I fully expected this story to pick I have some very mixed feelings about this book. I fully expected this story to pick up where the last one left off, but it didn't.
I can't say it was redundant, because it wasn't. We see events and perspectives we weren't privy to before. But it did have me off balance, trying to recall details from the other books that are casually referenced here. Not only that, but I kept waiting and waiting for the big kidnapping that ended the last book. I was waiting a long time. As the story begins, Alynwick is working to seduce a married woman with ties to Orpheus.
He was hoping he could use his connection to her to unmask the villain working against the Brethren Guardians. Watching our hero whore himself out did not endear him to me. In fact, I spent the whole story waiting for a redemption of his character that never came. After being shot in duel, Alynwick comes to the realization that he is in love with Elizabeth and regrets discarding her after their love affair 12 years ago.
The thing is, she refuses his advances. She knows him for the manslut he is and will not open herself to trusting him again. So he pushes and she flees. Then he pushes more and she flees again. I actually did like Lizzie. She is blind, but doesn't want her infirmity to define her. She is still hurt, but wants to keep living her life. She even tries to move on. But Alynwick won't let her.
I actually found myself rooting for Sheldon, the other guy courting her. That's not a good sign for the hero. I didn't feel like Alynwick properly atoned for his actions. He just kept trying to get in Lizzie's pants. Even when she is crying over the hurt he caused her. And then, when he gives his big explanation as to why he left her, instead of making me sympathetic, it actually made me dislike him more.
The writing is very good. Featherstone definitely made me give a damn about what was going to happen. And I was blown away by the villain reveal. It was brilliant and totally unexpected. It made perfect sense for anyone who has been following the series.
For a new reader, though, it probably would have been a WTF moment. I don't know. I just couldn't get past wanting to kick the hero in the 'nads.
I never felt like he deserved his happy ending, so when all was said and done I was a bit unsatisfied. Hard to rate, because what was good was very good, but what bothered me --really bothered me. Oct 29, i r e n e rated it it was amazing Shelves: best-hot-in-here-romance , regency-romances-and-bodice-rippers.
This series is a very interesting one - I've never gone from lukewarm disinterest to captivated sucker caught up in all them feels as quickly as I have with the Brethren Guardians.
Skip the first book. Sorry Bella and Black but they were the weakest link. Everything worked out really well. You will probably guess the identity of Orpheus, particularly if you paid close attention in the second story, but all the loose ends such as the Fourth Templar, the diary of Sinjin and the Veiled Lady were all tidily explained.
I was initially intrigued by Adrian and Lucy, but my heart was completely won over by Alynwick and Elizabeth. Can I say right now I love a good male cry? That was so awesome - to see Alywick's agony and regret for the past. I really bought why Elizabeth did not want to be with him and I was convinced of why Alynwick decided to not stay away anymore.
I did tear up when Elizabeth tears up her room, and she speaks from her heart, unaware that she is looking right at Alynwick. Gosh, that was so cinematic.
It was an incredibly bold choice of Charlotte Featherstone to write the story based on the same timeline of the second story but from the viewpoint of Elizabeth and Alynwick.
I didn't mind this because I wanted the additional context to the memorable scenes in the second story, although I did think the beginning suffered too much from copy-and-paste. A lot of the dialogue in the beginning scenes is word-for-word; the only change is that the omnipotent third-person narration is less in the head of Adrian, and more in the heads of Elizabeth and Alynwick.
It was much more enjoyable when Featherstone wrote scenes that were not already included in the previous story. All the main couples in the Brethren Guardians series follow this relationship formula: 1.
Heroine does not want to be reminded of the past, and stays away from the hero because he instinctively reminds her of the past, and of a time where she was weak and demoralized. Hero pursues heroine in insta-love fashion. The heroine has a suitor that is connected to the templar legends, and Oracle leader. Heroine resists hero for far too long than is plausible for the plot, but only Elizabeth gets away with it because she actually has a good reason.
