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London Explorers #2
Discovery of Desire
AN EXPLORER LOST...
To the East India Company, he's the ideal explorer: unwed, uncomplaining, strong as an ox and profitable. There's nothing Seth Mayhew can’t find—until his sister disappears en route to India. The expedition is the first he fears he may fail, until he discovers a valuable, and irresistible, ally sailing on the same ship to Bombay.
A LADY FOUND...
But Wilhelmina Adams is on an expedition of her own—for a husband. With six sisters, no dowry and no marriage prospects in her Derbyshire village, Bombay promises a husband and security. But assisting a dangerously distracting explorer won’t improve her prospects.
A LOVE DISCOVERED…
It’s an inevitable partnership, but the winds of fate are ever changing. Adventures that begin in the bazaars of Bombay can diverge to the slums of London and patchwork fields of England. And at each port of call, Seth and Mina will have to risk everything to unearth the heart’s greatest prize.
PRAISE FOR DISCOVERY OF DESIRE:
KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: "If you like your romance with the sweetness of Mary Balogh's novels, or the anguish of Sherry Thomas,' this is one to cherish..."
RT ROMANTIC TIMES: "Continuing her Explorer series with an emotional romance with unforgettable and unconventional characters, she captivates readers and ignites their imaginations." 4 STARS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “[A] charming Victorian-era tale of romantic destiny… Lord incorporates entertaining and evocative period language while crafting an original story that transcends the historical-romance formula.”
To the East India Company, he's the ideal explorer: unwed, uncomplaining, strong as an ox and profitable. There's nothing Seth Mayhew can’t find—until his sister disappears en route to India. The expedition is the first he fears he may fail, until he discovers a valuable, and irresistible, ally sailing on the same ship to Bombay.
A LADY FOUND...
But Wilhelmina Adams is on an expedition of her own—for a husband. With six sisters, no dowry and no marriage prospects in her Derbyshire village, Bombay promises a husband and security. But assisting a dangerously distracting explorer won’t improve her prospects.
A LOVE DISCOVERED…
It’s an inevitable partnership, but the winds of fate are ever changing. Adventures that begin in the bazaars of Bombay can diverge to the slums of London and patchwork fields of England. And at each port of call, Seth and Mina will have to risk everything to unearth the heart’s greatest prize.
PRAISE FOR DISCOVERY OF DESIRE:
KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: "If you like your romance with the sweetness of Mary Balogh's novels, or the anguish of Sherry Thomas,' this is one to cherish..."
RT ROMANTIC TIMES: "Continuing her Explorer series with an emotional romance with unforgettable and unconventional characters, she captivates readers and ignites their imaginations." 4 STARS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “[A] charming Victorian-era tale of romantic destiny… Lord incorporates entertaining and evocative period language while crafting an original story that transcends the historical-romance formula.”
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
About the author
Susanne Lord
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 18, 2017
2,5 Stars
Coming from the rather disappointing experience of book 1, In Search of Scandal, I nonetheless decided to give the series another try as the writing had been quite good and Discovery of Desire's synopsis sounded intriguing, but unfortunately I encountered a couple of major quibbles that prevented me from assigning this book anything higher than a barely middling rating.
For a romance featuring a daring explorer on a mission to find his missing sister and a "venture girl" sailed to 1850 India in order to catch a husband among the British expats, the story dragged along with a slow pace becoming quite boring in several chunks, while the historical setting never felt effectively portrayed.
Seth and Mina meet a soon as they land feet on the deck in Bombay and from there on, the mutual attraction grows on par with the constant self-doubting and the low-voltage "fretting" angst, not my favourite kind of fictional couple. I especially had problems with Seth, being decidedly hero-centric, and his listless nature. He was endearing at times, all right, but he was so little proactive and not believable as this adventurous man he was supposed to be.
The romance as a whole was sweet, but burdened down by sappy dialogues and by the passive attitude both the leads show throughout. And if the writing was technically very good, it was also often repetitive in the expressions and adjectives used.
As for book 1, Discovery of Desire too offered so much potential, but I still think plot and characterisations need more focus and strength. I may try book 3 in the series, hoping the interesting premise finally delivers.
Coming from the rather disappointing experience of book 1, In Search of Scandal, I nonetheless decided to give the series another try as the writing had been quite good and Discovery of Desire's synopsis sounded intriguing, but unfortunately I encountered a couple of major quibbles that prevented me from assigning this book anything higher than a barely middling rating.
For a romance featuring a daring explorer on a mission to find his missing sister and a "venture girl" sailed to 1850 India in order to catch a husband among the British expats, the story dragged along with a slow pace becoming quite boring in several chunks, while the historical setting never felt effectively portrayed.
Seth and Mina meet a soon as they land feet on the deck in Bombay and from there on, the mutual attraction grows on par with the constant self-doubting and the low-voltage "fretting" angst, not my favourite kind of fictional couple. I especially had problems with Seth, being decidedly hero-centric, and his listless nature. He was endearing at times, all right, but he was so little proactive and not believable as this adventurous man he was supposed to be.
The romance as a whole was sweet, but burdened down by sappy dialogues and by the passive attitude both the leads show throughout. And if the writing was technically very good, it was also often repetitive in the expressions and adjectives used.
As for book 1, Discovery of Desire too offered so much potential, but I still think plot and characterisations need more focus and strength. I may try book 3 in the series, hoping the interesting premise finally delivers.
November 19, 2016
Susanne Lord impressed me last year with her début novel, In Search of Scandal, in which she crafted a strongly characterised, well-developed and angsty romance between a couple who were just a bit out of the ordinary. I have therefore been eagerly awaiting her follow-up novel, in which one of the secondary characters picks up a major plotline begun in the previous story. Seth Mayhew is an explorer and plant-collector who has worked alongside Will Repton (hero of In Search of Scandal) in the past, but was not part of the ill-fated expedition whose fate so haunted Will and during which Seth’s sister, Georgiana, an experienced botanical illustrator, went missing. Will had been about to mount another expedition to China in order to search for Georgie and the baby she is believed to have saved, but Seth insisted on going in his place; it’s his sister who is lost and it’s important that he be the one to find her.
Discovery of Desire opens as Seth arrives in Bombay to meet the guide and translator recommended to him by Will. Seth anticipates trouble from the start; Tom Grant is expecting Will Repton for one thing, and for another Seth’s plans to get out of Bombay and on the road after his sister don’t fit in with Grant’s need to remain in India. Seth wants to begin the search for Georgie right away and is prepared to do anything in order to find her, but it’s very quickly clear that he is going to be up against much more than difficult terrain and the potentially hostile environment he will encounter on his travels. Before he can get going, he has to navigate the political minefield that is the East India Company in order to obtain support and information from the more influential among “John Company’s” employees. Unfortunately, Seth’s outgoing, gregarious manner doesn’t win him many –if any – friends among the men who are, if anything, even more highly conscious of etiquette and social position than they would have been in any London drawing room.
Wilhelmina Adams is one of a large group of “venture girls” who have sailed to India in search of husbands. Her sister, Emma, has a fiancé awaiting her while Mina has a sort of understanding with Tom Grant, and is quite ready to marry him, even if it’s only so she can be near her sister. The problem is that the moment she sets eyes on Seth Mayhew, she recognises a sudden and potentially dangerous temptation to deviate from her purpose. With his six-foot-three frame, laughing green eyes, naturally flirtatious manner and genuine concern for others, Seth is a far too gorgeous a distraction for a woman intent on marrying to provide security, both for herself and her six sisters.
As for Seth, well, he falls for Mina practically the minute he lays eyes on her as she rallies all the other young ladies and tries to bolster their spirits as they get their first sight of the country that will be their home and the strangers who are to be their husbands. But even if Mina hadn’t been there to marry someone else, Seth can’t afford to support a wife and family, and his way of life isn’t one that’s conducive to matrimony. He tells himself she’ll be better off with Tom. Now he just needs to convince himself – and Mina – that it’s the truth.
I admit that I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. It’s slow to start and while Seth and Mina are both admirable characters, it took me a while to warm to them. Seth is a large, open-hearted and affable man who doesn’t always think before he speaks or acts, and at times, he comes across as a bit dim. I found it difficult to equate the man we were told had risked life and limb on numerous occasions, surviving because of his quick wits and intelligence with the Seth that was presented to me on the page. He’s a lovely man, no question; he’s caring and compassionate, genuinely interested in Mina and what she has to say, and he really does want the best for her (even though it might not be what she wants for herself) – but for all his kindness and goodness, his thoughts are often disjointed and he is, for want of a better expression, all over the place.
Fortunately for Seth, Mina is a “managing type”, and determines to help him in any way she can. She does this in quiet, subtle ways, such as involving the other ladies of the “fishing fleet” (the somewhat derogatory name given to the groups of young English women who regularly sailed to India in order to seek husbands from amongst the employees of the East India Company) who in turn ask their new beaux for help, or by simply helping Seth to organise his thoughts and himself a little more. In that way, they complement each other perfectly; they are attuned to one another from very early on and the attraction between them is very well written and developed. The conflict in the story and in their relationship really stems from just two things; Seth’s lack of funds and Mina’s need for security for herself and her family. This is a very genuine concern at a time when there were no financial “safety nets” for people who were not well off. If they didn’t support themselves, they starved, went to workhouses or resorted to illegal activities in order to survive, so a couple who can’t be together because of a lack of money is completely plausible. But … it’s a bit prosaic for a romance novel. I recognise that the line between not enough drama and too much of it is a fine and difficult one to tread, but I’d have welcomed a little more of it here.
