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The Writing Girls #4
Seducing Mr. Knightly
He’s the only man she’s ever loved…
For ages it seems advice columnist Annabelle Swift has loved Derek Knightly, editor-owner of The London Weekly from a distance. Determined to finally attract her employer’s attention, she seeks advice from her loyal readers—who offer Annabelle myriad suggestions…from lower-cut bodices (success!) and sultry gazes (disaster!) to a surprise midnight rendezvous (wicked!).
She’s the only woman he never noticed…
Derek never really took note of his shy, wallflower lady writer. But suddenly she’s exquisite…and he can’t get Annabelle out of his mind! She must be pursuing someone, but who? For some inexplicable reason, the thought of her with another man makes Knightly insanely jealous.
Will Dear Annabelle find her happy ending?
But Knightly’s scandalous periodical has been targeted for destruction by a vengeful Lord Marsden, and the beleaguered editor now faces a devastating choice: either marry Marsden’s sister to save his beloved newspaper…or follow his heart and wed his Writing Girl.
For ages it seems advice columnist Annabelle Swift has loved Derek Knightly, editor-owner of The London Weekly from a distance. Determined to finally attract her employer’s attention, she seeks advice from her loyal readers—who offer Annabelle myriad suggestions…from lower-cut bodices (success!) and sultry gazes (disaster!) to a surprise midnight rendezvous (wicked!).
She’s the only woman he never noticed…
Derek never really took note of his shy, wallflower lady writer. But suddenly she’s exquisite…and he can’t get Annabelle out of his mind! She must be pursuing someone, but who? For some inexplicable reason, the thought of her with another man makes Knightly insanely jealous.
Will Dear Annabelle find her happy ending?
But Knightly’s scandalous periodical has been targeted for destruction by a vengeful Lord Marsden, and the beleaguered editor now faces a devastating choice: either marry Marsden’s sister to save his beloved newspaper…or follow his heart and wed his Writing Girl.
384 pages, ebook
First published October 30, 2012
90 people are currently reading
1645 people want to read
About the author
Maya Rodale
46 books1,620 followersMaya Rodale is the best-selling and award-winning author of funny, feminist fiction including historical romance, YA and historical fiction. A champion of the romance genre and its readers, she is also the author of Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained. Maya reviews romance for NPR and has appeared in Bustle, Glamour, Shondaland, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and PBS. She began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence and has never been allowed to forget it.
Sign up for her newsletter at www.mayarodale.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
February 26, 2024
This was cute and I loved the premise but I still don’t really believe I witnessed him fall in love? Or that she knew much about him below the surface? The cover is so sexy but the book fell kinda flat. I would totally read more plots like this though…not sure about the rest of the series.
April 4, 2016
What a disappointing end to a guilty-pleasure series. If you've read the others, you already know about (or don't care about) Rodale's handling of the era and the fantastical setup of the newspaper. You also know about Annabelle and Knightly because that's been going on from the start. I wasn't exactly looking forward to the resolution, but I finally took the time to track the book down and give it a shot. Sadly. Because pretty much any story I could come up with in my head would have been better.
I had a tough time with Annabelle as I don't have a lot of sympathy for doormats. It's one thing to face desperate circumstances or to fight long odds, but Annabelle is just coasting along with an awful brother and his wife, working hard to please the unpleasable. Since she has a paying job at the newspaper, you have to think she could easily have left the people taking obvious and repeated advantage of her, but no. She'd rather be with "family" who actively abuse her (emotionally) than strike out on her own (and since she isn't noble and has no reputation to protect, you can't even excuse it on account of maintaining "face"). Since that trait, coasting along and never making a fuss, characterizes all of her relationships, including friends and her yearning for the driven Mr. Knightly, she came across as determinedly one-note without the gumption of a turnip.
It doesn't help that Knightly goes from hopelessly clueless to outrageously stupid. It was bad enough when he simply didn't notice Annabelle. It was far worse, in the last quarter of the novel or so, . It didn't help that Annabelle was busy pulling the self-sacrifice "for his own good" trick while he was at it. I hate that.
Oh, and the plot was pretty stupid, too.
So anyway, this was a definite disappointment. I didn't absolutely hate it, so I'm hesitant to give it one star. On the other hand, it wasn't "okay" so I'm hesitant to give it two. Since the GoodReads prompt on one star is "did not like it", I'm going to let that persuade me to go with that...
A note about Steamy: Light steam, actually. Annabelle is pretty innocent and Knightly taking things extreme or early or often would have pretty much made him a monster. Rodale had at least that much caution so we get a single actual explicit scene and one or two allusions after that. Which mostly worked and was the most sympathetic thing about Knightly, now I think on it.
I had a tough time with Annabelle as I don't have a lot of sympathy for doormats. It's one thing to face desperate circumstances or to fight long odds, but Annabelle is just coasting along with an awful brother and his wife, working hard to please the unpleasable. Since she has a paying job at the newspaper, you have to think she could easily have left the people taking obvious and repeated advantage of her, but no. She'd rather be with "family" who actively abuse her (emotionally) than strike out on her own (and since she isn't noble and has no reputation to protect, you can't even excuse it on account of maintaining "face"). Since that trait, coasting along and never making a fuss, characterizes all of her relationships, including friends and her yearning for the driven Mr. Knightly, she came across as determinedly one-note without the gumption of a turnip.
It doesn't help that Knightly goes from hopelessly clueless to outrageously stupid. It was bad enough when he simply didn't notice Annabelle. It was far worse, in the last quarter of the novel or so, . It didn't help that Annabelle was busy pulling the self-sacrifice "for his own good" trick while he was at it. I hate that.
Oh, and the plot was pretty stupid, too.
So anyway, this was a definite disappointment. I didn't absolutely hate it, so I'm hesitant to give it one star. On the other hand, it wasn't "okay" so I'm hesitant to give it two. Since the GoodReads prompt on one star is "did not like it", I'm going to let that persuade me to go with that...
A note about Steamy: Light steam, actually. Annabelle is pretty innocent and Knightly taking things extreme or early or often would have pretty much made him a monster. Rodale had at least that much caution so we get a single actual explicit scene and one or two allusions after that. Which mostly worked and was the most sympathetic thing about Knightly, now I think on it.
June 30, 2017
Buddy read with Lacey
How far does one go for love?
Miss Annabelle Swift has been in love with Derek Knightly, newspaper owner and her employer, for three years, seven months, and two days, but to her dismay he has never noticed her. At her wits end, she asks the readers of her advice column for advice on how to get "The Nodcock" to notice. Lowered bodies, lingering touches, smoldering looks, fainting into his waiting arms - she will do whatever it takes to finally get the attention of the man she loves...
Throw the bastard out, he doesn't belong here!
Derek Knightly has never forgotten the humiliating moment when he was thrown out of his father's funeral because the family didn't want their husband and father's love child with an actress around. Desperate to claw his ways into the upper echelons of society, he has amassed a fortune by running a successful newspaper. Ready to finally take his place in society by marrying a titled woman, he is not prepared for a new and seductive Annabelle whom he suddenly can't get out of his mind. Facing an inquiry for printing libel, his only way to save his beloved paper seems to marry the disgraced sister of a prominent aristocrat. But suddenly, it just doesn't seem worth it...
3.5 stars rounded up to four for the brilliant ending!