So, if you're in the mood for unrequited love on the hero's side, check this out. Both Alynwick and Elizabeth are the strongest characters with the most compelling back stories, and I think it's in large part due to the fact that we get more glimpses of their relationship throughout the story, compared to Bella and Lucy.
Bella's past is shrouded in mystery so when we find out about her connection to Black it feels a bit disjointed and random. Meanwhile, Lucy's past childhood love is compelling but how this whole idea of passion vs duty, passion vs love was conveyed didn't really hit all the notes it wanted to hit.
Lucy was confusing me about whether Adrian was a prig or a sex god, and whether what she wanted was passion because she was scared of love or if she was cold. Also, Elizabeth's suitor, Sheldon, needs his own book. Oct 25, Danielle rated it it was amazing Shelves: reviewed , favorites. I could not put this book down. It was everything I was hoping for and so much more. When I first began this series by Charlotte Featherstone I immediately found myself gravitating towards the sparks between Elizabeth and Iain.
There was just so much tension between them that I kept hoping that there was a story there. I've been itching to get my hands on this book and believe me it was definitely worth the wait. Twelve years ago when Lady Elizabeth York was just nineteen and Iain Sinclair, Marquis Alynwick was twenty one they had a torrid affair.
Both spent the summer learning and loving one another. When Iain began to realize that his feelings for Elizabeth were growing stronger and into love he decided to break things off. He walked away from the only woman who ever held his heart and for the last twelve years he has spent his time living in regret.
In an effort to forget his feelings for Elizabeth he has become the most notorious rake in London and has also taken on the moniker Mad Marquis. For Elizabeth to say the last twelve years were hard for her is a vast understatement.
Shortly after Iain walked away from her without any explanation what so ever she lost her eyesight. She has an ailment that was passed on from her mother that caused her to go blind. Because of this, Elizabeth has spent the last twelve years having to rely on others while at the same time keeping the love affair she had with Iain a secret from everyone.
She is still hurt and in pain and definitely doesn't want anything to do with Iain. To make matters worse is the fact that he is a Brethren Guardian along with her brother and he is constantly around. When Iain is involved in a duel, and slightly injured he begins to realize that he doesn't want to ignore what is in his heart anymore. He is tired of denying himself of Elizabeth and the love he feels for her. He was foolish to walkaway all those years ago and he is determined to make her see that he is changed and that he loves her.
I seriously was anxious the whole entire time I read this book. I felt the pain both Elizabeth and Iain were experiencing and I felt the love they both felt for one another. There was just so many sparks between the two and I found myself quickly turning the pages to see what was going to happen. Would Elizabeth finally relent and forgive Iain for his past transgressions?
Why exactly did Iain leave in the first place if he loved her so much? Seriously, I couldn't stop reading, watching everything unfold. These two have both been to hell and back and there was one specific scene with Elizabeth that broke my heart. I could feel her pain and I just wanted to make it better.
The author did such a good job conveying the pain and love between these two characters. Their story was truly one of redemption and forgiveness. It is definitely my favorite of the series and it is definitely going on my keeper shelf.
Oct 11, Alycia rated it really liked it Shelves: arc-or-for-review , historical-romance , author-charlotte-featherstone. I couldn't wait for this book, the last of The Brethren Guardians Trilogy. I really liked Elizabeth York, the beautiful, blind sister of the Duke of Sussex. She was such a likable character and I wanted her to find her own happiness. I also liked the fact that she wasn't like every other heroine that one reads about in a historical romance. Iain Sinclair is from the previous books as well, I wanted more information every time I read about him.
The Marquis of Alynwick seemed 3. The Marquis of Alynwick seemed so illusive, and yet like there was more to him, and there definitely was. It was amazing how he could hold on to this love and desire of Elizabeth for so long and also think that he had a black heart, that the devil wouldn't want him.