The pacing in the last third of the novel picks up and does supply a little more of the drama I’d been craving, as Seth and Mina return – separately – to England and Seth seeks to overcome his money troubles sufficiently to be able to ask Mina to marry him. But this leads me to what is probably the novel’s biggest stumbling block. Seth, while he’s a handsome, kind and caring man just doesn’t cut the mustard as a romance novel hero. He’s not particularly pro-active; all the good things that happen to him happen as the result of the actions of others and I can’t help feeling that had he been left to his own devices, he’d have spent the whole book trying to drum up support and getting nowhere in Bombay. He’s also a bit too self-deprecating and as a result, he’s quick to accept defeat, whether it’s in his financial dealings towards the end of the book or in the way he feels himself unworthy to ask for Mina’s hand, and that’s partly because he lacks the self-confidence to believe he deserves anything better.
On the positive side, I really liked Mina. She’s level-headed and loyal, and I liked the dynamic Ms. Lord has created between her and her sisters, especially Emma who is obviously a little bit fragile. The relationship between Mina and Seth is also incredibly well written; the emotional connection between them is strong and the sense of despair they both feel at having found “the one” only to realise they can’t be together is just as heart-breaking for the reader as it is for the characters.
For a second novel, Discovery of Desire is extremely accomplished and Ms. Lord’s ability to convey strong and complex emotions is what elevates it into the above average bracket. But it’s a book I am appreciating with my head rather than my heart; the writing is terrific, the protagonists are wonderfully supportive of each other and well-matched, the secondary characters are well-drawn and intriguing, the historical background is interesting and I loved the setting. But as I tend to be a hero-centric reader, I can’t get past my disappointment over Seth’s lack of agency – which is why, in spite of all the things the book has going for it, I can’t rate it more highly. I do, however, remain convinced that Susanne Lord is an exciting and talented new voice in historical romance, and will certainly be on the lookout for her next book.
Discovery of Desire opens as Seth arrives in Bombay to meet the guide and translator recommended to him by Will. Seth anticipates trouble from the start; Tom Grant is expecting Will Repton for one thing, and for another Seth’s plans to get out of Bombay and on the road after his sister don’t fit in with Grant’s need to remain in India. Seth wants to begin the search for Georgie right away and is prepared to do anything in order to find her, but it’s very quickly clear that he is going to be up against much more than difficult terrain and the potentially hostile environment he will encounter on his travels. Before he can get going, he has to navigate the political minefield that is the East India Company in order to obtain support and information from the more influential among “John Company’s” employees. Unfortunately, Seth’s outgoing, gregarious manner doesn’t win him many –if any – friends among the men who are, if anything, even more highly conscious of etiquette and social position than they would have been in any London drawing room.
Wilhelmina Adams is one of a large group of “venture girls” who have sailed to India in search of husbands. Her sister, Emma, has a fiancé awaiting her while Mina has a sort of understanding with Tom Grant, and is quite ready to marry him, even if it’s only so she can be near her sister. The problem is that the moment she sets eyes on Seth Mayhew, she recognises a sudden and potentially dangerous temptation to deviate from her purpose. With his six-foot-three frame, laughing green eyes, naturally flirtatious manner and genuine concern for others, Seth is a far too gorgeous a distraction for a woman intent on marrying to provide security, both for herself and her six sisters.
As for Seth, well, he falls for Mina practically the minute he lays eyes on her as she rallies all the other young ladies and tries to bolster their spirits as they get their first sight of the country that will be their home and the strangers who are to be their husbands. But even if Mina hadn’t been there to marry someone else, Seth can’t afford to support a wife and family, and his way of life isn’t one that’s conducive to matrimony. He tells himself she’ll be better off with Tom. Now he just needs to convince himself – and Mina – that it’s the truth.
I admit that I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. It’s slow to start and while Seth and Mina are both admirable characters, it took me a while to warm to them. Seth is a large, open-hearted and affable man who doesn’t always think before he speaks or acts, and at times, he comes across as a bit dim. I found it difficult to equate the man we were told had risked life and limb on numerous occasions, surviving because of his quick wits and intelligence with the Seth that was presented to me on the page. He’s a lovely man, no question; he’s caring and compassionate, genuinely interested in Mina and what she has to say, and he really does want the best for her (even though it might not be what she wants for herself) – but for all his kindness and goodness, his thoughts are often disjointed and he is, for want of a better expression, all over the place.
Fortunately for Seth, Mina is a “managing type”, and determines to help him in any way she can. She does this in quiet, subtle ways, such as involving the other ladies of the “fishing fleet” (the somewhat derogatory name given to the groups of young English women who regularly sailed to India in order to seek husbands from amongst the employees of the East India Company) who in turn ask their new beaux for help, or by simply helping Seth to organise his thoughts and himself a little more. In that way, they complement each other perfectly; they are attuned to one another from very early on and the attraction between them is very well written and developed. The conflict in the story and in their relationship really stems from just two things; Seth’s lack of funds and Mina’s need for security for herself and her family. This is a very genuine concern at a time when there were no financial “safety nets” for people who were not well off. If they didn’t support themselves, they starved, went to workhouses or resorted to illegal activities in order to survive, so a couple who can’t be together because of a lack of money is completely plausible. But … it’s a bit prosaic for a romance novel. I recognise that the line between not enough drama and too much of it is a fine and difficult one to tread, but I’d have welcomed a little more of it here.
The pacing in the last third of the novel picks up and does supply a little more of the drama I’d been craving, as Seth and Mina return – separately – to England and Seth seeks to overcome his money troubles sufficiently to be able to ask Mina to marry him. But this leads me to what is probably the novel’s biggest stumbling block. Seth, while he’s a handsome, kind and caring man just doesn’t cut the mustard as a romance novel hero. He’s not particularly pro-active; all the good things that happen to him happen as the result of the actions of others and I can’t help feeling that had he been left to his own devices, he’d have spent the whole book trying to drum up support and getting nowhere in Bombay. He’s also a bit too self-deprecating and as a result, he’s quick to accept defeat, whether it’s in his financial dealings towards the end of the book or in the way he feels himself unworthy to ask for Mina’s hand, and that’s partly because he lacks the self-confidence to believe he deserves anything better.
On the positive side, I really liked Mina. She’s level-headed and loyal, and I liked the dynamic Ms. Lord has created between her and her sisters, especially Emma who is obviously a little bit fragile. The relationship between Mina and Seth is also incredibly well written; the emotional connection between them is strong and the sense of despair they both feel at having found “the one” only to realise they can’t be together is just as heart-breaking for the reader as it is for the characters.
For a second novel, Discovery of Desire is extremely accomplished and Ms. Lord’s ability to convey strong and complex emotions is what elevates it into the above average bracket. But it’s a book I am appreciating with my head rather than my heart; the writing is terrific, the protagonists are wonderfully supportive of each other and well-matched, the secondary characters are well-drawn and intriguing, the historical background is interesting and I loved the setting. But as I tend to be a hero-centric reader, I can’t get past my disappointment over Seth’s lack of agency – which is why, in spite of all the things the book has going for it, I can’t rate it more highly. I do, however, remain convinced that Susanne Lord is an exciting and talented new voice in historical romance, and will certainly be on the lookout for her next book.
September 26, 2017
A bit too much of a scattered feeling with a hero and his flirty happy-go-lucky attitude who is supposed to be an adventurer but we don't get to see much adventuring. Heroine was a great managing get things done and pragmatic "can't live on love", which also made the story lose a little romance.
First half seemed to meander pretty slowly as their situations were gone over and over without much advancement.
The writing is good but the structure and pace needed work.
First half seemed to meander pretty slowly as their situations were gone over and over without much advancement.
The writing is good but the structure and pace needed work.
April 18, 2018
(This is a slightly "spoilerish" review that I wrote and posted on Amazon in 2016.)
When I read Susanne Lord's first book in this London Explorers series it seemed to me that she was a promising new writer to look out for. That's why this second book has been a disappointment. It did not satisfy me on so many levels. (1) The H sadly lacked the characteristics I look for in a storybook hero. (2) The exotic locale was sadly underused. (3) Nothing happened in the whole book except a bunch of dithering about love and commitment.
Brief summary of plot: As the second in Lord's series, this one begins almost where #1 left off. The explorer hero of the first book, who was the survivor of a massacre in Tibet, finds True Love in London and is hesitant to return to Asia to search for the only other known survivor of that massacre: a young child. So Seth Mayhew, this book's hero, volunteers to go in his place because his sister George, a botanical illustrator with a British expedition in China, had gone to rescue that child and now both appear to have disappeared.