This was a nice, fun, uncomplicated read. After a disappointing book by one of my all-time favorite authors, I asked my dear Goodreads friends for something light, fluffy, with no drama, and this certainly delivers. You have to suspend your belief quite a bit to enjoy this one, but honestly, this was just what I needed right now. It was fun to read about Annabelle's pathetic attempts to get The Nodcock's attention, and the way he returned the favor in the end was absolutely hilarious. Up until then, I didn't really feel like I knew Knightly, but the adorable mischievous side that Annabelle brought out in him was just lovely, and in the end I really felt like I understood why she loved him so pathetically from afar for so long. I loved her transformation from Overlooked-always-trying-to-fade-into-the-wallpaper Miss Swift to bold, seductive Annabelle who fought for what she wanted. There were times when I thought she was really pathetic for clinging to her ideal of Knightly for so long, but in the end, I thought it was sweet. And can I just say that I LOVED the way he tried to make her realize he loved her? It was endearing, adorable, and SO perfect <3
In any other mood, I would've complained about the writing, the constant sighing and gazing, the way the heroine obsessed about the way the hero leaned (!!!!), the refusal on both sides to let things go which were holding them back, her friends, but honestly? This was perfect if all you want is a light, sweet, fun, read!
How far does one go for love?
Miss Annabelle Swift has been in love with Derek Knightly, newspaper owner and her employer, for three years, seven months, and two days, but to her dismay he has never noticed her. At her wits end, she asks the readers of her advice column for advice on how to get "The Nodcock" to notice. Lowered bodies, lingering touches, smoldering looks, fainting into his waiting arms - she will do whatever it takes to finally get the attention of the man she loves...
Throw the bastard out, he doesn't belong here!
Derek Knightly has never forgotten the humiliating moment when he was thrown out of his father's funeral because the family didn't want their husband and father's love child with an actress around. Desperate to claw his ways into the upper echelons of society, he has amassed a fortune by running a successful newspaper. Ready to finally take his place in society by marrying a titled woman, he is not prepared for a new and seductive Annabelle whom he suddenly can't get out of his mind. Facing an inquiry for printing libel, his only way to save his beloved paper seems to marry the disgraced sister of a prominent aristocrat. But suddenly, it just doesn't seem worth it...
3.5 stars rounded up to four for the brilliant ending!
This was a nice, fun, uncomplicated read. After a disappointing book by one of my all-time favorite authors, I asked my dear Goodreads friends for something light, fluffy, with no drama, and this certainly delivers. You have to suspend your belief quite a bit to enjoy this one, but honestly, this was just what I needed right now. It was fun to read about Annabelle's pathetic attempts to get The Nodcock's attention, and the way he returned the favor in the end was absolutely hilarious. Up until then, I didn't really feel like I knew Knightly, but the adorable mischievous side that Annabelle brought out in him was just lovely, and in the end I really felt like I understood why she loved him so pathetically from afar for so long. I loved her transformation from Overlooked-always-trying-to-fade-into-the-wallpaper Miss Swift to bold, seductive Annabelle who fought for what she wanted. There were times when I thought she was really pathetic for clinging to her ideal of Knightly for so long, but in the end, I thought it was sweet. And can I just say that I LOVED the way he tried to make her realize he loved her? It was endearing, adorable, and SO perfect <3
In any other mood, I would've complained about the writing, the constant sighing and gazing, the way the heroine obsessed about the way the hero leaned (!!!!), the refusal on both sides to let things go which were holding them back, her friends, but honestly? This was perfect if all you want is a light, sweet, fun, read!
June 7, 2021
It was cute and charming. Our hero is also a blacksheep because he was born a bastard and built his newspaper business. But it fizzled out in the end and i lost interest.
September 11, 2013
3.5-3.75(-ish) stars!
So I had all these thoughts to share about this Maya Rodale book, only to realize that I already shared most of these exact same thoughts while reviewing two other Maya Rodale books! While my opinion of some authors' work varies rather wildly from one book to the next, depending on plot, theme, tone, etc., it seems I have a surprisingly consistent opinion on what I love about Maya Rodale----and what I don't.
Maya Rodale's writing style is, for lack of a better adjective, Tessa Dare-ish: witty, vibrant, eminently engaging and at times about as authentically 'historical' as an episode of Sex in the City. Anachronisms tend not to bother me as much as they do many of my fellow HR addicts, but if you're someone who's irked by modern speech and behavior in your alleged historicals, consider yourself warned!
In addition to her infectiously sparkly writing style, I absolutely love Rodale's heroines. All three of the Rodale heroines I've spent time with so far, while possessing very different personalities, are among the most relatable and genuinely likable I've come across. And suffice it to say I'm not a reader who immediately loves or even likes all of the heroines with whom I come into contact...far from it, in fact :)
Alas, I can't heap the same praise on Rodale's heroes. I did end up (mostly!) adoring 'ditzy' yet sneakily endearing Jack, who we met in the loved-it-so-much-more-than-I-expected-to anthology At the Duke's Wedding, remained indifferent to the hero in Three Schemes and a Scandal, and have to sadly report that I outright disliked the titular Mr. Knightly of this novel. Look, I know that my fondness for kind, adorkable heroes is unpopular to the point where writers rarely create one, but even by today's usual 'domineering alpha' standards, Knightly is just too much of a jerk for too much of the novel. As others have astutely pointed out, he seems utterly indifferent to our sweet, funny, touchingly eager heroine for so long that I found myself desperately hoping for a twist in which Annabelle decided this guy simply wasn't worth 'seducing' and instead decided to find a good man who adored her as much as she deserved. Knightly's inevitable 'oh, wait, yeah, I guess I've actually loved her all along despite pretty much never, ever showing it....' turnaround felt a bit forced to me and qualified as too little, too late.
My other complaint? This was a 384 page novel that felt a full 100 pages longer than necessary. Granted, I often feel that way, so maybe I'm just an uncommonly impatient reader whose opinions on a novel's length should be taken with a few zillion grains of salt :) But, for me, the plot dragged, the themes became tiresomely repetitive, and the witty, brisk and cheery pace of the first third gave way to slower, "this AGAIN?!" meandering later on.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book that I'm not sorry I read, but due to my 'really? She wants HIM?!" view of the hero, I found it a fairly unromantic romance. Recommended for its wit and lovable heroine, but if you're hoping to fall in love with the hero, I'd advise looking elsewhere!
So I had all these thoughts to share about this Maya Rodale book, only to realize that I already shared most of these exact same thoughts while reviewing two other Maya Rodale books! While my opinion of some authors' work varies rather wildly from one book to the next, depending on plot, theme, tone, etc., it seems I have a surprisingly consistent opinion on what I love about Maya Rodale----and what I don't.
Maya Rodale's writing style is, for lack of a better adjective, Tessa Dare-ish: witty, vibrant, eminently engaging and at times about as authentically 'historical' as an episode of Sex in the City. Anachronisms tend not to bother me as much as they do many of my fellow HR addicts, but if you're someone who's irked by modern speech and behavior in your alleged historicals, consider yourself warned!
In addition to her infectiously sparkly writing style, I absolutely love Rodale's heroines. All three of the Rodale heroines I've spent time with so far, while possessing very different personalities, are among the most relatable and genuinely likable I've come across. And suffice it to say I'm not a reader who immediately loves or even likes all of the heroines with whom I come into contact...far from it, in fact :)
Alas, I can't heap the same praise on Rodale's heroes. I did end up (mostly!) adoring 'ditzy' yet sneakily endearing Jack, who we met in the loved-it-so-much-more-than-I-expected-to anthology At the Duke's Wedding, remained indifferent to the hero in Three Schemes and a Scandal, and have to sadly report that I outright disliked the titular Mr. Knightly of this novel. Look, I know that my fondness for kind, adorkable heroes is unpopular to the point where writers rarely create one, but even by today's usual 'domineering alpha' standards, Knightly is just too much of a jerk for too much of the novel. As others have astutely pointed out, he seems utterly indifferent to our sweet, funny, touchingly eager heroine for so long that I found myself desperately hoping for a twist in which Annabelle decided this guy simply wasn't worth 'seducing' and instead decided to find a good man who adored her as much as she deserved. Knightly's inevitable 'oh, wait, yeah, I guess I've actually loved her all along despite pretty much never, ever showing it....' turnaround felt a bit forced to me and qualified as too little, too late.