This book picks up not long after book 2, "Pride and Passion. Sometimes this plot took center stage, other times we are focused on the interaction between Elizabeth and Alynwick. Sometimes I felt that the pace was slow, however that is not the case for the entire story. Some times it is utterly engrossing. I loved how Iain was tortured especially about the hold his father had on his upbringing and how him and Elizabeth were star-crossed lovers when they were younger. Every time she rejected him, I wished that she would soften to him.
I don't want to give any spoilers away, but recommend this book to fans of the series. I do recommend reading this trilogy in order because the plots from each book do build upon themselves and because we see Lord Black and the Duke of Sussex with their lovely women, there are slight spoilers in this one. I look forward to the next future work of Ms. I'd like to say thank you to Charlotte for her sweet words. Jan 19, Heather rated it it was amazing Shelves: historicalromance , favoritereads.
For me, this series only got better. Ian is a jerk. But he still loves her. Elizabeth is beautiful, gracious, and confident — and she refuses to let him take her hard-earned happiness away from her.
I loved that she is able to move on, meet someone and flirt and be willing to explore the possibility of someone else. Their chemistry? He seduces her; he reminds her of all that they shared, and what they can share. He needs to prove to her that she is enough for him, and that he truly loves her, with or without sight. Definitely worth reading. View all 3 comments.
See more at EBookObsessed. The Brethren are decedents of the Templer Knights charged with hiding several religious treasures, including the Holy Grail.
Iain is an unrepentant womanizer and rake…or is he? Iain is about fight a duel for being caught in a compromising situation with the wife of Lord Larabie. Being caught in the compromising position was all part of the plan. He and his fellow Brethren believe Lady Larabie knows the villain, Orpheus, and will introduce Iain to the man who has been a danger to them, their families and the secrets they hide. But as possible death looms over his head, there is only one thought that fills him.
He wants to see Elizabeth again and apologize for the wrongs he did to her a dozen years ago. He also wants her to know that she is always in his thoughts and if he survives the night, he wants to start anew with her.
He then learns what he fears most, that Elizabeth has no desire to forgive him or to ever see him again. Lady Elizabeth York might have lost her sight, but she has not lost her mind. It is one thing to be young and innocent and allow yourself to be seduced, used and tossed away by a cad like Iain Sinclair, but she is almost 30 and does not intend to be fooled again by his tempting touches and sensual murmurs.
If only she can get her treacherous body to agree. The real question will be does Orpheus fall into the hands of the Brethren or will the Brethren fall into the trap set by Orpheus. I was unaware when I chose this book that it was the third of a series, but I had no trouble catching up with the happenings of the series. I was simply intrigued with the idea of a sightless heroine and how that would be addressed.
With all the reading that I do, I am always amazed when a story can keep me in the dark until the final reveal. Every time I thought I had Orpheus nailed down…not him!! Who is lying? Who can be trusted? Very well done!!! Elizabeth was a remarkable heroine. Even though blind, she was headstrong and independent. Poor, blind Elizabeth was trying so hard not to be made a fool again and be used and tossed aside by a master scoundrel, she kept pushing him away and getting more angry.
When they finally got to the point of discussing what had happened between them in the past and how it affected both their lives, it was heartbreaking, and when Iain finally confesses to Elizabeth and kissed her goodbye knowing that in finally confessing the truth, he would loose her forever, I was teary eyed.
Received an ARC from netgalley. Thank you. May 14, Farrah rated it it was ok. Not as good as I hoped it would be The idea sounded so good, but it just didn't turn out the way I hoped it would. The one saving grace of the book is that I was fond of Elizabeth. I liked her strength and ability to survive all she's been through.
I especially loved how she handled herself during the action of the last part of the book. It was admirable how she protected herself despite her blindness. But everything else fell flat. For one, though I admired Elizabeth's strength, I also though she was overly stubborn. For example, her brother wouldn't let her help with Brethren Guardian business other than discussions because of her blindness. She got all offended-but it makes perfect sense to disallow a blind woman from going into a dangerous situation.