So this book finds Seth and heroine Wilhelmina Adams and her sister Emma on the same ship headed for Bombay, George's supposed destination and also the destination for Mina and Emma and 46 other "Venture" women headed there as wives for British men stationed in Bombay. They arrive and are often in each other's company because Mina's intended groom, Thomas Grant, is the man Seth has hired to be his guide and interpreter as he searches for his sister. And so the story goes.
Thomas is a strangely unenthusiastic suitor for Mina's hand. Emma's groom-to-be is nowhere in sight. And Seth is clueless about how to go looking for his sister. Not to mention that Seth and Mina have an instant attraction that must, must, must be denied. So we run in place (more like "walk") for most of the book. Nothing much happens.
Seth is sweet, I guess, but he's an indecisive, dithering do-nothing. He's supposed to be looking for his sister but just hangs around Bombay doing very little to accomplish that goal. And he spends too much time being attracted to Mina and thinking and saying that they can never be a couple because he has nothing to offer a woman. This goes on for the entire book. No, we can't marry. You should marry someone else. Oops, we're having sex. Maybe we should marry. Oops, we're having more sex. But then maybe we shouldn't marry. Oops... You get the idea.
He drove me crazy with his indecisiveness, his lack of initiative, and his self doubt. Not to mention he's a "winker" (yes, that's with an I, not an A). Guys who flirt by winking and handing out cheesy compliments don't sit well with me and Seth is in that group. That's about all he does in the book, flirt and wink. He doesn't even "find" George. She's more or less found for him. Even when it's time to fight an injustice done to him back in England, he doesn't take the initiative. His friends do almost everything for him.
As for the exotic location of Bombay, it was badly underused. They might as well have been in Canada. There were bride ships to there also and George and the young child could have been lost in the Canadian wilds for all the use made of the real Asian setting here. And there was no real adventure either. Just a bunch of talk, talk, talk that could have taken place in Canada, England or the U.S.
So there it is. A disappointing story. Perhaps the next one will be better? It will feature Emma Adams, the sister of heroine Mina, and that mysterious groom who had finally shown up in this book but denied ever getting in contact with Emma or promising to marry her. We shall see. I shall see only if I find the book at the library.
When I read Susanne Lord's first book in this London Explorers series it seemed to me that she was a promising new writer to look out for. That's why this second book has been a disappointment. It did not satisfy me on so many levels. (1) The H sadly lacked the characteristics I look for in a storybook hero. (2) The exotic locale was sadly underused. (3) Nothing happened in the whole book except a bunch of dithering about love and commitment.
Brief summary of plot: As the second in Lord's series, this one begins almost where #1 left off. The explorer hero of the first book, who was the survivor of a massacre in Tibet, finds True Love in London and is hesitant to return to Asia to search for the only other known survivor of that massacre: a young child. So Seth Mayhew, this book's hero, volunteers to go in his place because his sister George, a botanical illustrator with a British expedition in China, had gone to rescue that child and now both appear to have disappeared.
So this book finds Seth and heroine Wilhelmina Adams and her sister Emma on the same ship headed for Bombay, George's supposed destination and also the destination for Mina and Emma and 46 other "Venture" women headed there as wives for British men stationed in Bombay. They arrive and are often in each other's company because Mina's intended groom, Thomas Grant, is the man Seth has hired to be his guide and interpreter as he searches for his sister. And so the story goes.
Thomas is a strangely unenthusiastic suitor for Mina's hand. Emma's groom-to-be is nowhere in sight. And Seth is clueless about how to go looking for his sister. Not to mention that Seth and Mina have an instant attraction that must, must, must be denied. So we run in place (more like "walk") for most of the book. Nothing much happens.
Seth is sweet, I guess, but he's an indecisive, dithering do-nothing. He's supposed to be looking for his sister but just hangs around Bombay doing very little to accomplish that goal. And he spends too much time being attracted to Mina and thinking and saying that they can never be a couple because he has nothing to offer a woman. This goes on for the entire book. No, we can't marry. You should marry someone else. Oops, we're having sex. Maybe we should marry. Oops, we're having more sex. But then maybe we shouldn't marry. Oops... You get the idea.
He drove me crazy with his indecisiveness, his lack of initiative, and his self doubt. Not to mention he's a "winker" (yes, that's with an I, not an A). Guys who flirt by winking and handing out cheesy compliments don't sit well with me and Seth is in that group. That's about all he does in the book, flirt and wink. He doesn't even "find" George. She's more or less found for him. Even when it's time to fight an injustice done to him back in England, he doesn't take the initiative. His friends do almost everything for him.
As for the exotic location of Bombay, it was badly underused. They might as well have been in Canada. There were bride ships to there also and George and the young child could have been lost in the Canadian wilds for all the use made of the real Asian setting here. And there was no real adventure either. Just a bunch of talk, talk, talk that could have taken place in Canada, England or the U.S.
So there it is. A disappointing story. Perhaps the next one will be better? It will feature Emma Adams, the sister of heroine Mina, and that mysterious groom who had finally shown up in this book but denied ever getting in contact with Emma or promising to marry her. We shall see. I shall see only if I find the book at the library.
September 12, 2016
3.5 Stars. Seth Mayhew is on a mission to find his missing sister. With a reputation of being able to hunt down the rarest botanical specimens, he has high hopes of being able to pick up Georgie's trail to bring her and her young ward home. On a steamer bound for India with dozens of "venture girls," young women with limited prospects at home who are coming to India to find husbands, he manages to steer clear of them until they disembark in Bombay. But as he meets with Tom, an associate who has promised to help him track down Georgie, he comes face-to-face with venture girl Wilhelmina Adams, and Cupid's arrow strikes hard. But there's one big problem: Mina is promised to Tom. And besides, he doesn't have time for courtship; he's got to work with Tom to find the people in the East India Company who can help him find his sister.
From a large family with no dowries for their many daughters, and with one sister already fallen into disrepute, Mina Adams and her sister Emma have come to India in search of a better future. Both sisters have been in correspondence with gentlemen and have arrived at an understanding, but only one meets them when their ship arrives. Emma's intended is a no-show, and while Tom is there for Mina, he is nothing like the man she has come to know via his letters. And she can't leave Emma. While the rest of their fellow venture girls choose their husbands and set off for their new homes, the Adams sisters are desperately hoping Emma's fiance will arrive. But each day that passes diminishes the hope that he will come, and each day gives Mina more time to fall in love with a man who is not her fiance. Drawn to Seth's strapping masculinity, self-deprecating wit, and flirtatious charm, she vows to do all she can to help him find his sister. But as new information comes to light and time runs out, Mina and Seth will have to decide whether they want to make the riskiest venture yet: taking a chance on true love.
This is the second book in the London Explorers series, but it stands alone just fine. However, I felt a bit misled by the book description. With Seth on a mission to find his sister, and the blurb describing an adventure and multiple ports of call, I was all set for an exciting and romantic journey where Seth and Mina would work together to find his sister. I don't want to spoil the story too much, so I'll just leave it by saying that's not quite what happens. The story takes longer than I would have liked to really kick into gear, and when it does, it is the characters and their interactions that carry the bulk of the story rather than plot.
While I was disappointed that exploring didn't actually figure into the story, I still found this a charming and witty read. Seth was quite unlike any hero I've come across in romance. He's a working-class man with no ambitions for anything else except a home of his own for a family someday. He calls himself stupid, and while I would agree he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, I would say his problem is not that he's stupid, but that he's too trusting and has a hard time discerning deception and fakeness in others. (Which might make a reader wonder how he managed to become such a lauded explorer, but I chose to ignore that niggling question for the sake of the story.) And his reputation as the world's worst flirt is richly deserved. I found him totally endearing. There was much to admire in Mina as well, from her bravery in crossing an ocean, to her determination to take care of herself and her sisters, and her desire to help Seth and stand up for him.
Overall, Discovery of Desire was a light, sweet read, worth checking out for its exotic setting and unconventional hero. And I am incredibly intrigued by the mystery surrounding Emma's wayward fiance, and if the next book in the series is about them, I will definitely be reading it.
From a large family with no dowries for their many daughters, and with one sister already fallen into disrepute, Mina Adams and her sister Emma have come to India in search of a better future. Both sisters have been in correspondence with gentlemen and have arrived at an understanding, but only one meets them when their ship arrives. Emma's intended is a no-show, and while Tom is there for Mina, he is nothing like the man she has come to know via his letters. And she can't leave Emma. While the rest of their fellow venture girls choose their husbands and set off for their new homes, the Adams sisters are desperately hoping Emma's fiance will arrive. But each day that passes diminishes the hope that he will come, and each day gives Mina more time to fall in love with a man who is not her fiance. Drawn to Seth's strapping masculinity, self-deprecating wit, and flirtatious charm, she vows to do all she can to help him find his sister. But as new information comes to light and time runs out, Mina and Seth will have to decide whether they want to make the riskiest venture yet: taking a chance on true love.
This is the second book in the London Explorers series, but it stands alone just fine. However, I felt a bit misled by the book description. With Seth on a mission to find his sister, and the blurb describing an adventure and multiple ports of call, I was all set for an exciting and romantic journey where Seth and Mina would work together to find his sister. I don't want to spoil the story too much, so I'll just leave it by saying that's not quite what happens. The story takes longer than I would have liked to really kick into gear, and when it does, it is the characters and their interactions that carry the bulk of the story rather than plot.