My other complaint? This was a 384 page novel that felt a full 100 pages longer than necessary. Granted, I often feel that way, so maybe I'm just an uncommonly impatient reader whose opinions on a novel's length should be taken with a few zillion grains of salt :) But, for me, the plot dragged, the themes became tiresomely repetitive, and the witty, brisk and cheery pace of the first third gave way to slower, "this AGAIN?!" meandering later on.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book that I'm not sorry I read, but due to my 'really? She wants HIM?!" view of the hero, I found it a fairly unromantic romance. Recommended for its wit and lovable heroine, but if you're hoping to fall in love with the hero, I'd advise looking elsewhere!
did-not-finish
July 21, 2020Miss Rodale's writing is just not for me.
September 1, 2024
I really hated this book!
The premise is that Annabelle has been in love with her boss, Derek Knightley, at a newspaper for years. She can give you the exact figure of days (and she does repeatedly). This dynamic recalled a lot of 2000s romcom dynamics: 27 Dresses, Bridget Jones' Diary, Laura Linney's character Love Actually.
But something notable about all of those stories: the pining heroine doesn't end up with the boss! Because it is hard to root for the cad who has been ignoring our heroine until she shows up with a low-cut top or a new flirtatious manner.
Annabelle's job is writing an advice column called Dear Annabelle for the newspaper. Why is the advice column not anonymized? Unclear. But a lot of Annabelle's identity is wrapped up in being a writer, though her writing is limited to answering etiquette questions. But Annabelle's always helping out other people instead of thinking of herself. This is her main personality trait. She also lives at home with her brother and his wife and their children as basically live-in help (there are lots of buhhh comments made by other people, including our hero, that the tasks she does are for SERVANTS not for sisters.)
Derek Knightley is an illegitimate son who is obsessed with finding an entrance into high society, primarily through marrying the daughter or sister of a titled man, so he can get back his half-brother, an Earl. He's literally never thought about Annabelle one day in his life. He doesn't even read her column, IN HIS OWN NEWSPAPER, that he takes great pride in.
Annabelle's plan involves asking her readers for advice on how to woo her intended, since her years of pining have gotten her nowhere. For some reason, this endears her to all of London. The town is obsessed with Dear Annabelle! She tries out her schemes to attract Derek and they basically work because he becomes suddenly obsessed with her breasts (he mentions them all the time).
The plot itself was very frustrating: it was nearly impossible to root for Derek and Annabelle because I just kept thinking, "what's taking him so long?" There's never a real explanation of why he suddenly has come around or why he ignored her, other than "she was wearing high-necked clothing before, and I didn't realize she had such a great rack!"
What doesn't help is that Rodale is really inconsistent in writing her characters' personalities and descriptors. To really basic stuff that an editor should've caught like the heroine's eyes changing colors in the middle of the book, or a whole paragraph about how the hero would never idly run his fingers through his hair rakishly, despite having done it twice before and doing it twice more after that paragraph.
The plot could have been saved by characters I wanted to know and hang out with, but they were both such nothingburgers. It also didn't help that there were at least three plot twist revelations to characters that I thought were so telegraphed by the narrative that I also thought they were all stupid for not discovering the information when I did.
But I just had surgery and this was the perfect book to read in between consciousness on a routine of painkillers because I'm happy for it to slide off my brain and make no impact on me whatsoever.
The premise is that Annabelle has been in love with her boss, Derek Knightley, at a newspaper for years. She can give you the exact figure of days (and she does repeatedly). This dynamic recalled a lot of 2000s romcom dynamics: 27 Dresses, Bridget Jones' Diary, Laura Linney's character Love Actually.
But something notable about all of those stories: the pining heroine doesn't end up with the boss! Because it is hard to root for the cad who has been ignoring our heroine until she shows up with a low-cut top or a new flirtatious manner.
Annabelle's job is writing an advice column called Dear Annabelle for the newspaper. Why is the advice column not anonymized? Unclear. But a lot of Annabelle's identity is wrapped up in being a writer, though her writing is limited to answering etiquette questions. But Annabelle's always helping out other people instead of thinking of herself. This is her main personality trait. She also lives at home with her brother and his wife and their children as basically live-in help (there are lots of buhhh comments made by other people, including our hero, that the tasks she does are for SERVANTS not for sisters.)
Derek Knightley is an illegitimate son who is obsessed with finding an entrance into high society, primarily through marrying the daughter or sister of a titled man, so he can get back his half-brother, an Earl. He's literally never thought about Annabelle one day in his life. He doesn't even read her column, IN HIS OWN NEWSPAPER, that he takes great pride in.
Annabelle's plan involves asking her readers for advice on how to woo her intended, since her years of pining have gotten her nowhere. For some reason, this endears her to all of London. The town is obsessed with Dear Annabelle! She tries out her schemes to attract Derek and they basically work because he becomes suddenly obsessed with her breasts (he mentions them all the time).
The plot itself was very frustrating: it was nearly impossible to root for Derek and Annabelle because I just kept thinking, "what's taking him so long?" There's never a real explanation of why he suddenly has come around or why he ignored her, other than "she was wearing high-necked clothing before, and I didn't realize she had such a great rack!"
What doesn't help is that Rodale is really inconsistent in writing her characters' personalities and descriptors. To really basic stuff that an editor should've caught like the heroine's eyes changing colors in the middle of the book, or a whole paragraph about how the hero would never idly run his fingers through his hair rakishly, despite having done it twice before and doing it twice more after that paragraph.
The plot could have been saved by characters I wanted to know and hang out with, but they were both such nothingburgers. It also didn't help that there were at least three plot twist revelations to characters that I thought were so telegraphed by the narrative that I also thought they were all stupid for not discovering the information when I did.
But I just had surgery and this was the perfect book to read in between consciousness on a routine of painkillers because I'm happy for it to slide off my brain and make no impact on me whatsoever.
July 1, 2017
Buddy read with Andrea :)
I enjoyed this book. It was funny and easy to read. The main characters were okay, but I prefered the hero better than the heroine; she was really annoying sometimes and I got tired of her indealizing the hero and sighing everytime she sees him... it was just too much! Thankfully, I was in a good mood and managed to finish it!
I enjoyed the second half of the book much better than the first. I loved what the hero did to get her back and found it hilarious! it is what saved the book for me. ☺
I enjoyed this book. It was funny and easy to read. The main characters were okay, but I prefered the hero better than the heroine; she was really annoying sometimes and I got tired of her indealizing the hero and sighing everytime she sees him... it was just too much! Thankfully, I was in a good mood and managed to finish it!
I enjoyed the second half of the book much better than the first. I loved what the hero did to get her back and found it hilarious! it is what saved the book for me. ☺
July 13, 2014
There's a good story somewhere in this book, but for this reader the story was overwhelmed by the modern language and behavior, the repetition of the characters' thoughts, and the author's unsuccessful efforts to be as funny as Tessa Dare.
It's too bad, really, for the main characters are very well drawn -- Annabelle, the invisible, dowdy spinster and Derek, the bastard son of an earl who yearns for acceptance by society. The other characters, however, are mere stereotypes.