She could very easily get hurt, or someone else could get hurt trying to protect her. But she went around being all angry at her brother for keeping her safe-even though he promised to tell her everything that happened. I got very frustrated with her.
I didn't like Iain either. For one, the first scene of the book is Iain thinking about how much he dislikes the woman he was just sleeping with. Not a great first impression.
However, I could understand the reason why he put up with the woman. But it got worse. A little while later he has a sudden epiphany that he never stopped loving his lover from years ago Elizabeth. And suddenly, after years of supposedly pining for her, he decided he has to win her back after having a near death experience.
It just didn't seem realistic to me. After all these years, now he decides to try to make up for his despicable actions of the past. I didn't by the near death experience epiphany.
It wasn't done well enough for me to believe he was a changed man. Then later he starts trying to woo Elizabeth back. But he was such a jerk about it.
The first thing he does is yank her away from a man she was walking with and try to kiss her at a party. But, I ask you, what right did he have to get all jealous and possessive. And he continues like this. He had no right to act as if he owned her. If he had tried to woo her, I would have adored him, despite his past actions. But he just stuck a claim and stubbornly hung on to it, even though Elizabeth had wanted nothing to do with him.
He was a jerk the whole time, and I just couldn't like him. The plot itself was interesting, but that wasn't the focus of the book. That actual story of deceit and intrigue was good, but there wasn't much of it. My last problem is how misleading the summary is.
I'm okay with summaries that don't reveal the main plot, but this was over the top. The whole summary is about a secret diary and the "veiled lady" and how the mystery drew the lovers together. Honestly, the diary was only mentioned for about 5 pages about three-quarters into the book. Within them, the entire arch is introduced and solved and then promptly forgotten about.
I think if the story had actually followed the idea of this lovers' mystery bringing Iain and Elizabeth together, I would have liked this book so much more. But it wasn't, and I ended up being disappointed. But it wasn't good. It had some redeeming qualities that kept me interested but the parts I didn't like ruined the whole book for me. Shelves: imperfect-heroine-romances. How are the sex scenes? How are the story lines?
Orpheus is about trying to murder the Brethren Guardians, Ian is seducing a married woman to obtain secrets for the Brethren and Elizabeth is being courted by another gentleman while Ian is trying to convince her to court him. Would you read it again? I plan to buy the series and read the first two, maybe not the last one again, though. Summary Ian Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick and laird to the clan Sinclair also a fellow Brethren Guardian , believes he is going to hell.
Elizabeth York, elder sister to the Duke of Sussex, agrees but for a far more specific reason. Caught in bed with a married woman, Ian is forced to duel her husband for sake of the Brethren. His dying-yet-not-mortally-wounded wish is to be taken to Elizabeth, or "Beth", as he calls her. If it takes the rest of his life, Ian will gain her love. If it takes Elizabeth's last ounce of strength, she will resist him. Ian Sinclair is the typical historical hero - a devilishly handsome scoundrel, seducer of innocents and partial drunk who truly believes his soul is destined for the deepest pits of hell.
The product of a dysfunctional family, his emotions are non-existent allowing him to feel no remorse or guilt for most sins he's committed. Elizabeth Sinclair is the most unheard of, extraordinary heroine - considered the ton's angel, yet still unwed at twenty-nine and completely blind with a curvaceous figure.
Let me repeat: completely blind with a curvaceous figure. And she's the heroine. He decides he has greatly wronged Elizabeth and he did twelve long years ago and vows to win her love and forgiveness. Elizabeth will have none of it, for she refuses to trust a man capable of what he did to her. She sticks to her decision too, avoiding Ian when she can and dismissing him when she can't. Ian is persistent, chasing her throughout most the novel and warding off her suitor for the rest of it.
Elizabeth makes Ian work for her love but this doesn't come off as vengeful, because she's truly trying to not like him. She doesn't want to want him and everything she does reflects that beautifully. It's great to see a heroine who doesn't fall for a hero because he's pretty. This especially can't happen to Elizabeth because she can't see him. Featherstone writes Elizabeth Sinclair as a intelligent, highly capable blind woman.
