States. Immediately taken in by the dashing Viscount that treats her as an equal and respects her opinion, even though she is a female, how can she help but fall in love with him. When she is approached by his brother after Spencer's departure professing a deep affection and offering to marry her by proxy, she jumps at the offer. Little does she know that Spencer has no clue what his brother has done.Spencer thinks that Miss Mercer is everything he would want in a wife. She is intelligent, smart, and beautiful. If he had any intentions of marrying ever, he would hope to marry someone like her. He has decided he will never marry and that any heirs to be produced will come from his brother. So while he still thinks about Abigail once he has returned to England he knows that he will not see her again. Or will he?When Abigail shows up on his doorstep with papers in hand proving they have been wed by proxy, Spencer must figure out how he can solve his dilemma. He does not wish to be married and yet how can he resist Abigail now that she is his wife. And where has his brother disappeared to, as he is the one with all the answers and Miss Mercer's dowry? Meanwhile, can Abigail convince Spencer that a marriage between them is what they both need and desire? She has a hard time seeing the caring gentleman in Spencer as he is now the unfeeling Viscount. As they both fall deeper in love, can Spencer give himself the opportunity to find happiness with Abigail? She will accept no less and deserves no less than his full commitment. And will Abigail be able to be the wife that Spencer needs?A wonderful tale of two individuals who are perfect for each other. They both need to accept themselves for great individuals they are to truly be happy with one another.
What do You think about Married To The Viscount (2014)?
Buku terakhir dari pentalogi Swanlea Spinters ini kembali menyuguhkan cerita cinta dari pasangan yang salah satu tokohnya pernah muncul di buku keempat, Spencer, atasan Morgan Pryce.Cerita dibuka dengan percakapan pribadi antara Spencer dan sang adik, Nathaniel dalam keadaan setengah mabuk tentang seorang gadis Amerika, Abigail yang menurutnya berpotensi untuk menjadi wanita yang akan menaklukkan hati sang kakak yang selama ini tidak pernah mau terlibat serius dengan seorang wanita. Spencer sendiri telah memutuskan untuk tidak menikah karena suatu alasan yang dia sembunyikan.Nathaniel pun berulah dengan mewakili sang kakak untuk menikahi Abigail sehingga akhirnya Spencer terpaksa harus menjalani kehidupan pernikahan yang dia hindari demi menyelamatkan harga diri keluarganya karena di saat krusial itu Nathaniel juga menghilang dengan meninggalkan tunangannya begitu saja.Karakter Spencer di buku kelima ini cenderung menyebalkan, keras kepala, dan egois, dimana dia menuntut Abigail untuk tampil sempurna layaknya wanita Inggris dan selalu menjaga kehormatan. Sementara itu Abigail yang sejak awal menyukai sikap bersahabat Spencer sewaktu di Amerika berusaha mematuhi keinginan suaminya tersebut. Namun begitu Abigail bisa menjadi keras kepala saat dia berkeras memproduksi dan mendistribusikan parfum buatannya agar punya penghasilan sendiri. Pun ketika dia berusaha mendekatkan Spencer dengan anak-anak yang selama ini dihindarinya karena sebuah alasan yang akhirnya diketahui Abigail.Hubungan Spencer-Abigail itu sendiri cederung tarik ulur khas cerita historical romance pada umumnya. Adegan pribadi keduanya tergolong nakal dan hot dibandingkan keempat buku Swanlea Spinters lainnya :DKover versi Indonesianya aku suka banget, visualisasi wajah Abigail yang separuh Indian menurutku cocok walau kulitnya kurang gelap. Warna merahnya mantap :)Akhir ceritanya? Tentu saja berakhir bahagia setelah konflik yang ada terselesaikan dengan baik oleh pasangan suami istri tersebut.
—Perdani Budiarti
PARAH!ini rame banget, menurutku.--------------------------------Spance sudah tertarik pada Abby dari pertama ia melihat gadis Amerika itu di dapur rumahnya, dengan kepangan dan kelompak-kelopak bunga yang bertebaran di sekitarnya dan di celemeknya.sebuah muslihat yang dilakukan oleh adiknya Spance, Nat, membuat ia menikah dengan Abby. dengan tanggungjawab--atau kebiasaannya untuk memperbaiki segala kesalahan Nat--membuat Abby untuk menyetujui pernikahan pura-pura sampai mereka menemukan Nat dan menghindari skandal.waktu terus berjalan dan Abby menjadi menginginkan Spance untuk menjadi suami sungguhannya. namun ketika harapan itu benar-benar dimusnahkan oleh Spance dengan suatu alasan yang membuatnya memutuskan untuk membujang seumur hidup, apakah Abby bersedia untuk memaafkan Spance dan dapat menerima Spance apa adanya?--------------------------------------------ini--well bukan pertama kalinya juga sih (perasaan), kedua tokoh utama sudah mengungkapkan perasaan mereka namun konflik belum benar-benar selesai, baik di luar maupun di dalam hubungan mereka sendiri.
—Red
After reading a romance novel with... pretty much zero romancing in it, I knew exactly what to read to fix my disappointment -- a Sabrina Jeffries novel. If there's one thing Sabrina Jeffries knows how to write, it's desire. Her heroes and heroines generally do not have much reason to feel such intense passion from the get go, but her writing style is such that the reader is swept away in the fluidity of her words, making you forget that it's only been two weeks and she's letting him shove his fingers up her hoo-ha.Abby is a likable American heroine, whose "American-ness" isn't necessarily thrown at the reader 24/7 while reading the book. She suffers from a lack of understanding of English society and wanting to fit in -- something easy to relate to. She's also fiercely independent while at the same time naively hopeful, having crossed the Atlantic in the hopes that Viscount Ravenswood loves her enough to marry her after their brief meeting in America months earlier.The book does suffer from an overly contrived plot, but that happens in a lot of Jeffries' works, and in my opinion, it doesn't detract much from the storytelling. Still, the idea that Lord Ravenswood's little brother engineered a fake marriage so his brother could find love is a bit overdone.Lord Ravenswood's fatal flaw is that he's (view spoiler)[STERILE! OH NO! (hide spoiler)]
—courtney
