4.75*Worth Any Price is the 3rd and final installment to the Bow Street Runner series, and it is by far one of the better books that Kleypas has written. We have our villain from Lady Sophia's Lover, Nick Gentry, working respectfully for Bow Street and taking commissions on the side for additional income. He’s currently working for Lord Radnor who is missing his betrothed, Catherine Howard. Nick has managed to track her down to Stony Cross Park, home to none other than Marcus, Lord Westcliffe – whom we get to meet in later books – where she is a lady’s companion to his mother, Lady Westcliffe. When he finally sets eyes on her – something sparks within him and it is more than love at first sight – something deep in his soul recognizes her as his, and there is no way he can return her to Lord Radnor. The wonderful thing about reading one of Lisa Kleypas’s books is that when you close the book after reading the last page, you are glowing from the inside out and you feel as though you’ve read a great love story of a friend, you’ve learned something valuable to apply to your own life and everything feels right in the world for just that one second when you sigh in complete and utter satisfaction. This is why I keep returning to her books. Our hero, Nick, is such a great hero to read. He’s complex, intense, kind, fierce, protective, tortured and sexy as hell. He has led such an odd life and been afforded an opportunity few would ever be offered and he’s done well with his life. However, he has demons in his past that cause him to continue to take risks with his life and live recklessly and dangerously. Everything in his life though takes a turn the moment he sees Catherine Howard poised upon a stone wall gazing out into the horizon. He finds it hard to breathe, or focus on anything but her. Subsequent conversations and interactions with her prove her to be a much different young lady than he had thought, often saying things that resonate deeply with him. I loved how Kleypas wrote Nick’s reactions to Lottie:“...with a few words and one awkward, innocent kiss, Charlotte Howard had devastated him.”The way he would stare at her wonderingly, intently, and sort of bewilderingly as if he wasn’t quite sure what exactly he should do with her, knowing letting her go was not an option. I appreciated how kind and gentle Nick was with Lottie. Considering his past he could have been such a different sort of hero. I also very much appreciated how steamy Nick was. Nick is the sort of hero you want to cheer for and I’m so happy he got his HEA with the perfect heroine for him. I give him an 8/10 on the Kleypas Hero Scale.The steam in this book was above average. Nick is reported to be one of the most skillful lovers in England and he certainly doesn’t disappoint. I also found it that much more appealing that he was not a philanderer but had only slept with 2 women including his wife. That made him that much steamier in my opinion. The love scenes in this book were a bit more intense than previous books, and there were many but there was a different feeling with them. I’m not sure if this is because of Nick’s past or because Kleypas was able to expertly portray the intensity in the relationship between Nick and Lottie. Their compatibility outside of bed added to the richness and intensity of their love scenes and added a bit more dimension to the tingle worthiness of the scenes. Again, there were quite a few scenes throughout the book, but they were never tiresome or repetitive. They always added something to the plot, to the feelings being felt by the characters at the time and were really just perfect and so very very yummy. Nick had learned quite a bit from Gemma Bradshaw (who we meet again in Suddenly You) and he was made a better lover for his time with her and his technique was pretty flawless. I found myself wishing for a bit of Nick Gentry myself! 9/10 on the Steam Scale.The romance/sigh factor in this book was slow in building. Nick and Lottie’s beginning did not come from a place of love whatsoever. Lottie needed protection from Lord Radnor and Nick needed Lottie, though he didn’t quite know why yet. I loved how Lottie decided not to grant kisses because Nick was not her sweetheart and kisses are something that only sweethearts get. It afforded a nice little suspense in the novel, knowing that eventually she would fall for Nick as I did, and just when would she grant him kisses? I found the point at which she did to be perfect and so romantic. I also appreciated how love just sneaked up on these two who were determined to avoid it. Nick cared for Lottie in such small and special romantic ways. And Lottie, from the beginning, was the perfect woman for Nick. Watching their love grow and then blossom was definitely sigh worthy. I love how Lisa Kleypas is able to make me feel all fluttery inside for the characters and their love – that’s some extreme talent – to get so invested in fictional characters like that. I’m so happy that they got their happily ever after! 8/10 on the romance scale.Ultimately I give the Bow Street Runner series a 4/5* all together. If you are picking up any of them to read, I highly recommend that you read them in order. They get better and better as each is written. This was the perfect ending to the series, and I was glad to see that Sir Ross and Nick were able to find some semblance of peace with one another. The dialogue in the epilogue just between the two of them was powerful and telling in terms of their own relationship with one another and a great summary of the series in general:They exchanged a friendly stare, and Nick felt an unexpected flicker of liking for the man who had been his adversary for so many years. Shaking his head with a rueful smile, he extended his hand to Sir Ross. “Thank you.”Sir Ross shook his hand in a brief, hard clasp, seeming to understand what Nick was thanking him for. “It was all worth it, then?” he asked quietly.Settling back in his chair, Nick looked once more at his wife, loving her with an intensity that he never would have believed himself capable of. For the first time in his life he was at peace with himself and the world, no longer haunted by shades of the past. “Yes,” he said simply, his soul alight with the gladness as Lottie looked back at him once more.(((sigh ))) :-)