I don't demand 100% authenticity in historical romance, but perhaps 50% would be nice. My GR friend MRB correctly notes that this book is "about as authentically 'historical' as an episode of Sex in the City." (And the author commits a cardinal sin in my book, when she refers to the marquess's sister as "Lady Marsden." His mother was Lady Marsden, and his wife would be Lady Marsden, but his sister is simply "Lady Lydia." Oddly, she is called Lady Lydia about half the time, which is somehow worse. I mean, if you're going to be wrong, at least be consistently wrong.)
I believe that I could have overlooked the inauthentic speech and behavior if not for the repetition. I just skimmed many pages, skipping over the internal dialogue until I could find some action. Thus, it's highly unlikely that I'll be reading any more Maya Rodale titles.
It's too bad, really, for the main characters are very well drawn -- Annabelle, the invisible, dowdy spinster and Derek, the bastard son of an earl who yearns for acceptance by society. The other characters, however, are mere stereotypes.
I don't demand 100% authenticity in historical romance, but perhaps 50% would be nice. My GR friend MRB correctly notes that this book is "about as authentically 'historical' as an episode of Sex in the City." (And the author commits a cardinal sin in my book, when she refers to the marquess's sister as "Lady Marsden." His mother was Lady Marsden, and his wife would be Lady Marsden, but his sister is simply "Lady Lydia." Oddly, she is called Lady Lydia about half the time, which is somehow worse. I mean, if you're going to be wrong, at least be consistently wrong.)
I believe that I could have overlooked the inauthentic speech and behavior if not for the repetition. I just skimmed many pages, skipping over the internal dialogue until I could find some action. Thus, it's highly unlikely that I'll be reading any more Maya Rodale titles.
April 25, 2024
This was easy, breezy reading, skimming along the surface of characters and situation, but with enough clever little asides, enough astute observations, to make it interesting and hint that at some point the author would dig deeper, would stick little barbs into the reader’s emotions and reel them in. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. Instead, three quarters through the book, the author threw the couple into a bedroom for sex neither was prepared for except bodily, and which seemed out-of-character for Annabelle. That was followed by all the progress they had made towards a relationship splatting against a wall , wrapped up by a messy, disjointed ending.
December 31, 2015
I know, it's so unexpected that I disliked yet another genre romance!
If we read romance in hopes to self-insert, well, Seducing Mr. Knightly should have been my shining fantasy moment. A shy lady writer who dresses badly, has a rich romantic life (entirely in her own head) and thinks she will end up alone? Idly dreaming about the older, more powerful guy at work, frequently while at work? Pretty much every single iteration of my life as a working woman has been this story. I had my journal at the ready, prepared to jot down tips on Flirting for Socially Awkward Folks from Dear Annabelle.
But, what this book is -- as dawned on me WAY too early, like around the approximately 15-20% mark on Kindle -- is occasionally cute but mostly SO generic, full of every cliche you expect to find in romance.
Mentions of rakishness? Yes.
Heaving alabaster bosoms? A great deal. (Also both female AND male bosoms are exposed for seduction, which is maybe the one detail of this book that I really liked, the reversal of a silly & particularly gendered seduction cliche. Clever, Maya Rodale).
Amorphous, repetitive paragraphs describing how enamoured each lead is with the other, in boring, basic language and phrasing? Oh yes.
Do the love interests misunderstand each other's words and behaviors for the sake of keeping up the unrequited love plot, to the extent that you'd like to punt them in the temples foradding more pages to this book being so stupid? Absolutely.
The search for good romance still continues, with reasonably lowered expectations. I'm even more discouraged by this than I am by my first encounter with Courtney Milan, who I will probably be returning to as a salve.
If we read romance in hopes to self-insert, well, Seducing Mr. Knightly should have been my shining fantasy moment. A shy lady writer who dresses badly, has a rich romantic life (entirely in her own head) and thinks she will end up alone? Idly dreaming about the older, more powerful guy at work, frequently while at work? Pretty much every single iteration of my life as a working woman has been this story. I had my journal at the ready, prepared to jot down tips on Flirting for Socially Awkward Folks from Dear Annabelle.
But, what this book is -- as dawned on me WAY too early, like around the approximately 15-20% mark on Kindle -- is occasionally cute but mostly SO generic, full of every cliche you expect to find in romance.
Mentions of rakishness? Yes.
Heaving alabaster bosoms? A great deal. (Also both female AND male bosoms are exposed for seduction, which is maybe the one detail of this book that I really liked, the reversal of a silly & particularly gendered seduction cliche. Clever, Maya Rodale).
Amorphous, repetitive paragraphs describing how enamoured each lead is with the other, in boring, basic language and phrasing? Oh yes.
Do the love interests misunderstand each other's words and behaviors for the sake of keeping up the unrequited love plot, to the extent that you'd like to punt them in the temples for
The search for good romance still continues, with reasonably lowered expectations. I'm even more discouraged by this than I am by my first encounter with Courtney Milan, who I will probably be returning to as a salve.
September 5, 2013
Annabelle was overshadowed in all the previous Writing Girl books by the other Girls, who are all more daring and outgoing. But her story is a lovely, charming one about a shy girl coming out of her shell and finally going after the man she wants. And yeah, he's sexy. A perfect light, romantic read for a summer day.
August 18, 2024
Review from 2014
B for narration / B- for content.
Seducing Mr. Knightly is the fourth and final book in Ms Rodale’s Writing Girls series, in which each of the four heroines are columnists for one of London’s foremost newspapers, The London Weekly.
Heroines 1-3 are now happily settled, so it’s the turn of number four, Miss Annabelle Swift, who pens the weekly advice column for the paper. She’s quiet and unassuming, wears ill-fitting, drab clothes, and resides with her brother and sour-mannered sister-in-law, who treats her as an unpaid servant.
While all the other Writing Girls certainly faced difficulties on their paths to true love, Annabelle’s is seemingly unnavigable. For the past three years, six months, three weeks, and two days, she has been hopelessly in love with Derek Knightly, the dashing, wickedly handsome owner and editor of the Weekly, a man who barely knows she exists.
After a bout of illness which laid her very low, she decides that perhaps it’s time to take control of her life and find a way to make Knightly notice her – but what should she do? So, instead of writing her usual column in which she answers questions and offers advice to readers, she asks a question of her own. How can she attract the attention of the man she’s loved from afar for years?
“Dear Annabelle’s search for love” suddenly becomes the talk of the town, much to Knightly’s astonishment. Even his regular coffee-house cronies, seasoned political hacks and critics are talking about little else – but he’s certainly not going to complain about something that’s increasing his readership, even if he finds the whole thing faintly ridiculous.
He carries on as usual, oblivious both to Annabelle and the identity of her beloved – until she starts taking some of the advice she receives, when he can no longer remain oblivious to the fact that there’s something worth looking at under those horribly shapeless, dull gowns.
While the story of “wallflower suffers unrequited love for gorgeous man she’s known for years” isn’t new, it’s rather refreshing to encounter an initially dowdy and unprepossessing character who determines to get out there and change her life rather than just submitting to fate and sitting in the shadows. And while it’s true that for the hero to suddenly notice the better dresses and nicer hairstyles when he’s never really noticed the person underneath doesn’t speak particularly well of him, Annabelle is savvy enough to know she’s got to start somewhere. And as Knightly – and others, including a handsome, young aristocrat – begin to take notice of her, Annabelle’s confidence grows, and she emerges from her shell. It’s that which ultimately captures Knightly’s attention – which is why I can live with the initial shallowness of his suddenly noticing she’s nice to look at.