While I was disappointed that exploring didn't actually figure into the story, I still found this a charming and witty read. Seth was quite unlike any hero I've come across in romance. He's a working-class man with no ambitions for anything else except a home of his own for a family someday. He calls himself stupid, and while I would agree he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, I would say his problem is not that he's stupid, but that he's too trusting and has a hard time discerning deception and fakeness in others. (Which might make a reader wonder how he managed to become such a lauded explorer, but I chose to ignore that niggling question for the sake of the story.) And his reputation as the world's worst flirt is richly deserved. I found him totally endearing. There was much to admire in Mina as well, from her bravery in crossing an ocean, to her determination to take care of herself and her sisters, and her desire to help Seth and stand up for him.
Overall, Discovery of Desire was a light, sweet read, worth checking out for its exotic setting and unconventional hero. And I am incredibly intrigued by the mystery surrounding Emma's wayward fiance, and if the next book in the series is about them, I will definitely be reading it.
September 9, 2016
Looking for a new life!
The Fishing Fleet! Fascinatingly ironic! This is the term used by the local English for the women who came to India looking for husbands from the marriageable men employed by the East India Company. A not very complimentary description but historically young women did leave England in droves to far flung places where the Empire was present, gambling on opportunities they might never have had at home.
One such young woman is Wilhelmina Adams who has accompanied her sister Emma.
Seth Mayhew is on the same ship. He's an explorer, or as he terms it, a finder. Amongst his finds has been orchids from South America. But now he is searching for his missing sister, last heard from near the Tibetan border where a massacre occurred.
Seth is not here to find a wife or fall in love with Mina whom he refers to as,
'His little officer quelling insubordination and giving orders. And always on his side.'
Indeed it was Mina's attempts to calm the Venture girls as they made landfall that he first noticed.
Mina notices Seth but she has contracted to marry Thomas Grant, just as her sister Emma has come out to marry Colin Rivers. Colin however seems to have gone up country and not returned.
So between disappearing sisters, reluctant bridegrooms-to-be and disappearing fiancés, the forbidden attraction that Mina and Seth feel for each other flares into life. But it is not to be.
A fascinating story with interesting characters and situations and the elusive presence of orchids that were a coveted object by the very wealthy at this time.
A NetGalley ARC
The Fishing Fleet! Fascinatingly ironic! This is the term used by the local English for the women who came to India looking for husbands from the marriageable men employed by the East India Company. A not very complimentary description but historically young women did leave England in droves to far flung places where the Empire was present, gambling on opportunities they might never have had at home.
One such young woman is Wilhelmina Adams who has accompanied her sister Emma.
Seth Mayhew is on the same ship. He's an explorer, or as he terms it, a finder. Amongst his finds has been orchids from South America. But now he is searching for his missing sister, last heard from near the Tibetan border where a massacre occurred.
Seth is not here to find a wife or fall in love with Mina whom he refers to as,
'His little officer quelling insubordination and giving orders. And always on his side.'
Indeed it was Mina's attempts to calm the Venture girls as they made landfall that he first noticed.
Mina notices Seth but she has contracted to marry Thomas Grant, just as her sister Emma has come out to marry Colin Rivers. Colin however seems to have gone up country and not returned.
So between disappearing sisters, reluctant bridegrooms-to-be and disappearing fiancés, the forbidden attraction that Mina and Seth feel for each other flares into life. But it is not to be.
A fascinating story with interesting characters and situations and the elusive presence of orchids that were a coveted object by the very wealthy at this time.
A NetGalley ARC
September 13, 2016
Discovery of Desire is the second book in the 'London Explorers' series by Susanne Lord. I haven't read the first book in the series, so can say that this one can easily be read as a stand alone novel.
This is the story of sisters Wilhelmina and Emma Adams. Emma decided she wanted to make a safe marriage in India, and Mina couldn't let her go on her own, so decides she should find herself a husband over there too. They have chosen to have contracts of marriage with two men they've never met, but who they have corresponded with, that live in the same area so that they won't be separated.
The sisters are only two in a large group of other English ladies sailing to India for marriage. Some of them don't have contracts, but those that do, like Emma and Mina should have men waiting at the docs for them holding up signs to 'claim' them. When they arrive Mina sees the man holding up the sign for her. She's pretty impressed when she sees him even though he doesn't look like he described himself in his letters.
Seth Mayhew is an explorer who makes his money from finding exotic plants and seeds abroad. He is in Bombay searching for his missing sister who had been in India for her art, and she ends up searching for a lost baby. Seth is a tall, well built, gentle man who has no interest in marriage. He just wants to find his sister, and he is in Bombay to get help from Tom, the man contracted to marry Mina.
Seth is the one holding the sign for Mina while Tom has his hands full with something else. So it's him that Mina feels an immediate attraction to. He had noticed her previously, helping to organise the other women from the ship, and loves that she is so organised, in his mind he called her 'little officer'. When he realises she is Tom's betrothed, even though he can't offer any woman marriage, he can't help but feel disappointed when he realises she is taken. She's definitely a beautiful, spirited woman.
When Mina learns that Seth isn't her betrothed, she's a little disappointed, but she knows Tom is a good man, and if he decides that he does want to marry her, she will happily settle for him. Or so she thinks.
Emma Adams' contracted husband isn't at the docks to meet her, but while they give him time to arrive, the girls take a room and take part in all the events that the other women and their possible suitors have arranged.
While all that is going on Seth, being colleagues with Tom, spends a lot of time with both women, and he finds himself besotted with Mina. She feels the same way, but both try to fight their feelings because they know they can't be together. Mina is also worried about her sister. Colin Rivers, the man that is supposed to be coming for her, hasn't turned up and hasn't sent word about a delay! If Emma doesn't marry him, and Mina goes ahead and marries Tom, there is no guarantee that they will be able to stay together over there.
Seth needs to focus on finding his sister and the baby, Mina needs to focus on Tom and her sister, but all the while they can't help focusing on each other. Will Tom be able to help Seth get the information he needs so that he knows where he has to travel to? Will Emma's man turn up, and if he does, can Mina marry Tom knowing that she has such strong feelings for Seth. Tom himself hasn't been very forthcoming with his attentions, why does it seem that he isn't too keen on marriage himself?
I really enjoyed this story, and I especially loved Seth as our hero. What a wonderful, kind hearted, true hero he is. He only wants the best for everybody, even if that means that he suffers. He's only had two relationships before, and poor guy thinks that he was hurting the women he had sex with. When an opportunity arises where he could have sex with Mina he is so scared that he will hurt her, he is so heartbreakingly adorable. Mina is a lovely character too, she puts others first as well, and it makes her the perfect match for Seth. Their romance was so sweet to watch and at times when it seemed there was no way it could work out for them I just wanted to cry.
Emma is a headstrong, yet naïve young woman, who unlike Mina doesn't put others before herself. At times I just wanted to slap her for the things she said and did. Especially when she finds out what has happened to Colin. I believe they will be the subject of the next book in this series, and although Emma irritates me, I do look forward to reading it.
All in all this was a book well worth a 5 star rating, the romance, the intrigue, and the adorable Seth all add up to a perfect read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is the story of sisters Wilhelmina and Emma Adams. Emma decided she wanted to make a safe marriage in India, and Mina couldn't let her go on her own, so decides she should find herself a husband over there too. They have chosen to have contracts of marriage with two men they've never met, but who they have corresponded with, that live in the same area so that they won't be separated.
The sisters are only two in a large group of other English ladies sailing to India for marriage. Some of them don't have contracts, but those that do, like Emma and Mina should have men waiting at the docs for them holding up signs to 'claim' them. When they arrive Mina sees the man holding up the sign for her. She's pretty impressed when she sees him even though he doesn't look like he described himself in his letters.
Seth Mayhew is an explorer who makes his money from finding exotic plants and seeds abroad. He is in Bombay searching for his missing sister who had been in India for her art, and she ends up searching for a lost baby. Seth is a tall, well built, gentle man who has no interest in marriage. He just wants to find his sister, and he is in Bombay to get help from Tom, the man contracted to marry Mina.
Seth is the one holding the sign for Mina while Tom has his hands full with something else. So it's him that Mina feels an immediate attraction to. He had noticed her previously, helping to organise the other women from the ship, and loves that she is so organised, in his mind he called her 'little officer'. When he realises she is Tom's betrothed, even though he can't offer any woman marriage, he can't help but feel disappointed when he realises she is taken. She's definitely a beautiful, spirited woman.
When Mina learns that Seth isn't her betrothed, she's a little disappointed, but she knows Tom is a good man, and if he decides that he does want to marry her, she will happily settle for him. Or so she thinks.
Emma Adams' contracted husband isn't at the docks to meet her, but while they give him time to arrive, the girls take a room and take part in all the events that the other women and their possible suitors have arranged.