If I had thought Sir Ross was an insatiable and creative man, Nick Gentry just blew me away.Our infamous crime lord/thief-taker was offered a job by his brother-in-law at the end of the previous book to work as an official runner. This story takes place three years later, when Nick Gentry is dispatched by a man with an ugly soul, Lord Radnor, to find and bring back his runaway bride, Charlotte Howard. It takes Nick surprisingly longer than he probably imagined to find Lottie Howard but when he does, he's faced with a dilemma. Because Lottie Howard is a strong woman who's been able to evade him for 2 months and she is beautiful, smart and completely down-to-earth. So, in a moment driven out of passion he makes an offer to her, and in a moment of desperation Lottie accepts.I have to say these two people really blew me away as both separate characters and as a couple.Lottie is a remarkable strong person. She's run away from an arranged marriage to a man who's much older in age and a complete dictator in everything else. Her family practically gives Lord Radnor total reign over Lottie's life in exchange for his financial support and the noose tightens and tightens when finally Lottie can't take it anymore and runs away. I admired her courage. Her spirit. No matter what, she couldn't help but think of herself as selfish because she believed she abandoned her family, when in fact it was her selfish, horrible, law and order: svu episode-worthy parents who were the abandoning ones. I can't express my disgust in her family enough so I won't even try it.So when faced with a choice between marriage to the dictator and marriage to a practical stranger, it's no surprise she goes for the stranger. A stranger she's somehow also attracted to, a stranger who promised her no title but a better life than the one she would've had with Radnor. I just can't put into words how much I loved Lottie's character. She was passionate, loving, understanding and good natured. But she was also extremely strong, she knew what she wanted and she was good under pressure. She was a woman who could hold her own when faced with a difficult situation. She was definitely a perfect match for Nick Gentry.And Nick Gentry..Ah, Nick..Again, I've got limited ability to describe just how much I adored this man. He wasn't your usual hero for all his faults in the past along with the ones done to him, but he certainly came through when it mattered. In the three years that have passed we see that Nick has actually changed and matured a bit. He's following rules, with maybe a few exceptions here and there but hey, no one can blame him, and he's more compassionate towards others. He still has a difficult relationship with his brother-in-law but they manage with the help of his sister Sophia. We also find out that he's great with children which makes his place in my heart a whole lot bigger.Nick was a hero who was both easy and difficult. He's got secrets that he keeps from everyone, he hates and fears vulnerability so much that he even skips sleep most of the time because he believes it renders him unprotected and vulnerable. Of course he has reason for this but he's not opening up to anyone else. On the other hand, he's teasing, playful and my God he must be the most skillful and knowledgeable hero of fiction about sex. This would be the part I smile and wink at you and get lost in my dreamland for a while.Back to the reality of my review, I also loved these two as a couple. They complemented each other even when they didn't know it. I admired Lottie's attempts to drag the truth out of him and finally unburden him after so long. I loved the passion between them. I loved the fact that they cared so much. They reminded me again why I love Lisa Kleypas couples.There was everything in this book, it was complete with the story, the characters, the drama, the revelations, the love and the action and mystery. This is what I've been waiting to read from the start of this series.
What do You think about Worth Any Price (2015)?
From the cover:What is the price of love?Nick Gentry is reputed to be the most skillful lover in all England. Known for solving delicate situations, he is hired to seek out Miss Charlotte Howard. He believes his mission will be easily accomplished --but that was before he met the lady in question.For instead of a willful female, he discovers one in desperate circumstances, hiding from a man who would destroy her very soul. So Nick shockingly offers her a very different kind of proposition -- one he has never offered before.He asks her to be his bride.And he knows that this will be much more than a union in name only. For he senses what Charlotte does not yet know -- that her appetite for sensuality matches his own. But what Nick learns surprises him. For while London's most notorious lover might claim Charlotte's body, he quickly discovers it will take much more than passion to win her love.My Review:Lisa Kleypas is one of those rare authors who seem to be able to take mere words on the page and bring them to life, giving us characters who become real to us. They are people we would want to live next door to, people we would choose as our friends and no matter their circumstance, they are honorable, noble people who will always do the right thing—eventually ;)One of the things I love most about Kleypas’ novels is that her stories are written so that they can be read alone, yet are intertwined in such a way that they can be read as a series. You always have your main hero and heroine in the current book, but in each subsequent novel we have the joy of revisiting those people who we came to love and care about previously. We get to see how their lives have progressed, how their families have grown and how much finding true love has blessed them. In this novel, we revisit Sir Ross Cannon and his wife, Sophia as well as Sir Grant Morgan and his wife, Victoria. What a pleasure it is to see them still so much in love and to watch their affections displayed in subtle ways. In this book, there was one paragraph written so perfectly that in those few sentences we were given a candid glimpse into the depth of the love Sir Ross holds for Sophia:[Sir Ross had just joined Sophia, Nick and Lottie as they sat visiting and drinking chocolate:] Sir Ross laughed as he bent to kiss her cheek. It would have been an ordinary husbandly gesture, except for the way he finished the kiss with a soft, nearly imperceptible nuzzle.It was such a small gesture, yet so intimate. It’s moments like these, found in all of Kleypas’ stories, which mean so much to me. I love “seeing” these exchanges rather than being “told” about them. And as I said, in just a few words, we see the depth of the affection Sir Ross and Sophia feel for each other—and this isn’t even their book!In Worth Any Price, we are given a tale of redemption, of coming to grips with a harsh past, of learning to deal with that past and leaving it behind. Not an easy thing to do for a man who is used to keeping his thoughts and fears to himself, but he finds that painful burden much easier to bear when he finally shares it with Lottie, the only woman who had ever managed to work her way into his heart—and she did so without trying, she was just....herself.I’m not going to ruin your read of the book by giving away too many details. I’ll only say that Worth Any Price is a story filled with love, hope, trust and the importance of family. It is the story of John Sydney and Nick Gentry—the boys they were and the man they became.
