Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Holly‘s review of Rules of an Engagement (Adventurer’s Club, Book 3) by Suzanne Enoch

For proper young ladies, good behavior has always been the rule…
Captain Bradshaw Carroway loves the seafaring life—though he’d rather be battling brigands than his current assignment of ferrying a boatload of spoiled aristocrats. One passenger, however, has caught his eye: a bewitching young minx who definitely distracts him from the rules of shipboard decorum . . .
Some rules, of course, are meant to be broken.
Miss Zephyr Ponsley has traveled the world, but she’s completely innocent in the ways of love. She’s never learned to dance or flirt. But scientific observation has taught her that the laws of attraction have no rules, and that no adventure, on land or sea, is more dangerous—or delicious—than passion! 

I enjoyed much about this book. The banter between the hero and heroine was well done. They were both witty and interesting. I enjoyed life aboard their ship and the mission they were on – it was unique for a regency-set novel.



I have to be honest and say I don’t remember much about Bradshaw Carroway from previous books (his family is featured in the Lessons in Love series). As a matter of fact, I didn’t cop to the fact that he was a Carroway of the Carroways until Dare was mentioned. I know, my memory is shameful. Anyway, having not remembered him, I had no expectations going in. I think that worked for me in a lot of ways. Bradshaw is a lot less tortured than many of Enoch’s other heroes. Though he does suffer a bit in the beginning, it’s nothing like what the other members of the Adventurer’s Club have gone through. I was actually a little surprised he was admitted into the club. Even at the end of the book I didn’t quite understand why he was. 


Zephyr was such a refreshing heroine. She was bold and prickly and not very taken with Bradshaw in the beginning. I really liked that she wasn’t a society miss. Having lived on adventure after adventure with her father all her life, she really has no use for the rules of society. She was actually a bit of a snob – in her opinion, if a person wasn’t well-read, they were stupid. The way she bickered with Bradshaw about it cracked me up.

The addition of the members of the ton seemed superfluous. They did nothing more than provide background noise, which was rather unnecessary. I really wanted to see a different outcome with Zephyr’s father, though I understand that wasn’t possible based on his character.

Overall a light read. The unexpected setting and witty banter set this apart and made it worth reading.

4.25 out of 5 

The series:
 

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Holly‘s review of A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior (Adventurer’s Club, Book 2) by Suzanne Enoch

The Rules:

A lady should always make polite conversation . . .
Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be—but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else.

A lady should never lose her temper . . .

Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him.

And a lady should never pursue a gentleman.

She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady.

I read this book and the third one, Rules of an Engagement, out of order. Lucky for me (not that I really care) they’re set during the same period of time (in different parts of the world) so I didn’t miss anything.

Bartholomew James has come home from war a different man. He’s wounded both inside and out by his experiences in India, the last of which no one in his unit but he survived. Now that he’s home, he’s unsure what to do with himself. He just wants to be left alone, but his family has other ideas. It isn’t until he meets Theresa Weller that the truly wants to live..if only to show her he cares nothing about her.

When Tess challenges Bartholomew to dance, something he obviously can’t do as he walks with a very heavy limp, she doesn’t know what’s come over her. For 8 (10? 13?) years she’s behaved perfectly. No hint of scandal touches her, nor will it ever. She learned her lesson about improper behavior young in life, and has no desire to repeat past mistakes. Still, he is rather intriguing, and surely sparring with him verbally won’t lead to any harm…

Until scandal find Bartholomew. Then Tess will have to decide if he is worth braving her worst fear..and he needs to decide if she’s worth living for.

I love a tortured hero. I’m sure a psychologist could have all kinds of fun with the reasons behind that, but it’s true. And Bartholomew James was tortured. What he suffered while in the Army was tragic and heartbreaking..as was his road to recovery. The mental anguish he feels is almost as devastating as his physical anguish. I hurt for him on both counts. Watching him open himself up to Tess, watching him come alive again, was a beautiful thing. I really applauded the way he stood up for himself and his men. Even though it pained him to do so, he stood up for what was right. Kudos to him.

Tess I had a harder time with. Although I can appreciate the reasons behind her need for order and proper behavior, I was disappointed that she took it to such extreme levels. That she would turn her back on a friend simply because he was dealing with something that might cause a scandal..well, that didn’t well with me. On the other hand, her guilt was tremendous. I imagine overcoming something that’s been with you so long would be difficult. Despite that, I did enjoy her character. She was strong and witty, and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself when she needed to.

I don’t understand why her family let her go so long the way she was. It was obvious all of them felt she went overboard in her need for proper behavior and etiquette, but not one of them did a thing to dissuade her from her cause. That seemed…strange to me.

Another solid entry in the series. I really liked how damaged the hero was. It added a layer of depth to the story and gave both characters added purpose.We need the Duke’s book already! Anyone have any information on that?

4 out of 5

The series:

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.