While all that is going on Seth, being colleagues with Tom, spends a lot of time with both women, and he finds himself besotted with Mina. She feels the same way, but both try to fight their feelings because they know they can't be together. Mina is also worried about her sister. Colin Rivers, the man that is supposed to be coming for her, hasn't turned up and hasn't sent word about a delay! If Emma doesn't marry him, and Mina goes ahead and marries Tom, there is no guarantee that they will be able to stay together over there.
Seth needs to focus on finding his sister and the baby, Mina needs to focus on Tom and her sister, but all the while they can't help focusing on each other. Will Tom be able to help Seth get the information he needs so that he knows where he has to travel to? Will Emma's man turn up, and if he does, can Mina marry Tom knowing that she has such strong feelings for Seth. Tom himself hasn't been very forthcoming with his attentions, why does it seem that he isn't too keen on marriage himself?
I really enjoyed this story, and I especially loved Seth as our hero. What a wonderful, kind hearted, true hero he is. He only wants the best for everybody, even if that means that he suffers. He's only had two relationships before, and poor guy thinks that he was hurting the women he had sex with. When an opportunity arises where he could have sex with Mina he is so scared that he will hurt her, he is so heartbreakingly adorable. Mina is a lovely character too, she puts others first as well, and it makes her the perfect match for Seth. Their romance was so sweet to watch and at times when it seemed there was no way it could work out for them I just wanted to cry.
Emma is a headstrong, yet naïve young woman, who unlike Mina doesn't put others before herself. At times I just wanted to slap her for the things she said and did. Especially when she finds out what has happened to Colin. I believe they will be the subject of the next book in this series, and although Emma irritates me, I do look forward to reading it.
All in all this was a book well worth a 5 star rating, the romance, the intrigue, and the adorable Seth all add up to a perfect read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 8, 2016
Loved the hero in this one. He's a jovial giant who - unlike most "perfect" romance heroes - means well but doesn't really understand the concept of being circumspect and as a result tends to embarrass himself. The heroine was a bit bland on the other hand - though she redeemed herself by the end. While the reasons and logic behind her actions would be understandable in real life, as I found the hero so much more lovable, I remained staunchly on his side and my impression of her fell at one point in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series.
June 25, 2016
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the London explorer series by Susanne Lord. In this book we get the tale of Seth's journey to find his sister. Seth came across as for lack of a better word autistic which made it hard to follow his thoughts sometimes. He was definitely different from your typical main male characters but still a really sweet guy. I really enjoyed the story but I just wish the characters would have worked better together to find a way for them to be together. The story ended up being enjoyable but it had a slow beginning.
September 13, 2016
3.5 stars
April 15, 2018
I loved this story - #1 in the series was a slow starter. This one also gained momentum as it went along. Very emotional and real. SL writes Seth and Minnie's vulnerabilities so beautifully....and then shows us how they make each other "mighty" in turn. I give five stars to any book that will shape my life in a meaningful way. So, while the writing was sometimes a little confusing, and again the pacing was uneven, the underlying story was powerful enough to make that not matter. Congrats SL - I look forward to your next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2020
It's unfortunately been long enough since I read this that I don't remember all of the ways in which I thought it was terrible, but I would be remiss in not at least mentioning, in however brief a review, that I thought this was a really terrible book. Not even the really intriguing setup for the third in the series is enough to subject me to this author's writing again, and I'm a HELLA completionist, so that should be enough of a warning to stay away!
August 5, 2016
Reviewed for www.marysuedies.com
A stunning novel with a wonderful hero.
Discovery of Desire is the first Susanne Lord book I’ve read, it will not be the last. It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed a romance from a new author quite as much as this one. I don’t gush over heroes very often but I’m just going to get it out of the way early in the review. I am a little in love with Seth Mayhew.
Hoping to make safe marriages, Wilhelmina Adams and her sister Emma have left their home in England to travel to India as “venture girls” for the East India Company. Matched for a potential marriage with men they’ve never officially met, they sail for three months to reach Bombay.
Seth Mayhew is an explorer. He collects plant samples from around the world and sells them at auction in London. But Seth is in India searching for his missing sister and an orphan she’s rescued. Meeting at the Bombay port with his contact, Tom Grant, Seth holds Tom’s sign for him. When a young woman approaches them, Seth looks down at the sign which says “Claiming W. Adams” and that my friends is the stunning beginning to a beautiful romance.
Mina is a realist. She’s concerned with security, a safe home, and having enough to eat. She realizes almost immediately that her attraction to Seth is simply impossible. One of seven sisters, Mina’s responsibility is to take care of herself, not to fall in love with a man who can’t support her. Seth also realizes that he is not ready to marry. An explorer’s life is unpredictable and Seth’s financial situation is precarious at best. But he loves Mina, immediately and without question.
Susanne Lord has written a really wonderful story. While I love reading about London’s ballrooms as much as anyone, it was refreshing to get lost in 1800s India. I felt as if I could picture the crowds and colors in Bombay perfectly. And when the story moves back to England, London’s slums, and the Midlands’ countryside are both described in a way where they become part of the story.
I loved Mina’s practicality. In a world where she has very few choices, Mina is determined to not screw up the few she has. It’s realistic that while she recognizes her attraction to Seth, she is more concerned with making certain she doesn’t starve to death. I liked Mina’s managing ways, she would have been a successful businesswoman today. She is the perfect partner for Seth, whose freewheeling thoughts were entertaining but make for risky decisions.
Seth Mayhew isn’t a ladies man, not really. He is a flirt, a big blonde smiling sort of man that everyone adores. He’s also a good man. Seth loves his sister, respects his friends, and wants the very best for Mina. Yes he bumbles a bit, his clothes are worn and a little shabby, and sometimes he’s a bit inappropriate. But Seth is breathtakingly romantic. His love for Mina is just all out there from the very beginning. He compliments her constantly because he can’t seem to help it, he reveals every emotion on his face, he’s trusting because he can’t seem to imagine that all people aren’t as fundamentally kind as he is. There’s no pretense, no games, Seth is just big and honest and so lovely.
I actually stopped reading Discovery of Desire for a few days at about 50% because I didn’t want it to end. I can honestly say it has been years since I’ve done that. I’m going to go back now and read the first book in Susanne Lord’s London Explorer series, In Search of Scandal.
A stunning novel with a wonderful hero.
Discovery of Desire is the first Susanne Lord book I’ve read, it will not be the last. It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed a romance from a new author quite as much as this one. I don’t gush over heroes very often but I’m just going to get it out of the way early in the review. I am a little in love with Seth Mayhew.
Hoping to make safe marriages, Wilhelmina Adams and her sister Emma have left their home in England to travel to India as “venture girls” for the East India Company. Matched for a potential marriage with men they’ve never officially met, they sail for three months to reach Bombay.
Seth Mayhew is an explorer. He collects plant samples from around the world and sells them at auction in London. But Seth is in India searching for his missing sister and an orphan she’s rescued. Meeting at the Bombay port with his contact, Tom Grant, Seth holds Tom’s sign for him. When a young woman approaches them, Seth looks down at the sign which says “Claiming W. Adams” and that my friends is the stunning beginning to a beautiful romance.
Mina is a realist. She’s concerned with security, a safe home, and having enough to eat. She realizes almost immediately that her attraction to Seth is simply impossible. One of seven sisters, Mina’s responsibility is to take care of herself, not to fall in love with a man who can’t support her. Seth also realizes that he is not ready to marry. An explorer’s life is unpredictable and Seth’s financial situation is precarious at best. But he loves Mina, immediately and without question.
Susanne Lord has written a really wonderful story. While I love reading about London’s ballrooms as much as anyone, it was refreshing to get lost in 1800s India. I felt as if I could picture the crowds and colors in Bombay perfectly. And when the story moves back to England, London’s slums, and the Midlands’ countryside are both described in a way where they become part of the story.
I loved Mina’s practicality. In a world where she has very few choices, Mina is determined to not screw up the few she has. It’s realistic that while she recognizes her attraction to Seth, she is more concerned with making certain she doesn’t starve to death. I liked Mina’s managing ways, she would have been a successful businesswoman today. She is the perfect partner for Seth, whose freewheeling thoughts were entertaining but make for risky decisions.
Seth Mayhew isn’t a ladies man, not really. He is a flirt, a big blonde smiling sort of man that everyone adores. He’s also a good man. Seth loves his sister, respects his friends, and wants the very best for Mina. Yes he bumbles a bit, his clothes are worn and a little shabby, and sometimes he’s a bit inappropriate. But Seth is breathtakingly romantic. His love for Mina is just all out there from the very beginning. He compliments her constantly because he can’t seem to help it, he reveals every emotion on his face, he’s trusting because he can’t seem to imagine that all people aren’t as fundamentally kind as he is. There’s no pretense, no games, Seth is just big and honest and so lovely.
I actually stopped reading Discovery of Desire for a few days at about 50% because I didn’t want it to end. I can honestly say it has been years since I’ve done that. I’m going to go back now and read the first book in Susanne Lord’s London Explorer series, In Search of Scandal.
September 15, 2016
Well Susanne Lord has blown me away again. She astounded me with her debut novel, In Search of Scandal. Now I am equally, maybe even more so, impressed by Discovery of Desire. I can't get over just how eminently likable characters her main character has been in each of these books.