The trouble is that no matter how attractive Knightly suddenly finds Annabelle to be, he has his sights set elsewhere. As the illegitimate son of an Earl who made his fortune by dint of his own hard work, he will never be truly accepted by the ton, which is something he has craved for years. His father openly acknowledged him and in fact spent just as much time with young Derek and his mother as he did with his “other”, aristocratic family, which naturally lead to much resentment on their part. When Derek was eighteen, his father died and his half-brother had him physically ejected from the funeral, something for which Knightly has never forgiven him. Ever since, he has been focused on forcing his brother and his brother’s world to accept him – and that ambition is now within his grasp. Lord Marsden, who is currently waging a war against newspapers and scandal sheets, will agree to leave the Weekly alone if Knightly will marry his sister, a young woman who has herself been the subject of much speculation and gossip due to an extended absence from town. Marrying Marsden’s sister will not only ensure Knightly’s entrée into high society, it will protect his business – but now the prospect of an alliance born of expediency is not such an attractive one – and certainly not as attractive as the prospect of an alliance born of something else entirely with Annabelle.
I enjoyed Seducing Mr Knightly much more than I did the first book in the series (A Groom of One’s Own). It’s warmer and funnier, the storytelling feels much more assured and the characterisation is more consistent. Annabelle never loses the essence of who she is, remaining kind, good-hearted and sometimes endearingly awkward, and while Knightly’s transformation from single-minded newspaper baron to a man who would risk all for love seems a little precipitous, he doesn’t undergo a major personality transplant, remaining dedicated to his work while admitting there’s been something missing in his life up until now.
Carolyn Morris has quickly become my preferred performer for light romantic comedy. Her narration is well-paced and she has a very attractive and naturalistic style of delivery that is a perfect complement to the material.
She has a terrific sense of comic timing, and a wonderful, dead-pan way of delivering the many ironic asides uttered by Annabelle throughout the story. Her Annabelle is appealingly vulnerable, but not without determination or courage, especially when she decides to put her heart on the line. Ms Morris voices her male characters attractively, by means of an alteration in tone without a much of a change in pitch. She injects a sense of forcefulness and purpose into Knightly’s voice by adding a slightly harder edge and a resonance which is satisfyingly authoritative, and adds a huskier note in the romantic scenes which works really well.
My one criticism here – as it was in the earlier audio in the series – is that it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between the other three Writing Girls. They are distinct from Annabelle, but I sometimes needed to listen to the textual indicators to determine just who was speaking. Ms Morris has an excellent repertoire of “character” voices (for older men and women, servants etc.) and uses several to good effect, but doesn’t always find sufficient variety for the more important secondary characters.
But that’s a fairly small issue considering those characters don’t appear together in more than two or three scenes, and when set against the fact that Ms Morris’ performance is excellent in all other respects.
B for narration / B- for content.
Seducing Mr. Knightly is the fourth and final book in Ms Rodale’s Writing Girls series, in which each of the four heroines are columnists for one of London’s foremost newspapers, The London Weekly.
Heroines 1-3 are now happily settled, so it’s the turn of number four, Miss Annabelle Swift, who pens the weekly advice column for the paper. She’s quiet and unassuming, wears ill-fitting, drab clothes, and resides with her brother and sour-mannered sister-in-law, who treats her as an unpaid servant.
While all the other Writing Girls certainly faced difficulties on their paths to true love, Annabelle’s is seemingly unnavigable. For the past three years, six months, three weeks, and two days, she has been hopelessly in love with Derek Knightly, the dashing, wickedly handsome owner and editor of the Weekly, a man who barely knows she exists.
After a bout of illness which laid her very low, she decides that perhaps it’s time to take control of her life and find a way to make Knightly notice her – but what should she do? So, instead of writing her usual column in which she answers questions and offers advice to readers, she asks a question of her own. How can she attract the attention of the man she’s loved from afar for years?
“Dear Annabelle’s search for love” suddenly becomes the talk of the town, much to Knightly’s astonishment. Even his regular coffee-house cronies, seasoned political hacks and critics are talking about little else – but he’s certainly not going to complain about something that’s increasing his readership, even if he finds the whole thing faintly ridiculous.
He carries on as usual, oblivious both to Annabelle and the identity of her beloved – until she starts taking some of the advice she receives, when he can no longer remain oblivious to the fact that there’s something worth looking at under those horribly shapeless, dull gowns.
While the story of “wallflower suffers unrequited love for gorgeous man she’s known for years” isn’t new, it’s rather refreshing to encounter an initially dowdy and unprepossessing character who determines to get out there and change her life rather than just submitting to fate and sitting in the shadows. And while it’s true that for the hero to suddenly notice the better dresses and nicer hairstyles when he’s never really noticed the person underneath doesn’t speak particularly well of him, Annabelle is savvy enough to know she’s got to start somewhere. And as Knightly – and others, including a handsome, young aristocrat – begin to take notice of her, Annabelle’s confidence grows, and she emerges from her shell. It’s that which ultimately captures Knightly’s attention – which is why I can live with the initial shallowness of his suddenly noticing she’s nice to look at.
The trouble is that no matter how attractive Knightly suddenly finds Annabelle to be, he has his sights set elsewhere. As the illegitimate son of an Earl who made his fortune by dint of his own hard work, he will never be truly accepted by the ton, which is something he has craved for years. His father openly acknowledged him and in fact spent just as much time with young Derek and his mother as he did with his “other”, aristocratic family, which naturally lead to much resentment on their part. When Derek was eighteen, his father died and his half-brother had him physically ejected from the funeral, something for which Knightly has never forgiven him. Ever since, he has been focused on forcing his brother and his brother’s world to accept him – and that ambition is now within his grasp. Lord Marsden, who is currently waging a war against newspapers and scandal sheets, will agree to leave the Weekly alone if Knightly will marry his sister, a young woman who has herself been the subject of much speculation and gossip due to an extended absence from town. Marrying Marsden’s sister will not only ensure Knightly’s entrée into high society, it will protect his business – but now the prospect of an alliance born of expediency is not such an attractive one – and certainly not as attractive as the prospect of an alliance born of something else entirely with Annabelle.
I enjoyed Seducing Mr Knightly much more than I did the first book in the series (A Groom of One’s Own). It’s warmer and funnier, the storytelling feels much more assured and the characterisation is more consistent. Annabelle never loses the essence of who she is, remaining kind, good-hearted and sometimes endearingly awkward, and while Knightly’s transformation from single-minded newspaper baron to a man who would risk all for love seems a little precipitous, he doesn’t undergo a major personality transplant, remaining dedicated to his work while admitting there’s been something missing in his life up until now.
Carolyn Morris has quickly become my preferred performer for light romantic comedy. Her narration is well-paced and she has a very attractive and naturalistic style of delivery that is a perfect complement to the material.
She has a terrific sense of comic timing, and a wonderful, dead-pan way of delivering the many ironic asides uttered by Annabelle throughout the story. Her Annabelle is appealingly vulnerable, but not without determination or courage, especially when she decides to put her heart on the line. Ms Morris voices her male characters attractively, by means of an alteration in tone without a much of a change in pitch. She injects a sense of forcefulness and purpose into Knightly’s voice by adding a slightly harder edge and a resonance which is satisfyingly authoritative, and adds a huskier note in the romantic scenes which works really well.
My one criticism here – as it was in the earlier audio in the series – is that it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between the other three Writing Girls. They are distinct from Annabelle, but I sometimes needed to listen to the textual indicators to determine just who was speaking. Ms Morris has an excellent repertoire of “character” voices (for older men and women, servants etc.) and uses several to good effect, but doesn’t always find sufficient variety for the more important secondary characters.
But that’s a fairly small issue considering those characters don’t appear together in more than two or three scenes, and when set against the fact that Ms Morris’ performance is excellent in all other respects.