—UniquelyMoi ~ 1-Click RockChick
This was an amazing book! From very early on in the story I knew two things: Nick was going to become one of my favorite heroes, if not my very favorite, and this book was going to be one of the top favorites of my all-time favorite books! I give this book 10 stars!!When we first met Nick Gentry in Lady Sophia's Lover I had my doubts about him. I don't really know what it was that bothered me about him, maybe he seemed cocky or something, but to be honest I wasn't that thrilled about reading his book. But then I read some great reviews about his book and I changed my mind, I was excited!Nick's story begins with him at Mrs. Bradshaw's Brothel. So my first thoughts were, ugh, I don't want to read about this guy's mistress, I want to read about the heroine! But very quickly I changed my mind, he had my attention and my sympathy! He was a 24 year old virgin and he no longer wanted to be one. Since he was put in prison at the age of 14 he had turned away and cringed at all human touch. So that made it quite difficult to be with a woman intimately. Besides, no woman had ever come along that made him want to allow her to touch him. But his sexual urges were growing stronger, to the point that it became more important to satisfy that urge rather than continue to keep himself from being touched. So he and Mrs. Bradshaw began meeting over the course of three years, where she taught him all the skills he would need to satisfy a lover and himself. After a time she told him it was time for him to go find another woman.Nick Gentry was looking for Charlotte "Lottie" Howard. He had been hired by Lord Radnor to find Lottie after she had been missing for two years. Lord Radnor is a disgusting old man who made a deal with Lottie's family; He would give them money to eat and live on if they would give Lottie, their oldest daughter, to him in marriage. But Lottie refuses to be prey to Lord Crusty and so she runs away!Nick finds Lottie working as a companion to the Earl of Westcliff's mother at Stony Cross Park. (Yay, we get to spend time with Marcus, another favorite of mine! *sigh*) What Nick didn't expect to find was a woman who would make him feel unlike any other before. There is an immediate attraction between the two of them and sparks start to fly! When the earl of Westcliff finds out the true identity and fate of his mothers companion, he proposes marriage to her to protect her! But Nick won't allow someone else to take Lottie from him and Lottie won't allow the Earl to "settle" for a loveless marriage. So Nick offers marriage to Lottie! He truly feels sorry for the lot that had been dealt to her and he knows that if he does not protect her from the old Lord Creep-a-lot, then she would be destroyed, mind, body and soul.What I love about the relationship between Nick and Lottie is that they actually get along very well. They complement each others personalities very well and grow quite open and close to each other early on in their marriage. It was very refreshing to see that! Lottie never allowed Nick to bully her, she was able to speak her mind in front of him. She did not fear him when the rumors she'd heard about him told her she should fear him. And Nick showed her such kindness and the fun side of life, a side she had not seen since she was a little girl of 8 years old being betrothed to Lord Dirty-Old-Man! Lottie and Nick did have their problems to work through though. Remember Nick comes into this marriage with an awful lot of baggage that he needs to work through. But with his spirited and tough new bride, it was sure to happen.This was one of those stories where the hero and heroine both captured my heart! They were both such tortured souls, but worked through their problems beautifully! Oh, and I love the ending with Sir Ross Cannon and Nick, finally able to agree on something!Amazing book and I cannot wait to read it again! Lisa Kleypas is simply an amazing woman to be able to create the heroes that she does!
—Cheryl
Kleypas proves once again that a good writer can take plot elements that normally don't appeal to me and make them work. ***spoilers***In this case, I'm speaking of a sexually abused hero who has only been with one other woman prior to the h and still make him a very convincing and sexy alpha...of course that 'other woman' taught him far more than anyone else could have ;) Yes, my assumptions are sexist. I am aware. I don't expect romance to be PC (or realistic).There was one glaring plot hole that bothered me. How in the heck did Nick not figure out within 2 seconds that the villain planned to take Lottie's sister as a replacement? The guy was a famous Bow Street Runner with a keen understanding of how depraved, criminal minds worked! I knew from the first 2 minutes of the visit to Lottie's parents' home that this was the plan. I can excuse Lottie for not catching on, since she was relatively naive and these were her parents. Many of us have a blind spot when it comes to what our family is capable of. But what was Nick's excuse?
—KatieV