We first met Seth Mayhew in In Search of Scandal where he agreed to go to India and Tibet in place of Will Repton to search for a missing orphan, a family member of the Marchioness of Winston. Seth was also seeking his sister, Georgianna, who preceded him to Tibet to find little orphan Aimee. As an explorer, Seth Mayfair has led a most interesting life. Yet he has barely scraped by while making loads of money for the East India Company. The injustice of his situation really bothered me because he was just so dang nice and lovable. Seth is a jovial giant, a working class commoner who is totally unlike the heroes I normally go for. He was somewhat big and bumbling, a little awkward, but uber-personable and a wonderfully sweet flirt. I think this is the first genuinely nice guy hero that I have fallen for... but I am totally head over heals for Seth Mayhew, as is most every other female in his life.
Wilhelmina and Emma Adams are venture girls, women who export themselves from London to India to find a husband among the East India Company. They are known as the Fishing Fleet, as the women endure a three month sailing voyage, and arrive in India trying to catch a husband. I found these women to be incredibly brave, and most were also quite desperate. Mina and Emma arrived in India having only corresponded with the men they expected to marry upon arrival... I can't imagine being in such a situation. Mina is there to marry Tom Grant, whom Seth Mayhew was meeting as well. But Seth and his male wiles cast a huge shadow over Tom, the practical botanist. Mina and Emma were in India due to desperation, and you could really feel her need to secure a future for herself and her six sisters. She was a great match for Seth... her managing and practical ways were the perfect balance for his bumbling ideas. While I liked her as a heroine, Seth really overshadowed her and I was happy with that.
This romance was so unique - not just because of the character's personalities, but because of their social class. It's not often that you see a historical romance with both the hero and heroine as members of the working class. I don't think that this storyline would normally attract me, but Susanne Lord really brought the story to life and I was engrossed from the first chapter. I really experienced the full range of emotions as I read... having a huge smile for Seth, but also crying many tears for his situation and self-doubt. But if you are a fan of the HEA, you will definitely like this story. I couldn't be more happy for two such deserving characters.
I did a quick Google to learn more about East India Company's practice of importing women... an endeavor which ultimately failed as the women found the sex trade preferable to marriage to company men. I wasn't able to find a quick and ready article, but you can find a little info here. This was a practice that I had not heard of before, so I was quite interested in the premise. I love it when I learn something new (and true) when reading fiction!
I received an advanced copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to see what Susanne Lord comes up with next!
5 stars/ 2 flames.
We first met Seth Mayhew in In Search of Scandal where he agreed to go to India and Tibet in place of Will Repton to search for a missing orphan, a family member of the Marchioness of Winston. Seth was also seeking his sister, Georgianna, who preceded him to Tibet to find little orphan Aimee. As an explorer, Seth Mayfair has led a most interesting life. Yet he has barely scraped by while making loads of money for the East India Company. The injustice of his situation really bothered me because he was just so dang nice and lovable. Seth is a jovial giant, a working class commoner who is totally unlike the heroes I normally go for. He was somewhat big and bumbling, a little awkward, but uber-personable and a wonderfully sweet flirt. I think this is the first genuinely nice guy hero that I have fallen for... but I am totally head over heals for Seth Mayhew, as is most every other female in his life.
Wilhelmina and Emma Adams are venture girls, women who export themselves from London to India to find a husband among the East India Company. They are known as the Fishing Fleet, as the women endure a three month sailing voyage, and arrive in India trying to catch a husband. I found these women to be incredibly brave, and most were also quite desperate. Mina and Emma arrived in India having only corresponded with the men they expected to marry upon arrival... I can't imagine being in such a situation. Mina is there to marry Tom Grant, whom Seth Mayhew was meeting as well. But Seth and his male wiles cast a huge shadow over Tom, the practical botanist. Mina and Emma were in India due to desperation, and you could really feel her need to secure a future for herself and her six sisters. She was a great match for Seth... her managing and practical ways were the perfect balance for his bumbling ideas. While I liked her as a heroine, Seth really overshadowed her and I was happy with that.
This romance was so unique - not just because of the character's personalities, but because of their social class. It's not often that you see a historical romance with both the hero and heroine as members of the working class. I don't think that this storyline would normally attract me, but Susanne Lord really brought the story to life and I was engrossed from the first chapter. I really experienced the full range of emotions as I read... having a huge smile for Seth, but also crying many tears for his situation and self-doubt. But if you are a fan of the HEA, you will definitely like this story. I couldn't be more happy for two such deserving characters.
I did a quick Google to learn more about East India Company's practice of importing women... an endeavor which ultimately failed as the women found the sex trade preferable to marriage to company men. I wasn't able to find a quick and ready article, but you can find a little info here. This was a practice that I had not heard of before, so I was quite interested in the premise. I love it when I learn something new (and true) when reading fiction!
I received an advanced copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to see what Susanne Lord comes up with next!
5 stars/ 2 flames.
September 24, 2016
3.5 stars.
Well, this is certainly different from the usual historical romance fare. Partly because the majority of it takes place in India, with a heroine who has sailed from England with her sister to marry an East India Company man whom she has never met. Mostly, though, I found it different because of Seth. He’s not your average hero, since he’s not well-born, nor rich, nor attempting to be anything or anyone other than who he is. And I loved that about him.
Seth is the best thing about this book. He’s tall and handsome and charming, a complete flirt, generous, good-hearted and convinced that he’s untrustworthy and will only ever let those he loves down. He’s also been rather unlucky financially, since unscrupulous people have a habit of taking full advantage of him, which has left him feeling stupid and foolish, when he’s nothing of the sort. He can be a little haphazard and is definitely more prone to acting than thinking, but he’s not stupid. He’s actually rather lovely.
Mina is capable and a touch managing and willing to do almost anything for those she loves – which is why she has sailed to India in the first place. She doesn’t have any particular interest in marriage herself, but she wouldn’t let her sister set forth alone. Unlike Seth, she does think about things very, very carefully before acting and has a real fear of being let down by anyone she comes to rely upon – which is of course where most of her troubles with Seth lie, since despite all his behaviour to the contrary, he doesn’t view himself as a safe bet so neither does Mina.
I really felt for Seth in this book. He’s a decent man, hardworking and kind, yet life hasn’t rewarded him in the ways that it could. He just wants to save his sister, help out his friend and, as he comes to know her, make sure that Mina is safe and happy. Naturally they are perfect together, but circumstances mean neither of them will admit to it.
This is a pretty slow-moving novel. Partly because the attraction between Seth and Mina is fairly instant and it’s obvious from early on that they’d be excellent together, except for circumstances – which get rehashed time and again because oh, woe, and stuff. This isn’t helped by the way Seth’s search for his sister doesn’t really go anywhere because people are awful and no one wants to care, and more woe. In truth, I’d hoped for some travelling and exploring and maybe a discovery or two somewhere in the wild, but this is exclusively a city book – first Bombay, then London. Which I found a touch disappointing.
Things do get more intriguing towards the end, but there are a few convenient moments that felt a little far-fetched and although I did like the end, this never quite carried me away in the way that I’d hoped. I did, however, love learning a bit about the “Venture girls” and am thoroughly intrigued by a certain scarred gentleman.
In all, I did enjoy this, if not quite as much as I’d hoped. Seth is wonderful and the way he falls for Mina is lovely. True, I might have liked more to have actually happened while they were in India, but overall this was good and I liked how it shone a light on aspects of history that the genre doesn’t tend to explore. I’ll be interested to see where this series heads next.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Well, this is certainly different from the usual historical romance fare. Partly because the majority of it takes place in India, with a heroine who has sailed from England with her sister to marry an East India Company man whom she has never met. Mostly, though, I found it different because of Seth. He’s not your average hero, since he’s not well-born, nor rich, nor attempting to be anything or anyone other than who he is. And I loved that about him.
Seth is the best thing about this book. He’s tall and handsome and charming, a complete flirt, generous, good-hearted and convinced that he’s untrustworthy and will only ever let those he loves down. He’s also been rather unlucky financially, since unscrupulous people have a habit of taking full advantage of him, which has left him feeling stupid and foolish, when he’s nothing of the sort. He can be a little haphazard and is definitely more prone to acting than thinking, but he’s not stupid. He’s actually rather lovely.
Mina is capable and a touch managing and willing to do almost anything for those she loves – which is why she has sailed to India in the first place. She doesn’t have any particular interest in marriage herself, but she wouldn’t let her sister set forth alone. Unlike Seth, she does think about things very, very carefully before acting and has a real fear of being let down by anyone she comes to rely upon – which is of course where most of her troubles with Seth lie, since despite all his behaviour to the contrary, he doesn’t view himself as a safe bet so neither does Mina.
I really felt for Seth in this book. He’s a decent man, hardworking and kind, yet life hasn’t rewarded him in the ways that it could. He just wants to save his sister, help out his friend and, as he comes to know her, make sure that Mina is safe and happy. Naturally they are perfect together, but circumstances mean neither of them will admit to it.