October 20, 2012
Annabelle Swift has loved Derek Knightly, editor and owner of The London Weekly, for three years, six months, three weeks and two days, all without his notice. She has decided that now is the time to change this and asks the readers of her column, Dear Annabelle, for advice on gaining the attention of a man that pays you no mind. The answers pour in and Annabelle sets about trying out some of the suggestions. After a variety of attempts; lower bodices, smoldering glances, forgotten objects...it seems to be working as Knightly seems to be noticing her! Yet, he is courting a society lady, the last piece he needs to right the wrongs of his past. Knightly is confused to his new found feelings for Annabelle and his duty not just to himself, but also to his paper which is coming under heavy suspicion of fraud. Annabelle and her fellow Writing Girls decide she needs to attempt one last final grand gesture but when happiness finally seems attainable, the newspaper scandal blows up and it forces Annabelle to make a rash decision. How can Knightly show Annabelle the truth of his heart while holding on to all that he has built with his newspaper?
I just adore Maya Rodale's writing and Seducing Mr. Knightly is no exception! If you have read the previous books in this series, I'm sure you have been eagerly anticipating this story and, for the most part, it delivers. I loved watching Annabelle shed her quiet 'don't notice me' shell (I mean really, her family is just plain horrible to her) and bloom into a daring, courageous woman. Her attempts at seduction are both heart warming and amusing and she shares it all with her readers. Knightly for his part, comes out of his unobservant shell and starts to wonder if he could be the man Annabelle is questing after, which I was happy about. It was not a quick about face but a slow, realistic change and you can see them falling truly in love with each other, past the initial love at first sight. They both want to belong and together they find a way to find that with each other. With how smoking hot the cover is, I was a bit surprised that the heat factor is a bit on the lower side...however, as the story unfolds, it works and in the end, I really wasn't too disappointed. The romance is slower and sweet with delicious sexual tension and the payoff is wonderful. I really did not care for the ending and Annabelle's decision she made but oh, Knightly's attempt to fix it...totally hilarious and swoon worthy! I adored that! A solid conclusion to a fun, sexy series and I am a bit sad that we are saying good bye to these characters. Maya Rodale is on my auto buy list with this series due to her fabulous storytelling filled with charm, humor, sass, characters you can relate too and swoon worthy romance. 4 stars
eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss
I just adore Maya Rodale's writing and Seducing Mr. Knightly is no exception! If you have read the previous books in this series, I'm sure you have been eagerly anticipating this story and, for the most part, it delivers. I loved watching Annabelle shed her quiet 'don't notice me' shell (I mean really, her family is just plain horrible to her) and bloom into a daring, courageous woman. Her attempts at seduction are both heart warming and amusing and she shares it all with her readers. Knightly for his part, comes out of his unobservant shell and starts to wonder if he could be the man Annabelle is questing after, which I was happy about. It was not a quick about face but a slow, realistic change and you can see them falling truly in love with each other, past the initial love at first sight. They both want to belong and together they find a way to find that with each other. With how smoking hot the cover is, I was a bit surprised that the heat factor is a bit on the lower side...however, as the story unfolds, it works and in the end, I really wasn't too disappointed. The romance is slower and sweet with delicious sexual tension and the payoff is wonderful. I really did not care for the ending and Annabelle's decision she made but oh, Knightly's attempt to fix it...totally hilarious and swoon worthy! I adored that! A solid conclusion to a fun, sexy series and I am a bit sad that we are saying good bye to these characters. Maya Rodale is on my auto buy list with this series due to her fabulous storytelling filled with charm, humor, sass, characters you can relate too and swoon worthy romance. 4 stars
eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss
October 23, 2015
My historical romance binge continues with Seducing Mr. Knightly. I haven't read the other books of this series. To the best of my recollection, this is also my first Maya Rodale. I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone and enjoyed it enough I'll seek out the prior books. Fans of Cinderella type stories will enjoy it.
Annabelle Swift is the Dear Annabelle for The London Weekly, a newspaper run my Mr. Derrick Knightly. Knightly is the bastard son of an Earl. He has managed to find fortune and influence as the head of a popular paper but still wants entry to the ton as denied him by his birth. Annabelle has loved her boss from afar for more than 3 years. She is tired of waiting to be noticed, so she reaches out to her loyal readers for advice on how to attract a man's attention. This begins an attempt at romance by a shy woman to a man who has his own problems - big problems like reporters being arrested and newspapers under attack by the government. Will Annabelle's attempts work? Will Knightly save his paper? Better get a copy of the next addition of The London Weekly to find out.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked Annabelle and the female friendships between all the women who work at the paper, "The Writing Girls." Knightly is also well developed, and I enjoyed seeing his friendships and relationship with his mother. The anachronistic plot = 5 stars. Unfortunately, this is the next book in a long list from this year where I've wondered if a first draft was accidentally published instead of a finished, edited copy. Phrases and descriptions are repeated numerous times. A few times for emphasis are OK, but at some point it becomes the set up for a drinking game. I found some jarring typos, such as "congratulations" used instead of "congratulate." As much as I enjoyed the story, -2 stars for writing and editing.
Fans of Tessa Dare should check this out.
Annabelle Swift is the Dear Annabelle for The London Weekly, a newspaper run my Mr. Derrick Knightly. Knightly is the bastard son of an Earl. He has managed to find fortune and influence as the head of a popular paper but still wants entry to the ton as denied him by his birth. Annabelle has loved her boss from afar for more than 3 years. She is tired of waiting to be noticed, so she reaches out to her loyal readers for advice on how to attract a man's attention. This begins an attempt at romance by a shy woman to a man who has his own problems - big problems like reporters being arrested and newspapers under attack by the government. Will Annabelle's attempts work? Will Knightly save his paper? Better get a copy of the next addition of The London Weekly to find out.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked Annabelle and the female friendships between all the women who work at the paper, "The Writing Girls." Knightly is also well developed, and I enjoyed seeing his friendships and relationship with his mother. The anachronistic plot = 5 stars. Unfortunately, this is the next book in a long list from this year where I've wondered if a first draft was accidentally published instead of a finished, edited copy. Phrases and descriptions are repeated numerous times. A few times for emphasis are OK, but at some point it becomes the set up for a drinking game. I found some jarring typos, such as "congratulations" used instead of "congratulate." As much as I enjoyed the story, -2 stars for writing and editing.
Fans of Tessa Dare should check this out.
November 2, 2012
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.mayarodale.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4, Writing Girls Series
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love
Pet Peeves: “Noble Sacrifice” that does nothing but hurt everyone involved.
I’ve been waiting on this book ever since I picked up the first installment of the series, and couldn’t resist snagging a copy as soon as I saw it was available.
I truly adored Annabelle’s transformation from invisible wallflower to Interesting Female, and the blockhead (nodcock lol) Mr. Knightly’s complete and utter ignorance of her crush on him love for him.
What I didn’t love, however, was Annabelle’s “Grand Gesture” (was a little TOO bold, even for the “new” Annabelle) or her “Great Sacrifice” (which made me want to beat her about the head with a stick). Still, it was very much in keeping with the overall tone of the series, and I enjoyed it greatly.
Recommended for fans of unrequited love, of shy heroines discovering their own courage, and of finding out that what you want isn’t always what you need.
A very solid 4/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.mayarodale.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4, Writing Girls Series
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love
Pet Peeves: “Noble Sacrifice” that does nothing but hurt everyone involved.
I’ve been waiting on this book ever since I picked up the first installment of the series, and couldn’t resist snagging a copy as soon as I saw it was available.
I truly adored Annabelle’s transformation from invisible wallflower to Interesting Female, and the blockhead (nodcock lol) Mr. Knightly’s complete and utter ignorance of her crush on him love for him.