Elizabeth has constant inner-dialogue about living blind, but since she doesn't Dec 07, Cynthia rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Those of you seeking vast emotion in your hot romance.
Shelves: historical-romance , favorites. Featherstone delivers a majestic and powerful love story for the ages. Of unrequited love that will break your heart, wrench it in two, and have you gnashing your teeth. Buried within this exquisite romance is the gradual of reemergence of hope, trust, and truest love. Iain Sinclair, or Alynwick as his friends call him, is a heartless, cold bastard, "forever scandalizing the English peers with his bru Reviewed at Bitten By Paranormal Romance A stupendous finish to the Guardian Brethren series.
Iain Sinclair, or Alynwick as his friends call him, is a heartless, cold bastard, "forever scandalizing the English peers with his brutish Scottish ways.
A man willing to do anything to get back the love of his life. Iain sent Black a glare, aware that he appeared debauched.
But he wasn't. He was restless, mindless. There was a sickness ruling his thoughts, and if he had the courage to look through the darkness inside him, he'd be able to name the illness. He was heartsick, his soul crying out for the one remedy that could cure his illness. Elizabeth may be blind, but she doesn't let that define who she is. She is the bravest, strongest heroine I have ever read. Lizzy has her brief moments of doubt when she lashes out in fear and self-pity, but they don't last long.
I have no husband or children to occupy my time. I can't see to paint or embroider, or read, or decorate. I can't even shop without another set of eyes escorting me.
I have nothing, Adrian. Lies only make me feel worse, for I know they are spoken out of pity. The truth is, I have never complained about my blindness or bemoaned my fate.
I always had the Brethren Guardians to make me feel worthwhile and capable. I had you and Black to talk to, and I was involved in discussions, in the history or our ancestors. I was a part of the group, and it kept me happy.
Not male sweat rich with the scent of musk and masculine flesh, but something else. Something purer. Can I come inside you? I want so much to deserve you. To be worthy of a woman like you.
They were unfocused, unable to settle on his face. And the same terrifying feeling stole over him once again. An acute fear—a final, painful realization—that her world was one of utter blackness. At last he realized the magnitude of her blindness.
It was like a death, the inevitable conclusion when someone was gone. Why it should hit him now, after all these years, he could not fathom, but it was there, and finally he understood her private hell. Selfish, arrogant bastard, concerned with his own needs, his own perversions to watch himself pleasure her, to study her as she accepted him, to watch their bodies joined.
How carelessly he had said that, not thinking of Elizabeth and what she would die for. What she wanted in this life. And I waited, holding my breath, barely able to control my feelings, waiting to feel your touch on my face. But you did not. You made a polite enquiry after my health and left me standing alone by the hearth. And, then, the other afternoon with Sheldon, you touched him, and I was alone, and apart again. Wanted to wait for the audiobook and it was certainly worth it.
He is clearly my favorite of the characters in the trilogy. What did you like best about this story? Awesome love story. Man desperately in love with women, can't live without her Had a great plot as well.. A lot more going on than just the couple too which is always a plus.. She makes sure you don't miss a thought or emotion. Excellently done! I thought narrator to be nice.. This book and series all together really surprised me. I don't often listen to many stories more than once but I just finished it and I can't wait to go back and hear it again..
Great conclusion to the trilogy, but shouldn't it have a fourth volume? I think it should. Add to Cart failed. Please try again later. Add to Wish List failed. Remove from wishlist failed. Adding to library failed. Please try again. Follow podcast failed. Unfollow podcast failed. Stream or download thousands of included titles. Narrated by: Helen Stern. No default payment method selected. Add payment method. Switch payment method. We are sorry.
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Amazon Reviews. Sort by:. Most Helpful Most Recent. Filter by:. All stars 5 star only 4 star only 3 star only 2 star only 1 star only. Dasi H I am really tired, Thank G-d for long weekends Any additional comments? Jay
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