This is a pretty slow-moving novel. Partly because the attraction between Seth and Mina is fairly instant and it’s obvious from early on that they’d be excellent together, except for circumstances – which get rehashed time and again because oh, woe, and stuff. This isn’t helped by the way Seth’s search for his sister doesn’t really go anywhere because people are awful and no one wants to care, and more woe. In truth, I’d hoped for some travelling and exploring and maybe a discovery or two somewhere in the wild, but this is exclusively a city book – first Bombay, then London. Which I found a touch disappointing.
Things do get more intriguing towards the end, but there are a few convenient moments that felt a little far-fetched and although I did like the end, this never quite carried me away in the way that I’d hoped. I did, however, love learning a bit about the “Venture girls” and am thoroughly intrigued by a certain scarred gentleman.
In all, I did enjoy this, if not quite as much as I’d hoped. Seth is wonderful and the way he falls for Mina is lovely. True, I might have liked more to have actually happened while they were in India, but overall this was good and I liked how it shone a light on aspects of history that the genre doesn’t tend to explore. I’ll be interested to see where this series heads next.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
October 7, 2016
I had to start reading this the second I fished book one in the series. Seth arrives in India, in place of his good friend Will, with the intent of finding his sister Georgie, and baby Aimee, the lone survivor of a massacre that occurred months earlier in Tibet. Travelling on the same ship, is a group of venture women, who have come to India for arranged marriages with many of the men who work for the East India Company. Despite having shared a ship with her for three months, the first time Seth sees Mina is when she is debarking with her fellow venture ladies and very clearly taking charge of them all. Will is immediately smitten, only to find that Mina is promised to Tom, the one man he is relying on to help him find his sister and Aimee. So the situation is a little compromising, because Tom really is a nice guy (with his own story in the future, I hope!!) and Seth realizes that at this point in his life he is not established yet enough to take on a wife. Mina is very much attracted to Seth, but more than love she craves security for herself and her sisters. Despite her growing feelings, she pushes him away, but can't seem to stop wanting to help him, find his sister. He is having no luck finding any information on his sister as the Company men just won't talk to him-no real reason why on that(?), and Mina uses her influence with her fellow venture ladies-to get information out of the men for Will. Things with Tom aren't going so well, and Mina is confused over her feelings for Seth, as he isn't what she signed on for-still it is very obvious he needs her managing ways, and she needs his sense of humor to lighten up. When things fall through for Tom and Mina, and her sister Emma's betrothal also falls apart, and Seth is told his sister is most likely dead, he nobly books the sisters passage back to England and gives Emma all his extra money (as he knows Mina won't take it) to assure that they are taken care of in the future,. As soon as they leave things take a turn for the better, and also for the worse, for him. He is also on his way back to England, with his sister and Aimee, but as he gave all his money away, he is on a much slower moving ship and arrives weeks behind Mina and Emma. He comes back to bad news, his seeds that he'd spent twelve years collecting, didn't take and he is broke-so despite being madly in love with Mina, and knowing she is madly in love him, he steps aside so Tom can make good on his proprosal to Mina. Mina, of course, still has no interest in Tom, and is waiting for Seth to come to his senses, Seth then finds out that the friends who were suppose to be propogating his plants, were lieing to him and that they did take and the rare plants are worth a a lot of money. Of course he also thinks that Mina is now engaged to Tom. So despite thinking this, he goes to Mina, and asks her to wait she says she will. Things whirl up to a happy ending. I am very anxious to see if the next in the series is Colin and Emmas story or if Tom and his former love Constance get together. I can't wait for the rest of these books to come out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2016
Discovery of Desire by Susanne Lord is a unique and entertaining Regency Historical Romance, set in India and England. Book 2 in the "London Explorers", but can be read as a stand alone, with reappearing characters from Book 1, "In Search of a Scandal".
Seth Mayhew, explorer, strong, compassionate, fearless, profitable, and of, course unmarried. He is said to be able to "find anything". So he's off to Bombay searching for his sister, Georgina, Georgie, to her family and a baby girl, Aimee. Whom his friend, Will, has asked him to fine. Seth will need the help of the East India Company, for information, which is proving a bit difficult, to say the least. Enter Tom...
Wilhelmina Adams, "Mina" to her family and her sister, Emma, two vulnerable woman, who have gone to Bombay with a promise of marriage, protection, security, someone to help them and their siblings. But what Mina finds is a bit of a disappointment, Emma's future groom, is a no show, Mina's, Tom, is in love with another.
Enter...Seth, to the rescue, however, Seth is unconventional, without security, and tends to be a bit confused, his thoughts jump all over the place. However, he is kind, gentle, compassionate and caring. An absentminded professor type.
Mina on the other hand is a "managing", type of person, who is more than willing to help Seth, on his quest to find his sister. They have an instantaneous attraction to each other, but will they find their HEA, and their forever love?
A unique "Mail Order Bride" type theme, set in Bombay, where they are called the "fleeting ladies".
Poignant, powerful, emotionally charged, utterly endearing, romantic and simply entertaining. Well written with entertaining, endearing and uniquely capable characters. The storyline is unique in so many ways, but captivating, as well. The hero is so very different from most heroes, I've read, with a rare sensitivity for others, and a bit of an absent minded professor type, persona. How very refreshing and utterly charming! Mina is a caring, managing, the type of person who likes to fix things. Very impressible!
The reader will find a wide gambit of emotions, within, the pages of "Discovery of Desire". Along with betrayal, passion, mystery, a bit of suspense, add a sprinkle of exotic India, true friendship, and an abundance of romance, mixed together with the excitement of desire, and readers will find an utterly fantastic Regency Romance with many twists and turns. Perfect for fans of uniqueness, romantic intrigue, with a complicated storyline and a satisfying ending.
Ms. Lord promises to be a debut author to watch for in the future, as her skills grow, WOW, readers will be excited and on the lookout for her next exotic release. I certainly am! This is her second published title. Masterfully written!
I hope Emma, Georgie, Mary and Tom find stories of their own. What wonderful secondary characters, are involved in the making of "Discovery of Desire". A fantastic and utterly surprising Regency Romance!
Received for an honest review from Net Galley.
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed hpby: AprilR
Seth Mayhew, explorer, strong, compassionate, fearless, profitable, and of, course unmarried. He is said to be able to "find anything". So he's off to Bombay searching for his sister, Georgina, Georgie, to her family and a baby girl, Aimee. Whom his friend, Will, has asked him to fine. Seth will need the help of the East India Company, for information, which is proving a bit difficult, to say the least. Enter Tom...
Wilhelmina Adams, "Mina" to her family and her sister, Emma, two vulnerable woman, who have gone to Bombay with a promise of marriage, protection, security, someone to help them and their siblings. But what Mina finds is a bit of a disappointment, Emma's future groom, is a no show, Mina's, Tom, is in love with another.
Enter...Seth, to the rescue, however, Seth is unconventional, without security, and tends to be a bit confused, his thoughts jump all over the place. However, he is kind, gentle, compassionate and caring. An absentminded professor type.
Mina on the other hand is a "managing", type of person, who is more than willing to help Seth, on his quest to find his sister. They have an instantaneous attraction to each other, but will they find their HEA, and their forever love?
A unique "Mail Order Bride" type theme, set in Bombay, where they are called the "fleeting ladies".
Poignant, powerful, emotionally charged, utterly endearing, romantic and simply entertaining. Well written with entertaining, endearing and uniquely capable characters. The storyline is unique in so many ways, but captivating, as well. The hero is so very different from most heroes, I've read, with a rare sensitivity for others, and a bit of an absent minded professor type, persona. How very refreshing and utterly charming! Mina is a caring, managing, the type of person who likes to fix things. Very impressible!
The reader will find a wide gambit of emotions, within, the pages of "Discovery of Desire". Along with betrayal, passion, mystery, a bit of suspense, add a sprinkle of exotic India, true friendship, and an abundance of romance, mixed together with the excitement of desire, and readers will find an utterly fantastic Regency Romance with many twists and turns. Perfect for fans of uniqueness, romantic intrigue, with a complicated storyline and a satisfying ending.
Ms. Lord promises to be a debut author to watch for in the future, as her skills grow, WOW, readers will be excited and on the lookout for her next exotic release. I certainly am! This is her second published title. Masterfully written!
I hope Emma, Georgie, Mary and Tom find stories of their own. What wonderful secondary characters, are involved in the making of "Discovery of Desire". A fantastic and utterly surprising Regency Romance!
Received for an honest review from Net Galley.
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed hpby: AprilR
September 23, 2016
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
In Susanne Lord’s second novel in the London Explorers series we’ll meet two people who really should not be falling in love. They each have other things that must be done but love is never logical or at times… convenient.
Seth is in India searching for his missing sister. He has some help in the form of a guide, Tom Grant but Tom isn’t as helpful as he should be.
Mina, along with her sister, Emma have traveled to India to make contractual marriages. While they have been in written contact with the men, they’ve never met face to face. At this point in history, it was rather common for women to travel to other countries under England’s flag in search of marriage. For some it was their only hope for a better life.
Mina is willing to take Tom, even though she definitely has feelings for Seth – he’s not the marrying kind and she needs the security that Tom offers, even if Tom no longer seems too excited about their marriage. When Emma’s intended, Colin, does not meet her and is in fact late in returning from a trip – the action begins to heat up.