What I didn’t love, however, was Annabelle’s “Grand Gesture” (was a little TOO bold, even for the “new” Annabelle) or her “Great Sacrifice” (which made me want to beat her about the head with a stick). Still, it was very much in keeping with the overall tone of the series, and I enjoyed it greatly.
Recommended for fans of unrequited love, of shy heroines discovering their own courage, and of finding out that what you want isn’t always what you need.
A very solid 4/5 Stars
November 12, 2012
DNF. I got about 70% through simply because I needed something to read to get me to sleep since exams is stressing me out but sadly this one just didn't cut it for me. Too bad because it had a great premise! Quiet, shy Annabelle is sick to death of pining away for her clueless, sexy, self-made Editor and decides to take charge and seduce him.
It had so much potential to be wonderful, but never actually rose to the occasion sadly. There just didn't seem to be any real connection between these characters.
Annabelle is crazy in love with the H, but the only reason we're given is that he hired her and gave her a chance when no one else did. Knightly's motive in hiring of her and her fellow gal writers at the paper is purely commercial rather than altruistic- to sell papers. Knightly's driving ambition in life is wealth and recognition, he's wooing a blue blooded lady so he may gain acceptance from his half brother.
Knightly starts noticing Annabelle when she starts wearing low cut tops and getting attention from other guys and gets hit with a flood of jealousy and lust- even if I could with-hold my eyeroll at this cliche'd plot device,by the time these two about to hit the sheets, and there was still barely any development- I had to stop reading.
If you're looking for something with a similar plot, but with more substance, I'd recommend Laura Lee Ghurke's "And then he kissed her."
It had so much potential to be wonderful, but never actually rose to the occasion sadly. There just didn't seem to be any real connection between these characters.
Annabelle is crazy in love with the H, but the only reason we're given is that he hired her and gave her a chance when no one else did. Knightly's motive in hiring of her and her fellow gal writers at the paper is purely commercial rather than altruistic- to sell papers. Knightly's driving ambition in life is wealth and recognition, he's wooing a blue blooded lady so he may gain acceptance from his half brother.
Knightly starts noticing Annabelle when she starts wearing low cut tops and getting attention from other guys and gets hit with a flood of jealousy and lust- even if I could with-hold my eyeroll at this cliche'd plot device,by the time these two about to hit the sheets, and there was still barely any development- I had to stop reading.
If you're looking for something with a similar plot, but with more substance, I'd recommend Laura Lee Ghurke's "And then he kissed her."
November 5, 2012
4 Stars (only for the heroine)
Yes, the hero is a huge nodcock but the heroine stole the show. I absolutely loved her! Her little schemes and plots were hilarious to read about and I just can't tell you how much fun I had reading about her. Two words: utterly adorable. But yeah, derek was an oblivious nodcock and no one special but at least he got his act together by the end.
Yes, the hero is a huge nodcock but the heroine stole the show. I absolutely loved her! Her little schemes and plots were hilarious to read about and I just can't tell you how much fun I had reading about her. Two words: utterly adorable. But yeah, derek was an oblivious nodcock and no one special but at least he got his act together by the end.
November 12, 2012
Okay, so I know that Seducing Mr Knighly isn't going to win any prizes for originality, but I found it to be sweet, funny, sexy and rather charming.
While the story of "wallflower suffers unrequited love for gorgeous man she's known for years" isn't new, I did like the way that Annabelle decided to try to do something about it; in fact, it was rather refreshing to see a (supposedly) dowdy and unpreposessing character determine to get out there and change her life rather than bowing to the weight of oppression.
The hero and heroine were - for the most part - engaging characters (apart from when Derek the Nodcock suggested Annabelle use her womanly wiles in order to keep Lord Marsden off his back); and while Knighly's transformation from single-minded newspaper baron to a man prepared to throw it all over for the woman he loves may have happened a bit quickly, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story overall.
Maya Rodale writes with a light touch and a great deal of humour. There is some sizzling sexual tension between the H/H, and I particularly enjoyed reading about a heroine who, despite her insecurities, had the guts to go for what she wanted without suffering any missish guilt-trips.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
With thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
While the story of "wallflower suffers unrequited love for gorgeous man she's known for years" isn't new, I did like the way that Annabelle decided to try to do something about it; in fact, it was rather refreshing to see a (supposedly) dowdy and unpreposessing character determine to get out there and change her life rather than bowing to the weight of oppression.
The hero and heroine were - for the most part - engaging characters (apart from when Derek the Nodcock suggested Annabelle use her womanly wiles in order to keep Lord Marsden off his back); and while Knighly's transformation from single-minded newspaper baron to a man prepared to throw it all over for the woman he loves may have happened a bit quickly, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story overall.
Maya Rodale writes with a light touch and a great deal of humour. There is some sizzling sexual tension between the H/H, and I particularly enjoyed reading about a heroine who, despite her insecurities, had the guts to go for what she wanted without suffering any missish guilt-trips.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
With thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
September 4, 2016
Enjoyable 3/4 book, the other 1/4 dragged a bit.
4*
4*
September 26, 2017
I just finished the last book in this series and I'm sad to leave the Writing Girls - they are a fun group of intrepid females working in Regency era London for a paper that is progressive enough it hires females.
All the books in the series are good, but I liked this one best because we have been lead to it throughout the first three books. We are made aware of Annabelle's infatuation with Mr. Knightly, owner/publisher/editor of "The London Weekly" from the very first book. Annabelle has been a prominent friend to the other girls and her character developed superficially. In this book, we get some surprises and it's very entertaining.
Derek Knightly...well you get why Annabelle is infatuated with him to a certain extent. He's been portrayed as a ruthless editor willing to do anything for a great story in prior books but he is Annabelle's focus in this book and we learn a lot about him.
I loved this story - so funny and sweet. The entire series was great and will most likely read again!
All the books in the series are good, but I liked this one best because we have been lead to it throughout the first three books. We are made aware of Annabelle's infatuation with Mr. Knightly, owner/publisher/editor of "The London Weekly" from the very first book. Annabelle has been a prominent friend to the other girls and her character developed superficially. In this book, we get some surprises and it's very entertaining.
Derek Knightly...well you get why Annabelle is infatuated with him to a certain extent. He's been portrayed as a ruthless editor willing to do anything for a great story in prior books but he is Annabelle's focus in this book and we learn a lot about him.
I loved this story - so funny and sweet. The entire series was great and will most likely read again!
October 31, 2022
oh dear sweet annabelle swift - truly the mastermind to her very own love story 💍
June 1, 2019
Loved it
Thank you for writing another wonderful book. I was starting to wonder if I just didn’t like romance anymore, and then I looked through the books I had read for an author I liked and tried again and you did not disappoint.
Thank you for writing another wonderful book. I was starting to wonder if I just didn’t like romance anymore, and then I looked through the books I had read for an author I liked and tried again and you did not disappoint.
February 19, 2022
This is definitely my favorite of the series. Knightly is definitely a "nodcock" as Annabelle calls him in the column, and it's pretty hilarious watching him puzzle everything out. Annabelle is wonderful, because even though she really is shy and uncertain and wanting to please, she still is brave enough to step outside her comfort zone to get what she wants. The interactions with the side characters add to the humor and the sense of family that is the Weekly writers.
August 25, 2023
Someone needs to gift Derek some spectacles because my dude is BLIND.
September 28, 2022
This was a cute book. Apparently part of a series, which I’d definitely like to read. Funny and sweet. Very much enjoyed
April 22, 2018
Well, I just loved this one. It was simply adorable and I’m so happy to have read it.
July 11, 2017
The fourth book on the series Writing Girls by Maya Rodale.
The story is centered on Annabelle Swift, the last Writing Girl that still remains unmarried. She is the one on charge of the Dear Annabelle section of The London Weekly, a newspaper. She is in love with Derek Knightly, Chief and owner of the newspaper she is working at and her secret (only to Mr. Knightly) love interest.
With that short introduction you know what it follows... the heroine road to find mutual love, but what a funny road.
As Annabelle is a very shy girl, she has to overcome her own timid personality and start to woo the person she loves. So all starts after a note she receives from Derek to present her next column and as she doesn't have a clue as to how gain his attention, she asks her readers for advise.
What follows is the most interesting and funny advises that people could give her.
I gave 4 stars to this novel because we see the development of Annabelle, from a shy and timid woman to one with more spine and decision. She gains self-confidence and even still soft spoken, she knows that she is in love and that she cannot be waiting all her life for that love to call on her door, that she has to pursue and win it with her own beautiful self (as there is family that treats her as a mere maid, since she is living at her brother's with his family, a bit cinderella-ish)
What I also like is after every time she tries to gain some attention from Derek, she doesn't cow and gives up, she knows that it will be hard, but to conquer you have to fight.
As for the Hero, Derek is a self-made man, he started his newspaper and has everything he wanted until some difficulties with a scandal with disguised reporters starts a war between the nobelty and newspapers. Distracted by this, he needs the help of a noble, here comes Lord Marsden.
With his empire in danger, he is a bit distracted to pay attention on Annabelle's campain to win him over (and a very public one, as he is publishing it on Dear Annabelle advises section). Because of his background his only worry is his empire, so that makes it more credible the level of difficulty that Annabelle has to face.
I think her writing is interesting and fast, well made descriptions, funny and witty dialogues, not a boring word as I was reading.
I read it because of the plot, and it was even more than I hoped.
I gave 4 stars and not 5 for the only reason that one time or two I was having murderous intentions toward Derek (or at least to hit his head) for being so hard-headed as to keep his empire before the sincere love of a good woman.
I sincerely recommend the lecture of this book.
** Excuse me for any misspelling or grammar error, as English is not my first language.
The story is centered on Annabelle Swift, the last Writing Girl that still remains unmarried. She is the one on charge of the Dear Annabelle section of The London Weekly, a newspaper. She is in love with Derek Knightly, Chief and owner of the newspaper she is working at and her secret (only to Mr. Knightly) love interest.
With that short introduction you know what it follows... the heroine road to find mutual love, but what a funny road.
As Annabelle is a very shy girl, she has to overcome her own timid personality and start to woo the person she loves. So all starts after a note she receives from Derek to present her next column and as she doesn't have a clue as to how gain his attention, she asks her readers for advise.
What follows is the most interesting and funny advises that people could give her.
I gave 4 stars to this novel because we see the development of Annabelle, from a shy and timid woman to one with more spine and decision. She gains self-confidence and even still soft spoken, she knows that she is in love and that she cannot be waiting all her life for that love to call on her door, that she has to pursue and win it with her own beautiful self (as there is family that treats her as a mere maid, since she is living at her brother's with his family, a bit cinderella-ish)
What I also like is after every time she tries to gain some attention from Derek, she doesn't cow and gives up, she knows that it will be hard, but to conquer you have to fight.
As for the Hero, Derek is a self-made man, he started his newspaper and has everything he wanted until some difficulties with a scandal with disguised reporters starts a war between the nobelty and newspapers. Distracted by this, he needs the help of a noble, here comes Lord Marsden.
With his empire in danger, he is a bit distracted to pay attention on Annabelle's campain to win him over (and a very public one, as he is publishing it on Dear Annabelle advises section). Because of his background his only worry is his empire, so that makes it more credible the level of difficulty that Annabelle has to face.
I think her writing is interesting and fast, well made descriptions, funny and witty dialogues, not a boring word as I was reading.
I read it because of the plot, and it was even more than I hoped.
I gave 4 stars and not 5 for the only reason that one time or two I was having murderous intentions toward Derek (or at least to hit his head) for being so hard-headed as to keep his empire before the sincere love of a good woman.
I sincerely recommend the lecture of this book.
** Excuse me for any misspelling or grammar error, as English is not my first language.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2012
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
There aren't enough words to express just how much I LOVED this book. When I read Seducing Mr. Knightly I was in a reading slump and it quickly pulled me out and has definitely made my list of favorite books for 2012. This book was superb and it just reminds me why I love Maya Rodale's work so much. I couldn't seem stop myself once I started reading this book. It was just so consuming and just so very good.
Annabelle works as a advice columnist at The London Weekly and has been in love with the owner/editor in chief Derek Knightly for the past four years. Determined to finally gain his attention, she writes to her readers asking for their advice on how to attract his attention. With all of the suggestions pouring in, Annabelle quickly begins to take action. From wearing more enticing gowns with lower bodices to pretending to faint into his arms, Annabelle is willing to try anything to get Derek's attention.
Derek has never really noticed Annabelle outside of the fact that she was one of his infamous lady writers. But for someone reason lately she's been starting to stand out and he can't seem to get her off of his mind. When it's brought to his attention that Annabelle has sought out help from her readers to gain the attentions of a certain "nodcock" he can't help but wonder who exactly she is pursuing and why does the thought of her with another man seem to make him jealous?
I loved, loved, loved these two together. I found the build up to their relationship to be sweet. Annabelle has been in love with Derek for what seems like forever and I loved that everyone knows but him. I liked that their relationship wasn't rushed and we were able to see the growth between them.
I liked that this book had quite a lot of humor in it. Some of the scenes with Derek and Annabelle are really quite hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Both characters were fun to read and I loved getting to know them both. Both Annabelle and Derek were such a great match and I really enjoyed their HEA.
Like I said before, this book is definitely one of my favorites of the year and I definitely can't wait to read more from Mrs. Rodale. I just love the way she is able to mix humor in her books while still making it feel sexy and romantic.
**ARC copy provided by Edeleweiss**
There aren't enough words to express just how much I LOVED this book. When I read Seducing Mr. Knightly I was in a reading slump and it quickly pulled me out and has definitely made my list of favorite books for 2012. This book was superb and it just reminds me why I love Maya Rodale's work so much. I couldn't seem stop myself once I started reading this book. It was just so consuming and just so very good.
Annabelle works as a advice columnist at The London Weekly and has been in love with the owner/editor in chief Derek Knightly for the past four years. Determined to finally gain his attention, she writes to her readers asking for their advice on how to attract his attention. With all of the suggestions pouring in, Annabelle quickly begins to take action. From wearing more enticing gowns with lower bodices to pretending to faint into his arms, Annabelle is willing to try anything to get Derek's attention.
Derek has never really noticed Annabelle outside of the fact that she was one of his infamous lady writers. But for someone reason lately she's been starting to stand out and he can't seem to get her off of his mind. When it's brought to his attention that Annabelle has sought out help from her readers to gain the attentions of a certain "nodcock" he can't help but wonder who exactly she is pursuing and why does the thought of her with another man seem to make him jealous?
I loved, loved, loved these two together. I found the build up to their relationship to be sweet. Annabelle has been in love with Derek for what seems like forever and I loved that everyone knows but him. I liked that their relationship wasn't rushed and we were able to see the growth between them.
I liked that this book had quite a lot of humor in it. Some of the scenes with Derek and Annabelle are really quite hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Both characters were fun to read and I loved getting to know them both. Both Annabelle and Derek were such a great match and I really enjoyed their HEA.
Like I said before, this book is definitely one of my favorites of the year and I definitely can't wait to read more from Mrs. Rodale. I just love the way she is able to mix humor in her books while still making it feel sexy and romantic.
**ARC copy provided by Edeleweiss**
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