Discovery of Desire is delightfully intriguing and full of historical facts that both amuse and startle. There are mysteries aplenty and a slightly forbidden attraction soon becomes so much more. And the groundwork for what is most likely the next couple to be focused on is laid out for us. I completely enjoyed my time spent in this novel and am definitely looking forward to the next.
I was impressed by Ms London’s debut novel, In Search of Scandal, the first story in this series. I am equally impressed that her style and her way with words have continued on into the next story. I believe those of us who love Historical Romance are going to become quite familiar with this author in the coming years – if this is the quality of story, characters and plot that she is delivering at the start of her writing career – I cannot wait to see what comes next.
If you love a good mystery, a delightful romance and interesting historical facts – then you’ll love Discovery of Desire. It’s certainly a satisfying read that brings history alive and delivers a charming couple who simply have to have been made for each other. There’s just a few issues that need resolved to get to their happy ending. Indulge and enjoy.
*I received an e-ARC of Discovery of Desire from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
In Susanne Lord’s second novel in the London Explorers series we’ll meet two people who really should not be falling in love. They each have other things that must be done but love is never logical or at times… convenient.
Seth is in India searching for his missing sister. He has some help in the form of a guide, Tom Grant but Tom isn’t as helpful as he should be.
Mina, along with her sister, Emma have traveled to India to make contractual marriages. While they have been in written contact with the men, they’ve never met face to face. At this point in history, it was rather common for women to travel to other countries under England’s flag in search of marriage. For some it was their only hope for a better life.
Mina is willing to take Tom, even though she definitely has feelings for Seth – he’s not the marrying kind and she needs the security that Tom offers, even if Tom no longer seems too excited about their marriage. When Emma’s intended, Colin, does not meet her and is in fact late in returning from a trip – the action begins to heat up.
Discovery of Desire is delightfully intriguing and full of historical facts that both amuse and startle. There are mysteries aplenty and a slightly forbidden attraction soon becomes so much more. And the groundwork for what is most likely the next couple to be focused on is laid out for us. I completely enjoyed my time spent in this novel and am definitely looking forward to the next.
I was impressed by Ms London’s debut novel, In Search of Scandal, the first story in this series. I am equally impressed that her style and her way with words have continued on into the next story. I believe those of us who love Historical Romance are going to become quite familiar with this author in the coming years – if this is the quality of story, characters and plot that she is delivering at the start of her writing career – I cannot wait to see what comes next.
If you love a good mystery, a delightful romance and interesting historical facts – then you’ll love Discovery of Desire. It’s certainly a satisfying read that brings history alive and delivers a charming couple who simply have to have been made for each other. There’s just a few issues that need resolved to get to their happy ending. Indulge and enjoy.
*I received an e-ARC of Discovery of Desire from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
June 25, 2016
I loved Susanne Lord's debut novel and I went into her sophomore novel with a mix of excitement and trepidation. With a debut author, it's always hard to gauge what aspect about their writing is an aspect of that specific story versus the author's specific writing style. Sometimes I enjoy a singular work by an author but not their whole backlist, and that's okay. But after finishing Discovery of Desire, I can firmly say that I adore Lord's writing style and that I will read anything she writes. All of her characters -- from the main couple to secondary characters -- are very much individuals with their own stories and quirks. I found myself wishing to know more about all of the secondary characters' back stories, while at the same time I was engrossed in Mina and Seth's saga and jealously guarding their page time together. This novel is slightly less angsty than the first book in the series, and it is for the better. Seth and Mina have their worries and concerns, but they are (mostly) happy and supportive of each other throughout the book. Their relationships with other characters -- friends, family, business partners, etc -- are integral to the plot and we get a sense of not just how these two interact with each other, but also how they interact with the world as a couple. As one character states, Seth is "full of such sweet nonsense" and Mina is "a managing sort by nature"; they're so different from each other but they interact with each other so beautifully. Their relationship is every inch a partnership, albeit a complex one. Lord's writing is adept and concise, using language in clever and unique ways to communicate complicated feelings or resolve complicated issues in the plot. She never over explains and she possesses a talent that many authors strive for but often stumble over: the talent of showing, not telling. I cannot wait for the next story in this series -- I can only hope that Emma and Georgie and so many other wonderful side characters have the opportunity to have their stories told as well.
October 10, 2016
This is a love story about an intrepid world explorer and a woman who is desperate to marry to save her family. Seth Mayhew went to Brazil and sent back to England exotic plants and seeds but now he is in India to find his missing sister who also is sheltering an orphan. Tom Grant has been hired and is meeting him when he docks in Bombay and will help him in his quest. Tom is also meeting his “venture” bride (a mail-order bride), Wilhelmina (Mina) Adams, who is on the same ship with Seth as well as her sister, Emma. Emma is also betrothed to an Englishman in Bombay whom she has yet to meet. Seth and Mina are falling in love but realize there can be no future. She needs security for herself and family and Seth is a world explorer.
Like the first book in this series, this book is so well written you will think the author is telling you about real people. The romance develops over time and there is a great deal of angst about not only the romance but about Seth’s quest for his missing sister. We are made to understand Seth’s and Mina’s reluctance to marry each other but it did go on for a long time in this long book. However I could not put this book down. I had to know how the author would craft a happily-ever-after when there was so much against there union. Beautifully written and skillfully realized, I highly recommend this book and series. (this is a standalone novel with cameos by characters from the first book.)
Reviewed on my blog: http://ladeetdareads.wordpress.com
Like the first book in this series, this book is so well written you will think the author is telling you about real people. The romance develops over time and there is a great deal of angst about not only the romance but about Seth’s quest for his missing sister. We are made to understand Seth’s and Mina’s reluctance to marry each other but it did go on for a long time in this long book. However I could not put this book down. I had to know how the author would craft a happily-ever-after when there was so much against there union. Beautifully written and skillfully realized, I highly recommend this book and series. (this is a standalone novel with cameos by characters from the first book.)
Reviewed on my blog: http://ladeetdareads.wordpress.com
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September 10, 2016My second book ever is coming in just a few short weeks, and it's making me crazy and excited all over again. (I think this is how expectant mothers must feel!)
Anyway, for those who read book 1 of The London Explorers, you already know the hero, Seth, the big, handsome, flirtatious explorer recently returned from Brazil.
Discovery of Desire begins with Seth and dozens of English women disembarking from their steamship onto a port in Bombay. The ladies are Venture Girls, a sort of mail-order bride for the hundreds of English civil servants stationed in India. Having sailed steerage, and not allowed to fraternize with the women, Seth never had a chance to meet, or even glimpse, Wilhelmina Adams. Not until my book begins... :)
Their love story is a sweet coming together of two very different, but perfect-for-each-other people. If you always thought Rocky Balboa's love for Adrian was sigh-worthy, I think you'll love my sweet, not-that-confident but good-to-the-core hero, and his shy, unassuming heroine, Mina. (Or Minnie, as only Seth calls her.)
The story starts in Bombay, and halfway through, travels back to England for its conclusion. (Which leads to book #3...)
If you enjoy my books, please sign up for my newsletter for giveaway news, upcoming sales and new releases. You can sign up at my website here: http://www.susannelord.com/contact-me/
Anyway, for those who read book 1 of The London Explorers, you already know the hero, Seth, the big, handsome, flirtatious explorer recently returned from Brazil.
Discovery of Desire begins with Seth and dozens of English women disembarking from their steamship onto a port in Bombay. The ladies are Venture Girls, a sort of mail-order bride for the hundreds of English civil servants stationed in India. Having sailed steerage, and not allowed to fraternize with the women, Seth never had a chance to meet, or even glimpse, Wilhelmina Adams. Not until my book begins... :)
Their love story is a sweet coming together of two very different, but perfect-for-each-other people. If you always thought Rocky Balboa's love for Adrian was sigh-worthy, I think you'll love my sweet, not-that-confident but good-to-the-core hero, and his shy, unassuming heroine, Mina. (Or Minnie, as only Seth calls her.)
The story starts in Bombay, and halfway through, travels back to England for its conclusion. (Which leads to book #3...)
If you enjoy my books, please sign up for my newsletter for giveaway news, upcoming sales and new releases. You can sign up at my website here: http://www.susannelord.com/contact-me/
September 14, 2016
With sobriety I am continuing my reader crush on author, Susanne Lord! As a professional reviewer I was blown away by Lord's introduction into the industry with the release of her first novel, "In Search of Scandal." Now the author has returned with the second book in her London Explorer's series and I have fallen more head-over-heels for these wild tales of passion, truth and wicked dangers. If you want heart pulsing romance with riveting suspense than read Susanne Lord!
Seth, the hero is as bronze as any hero I have had the pleasure of being introduced to. Sturdy, devilishly handsome and let's add the fact that he is known for his body as his intelligence and I am hooked. Seth had an ego about him that was somewhat humorous, but more attractive I think.
As for Minny, she was independent and yet timid and I loved how well she and Seth were able to work together although their steamy attraction was certainly getting in their way.
As for the plot the reader will certainly be transported to all the dazzles and the scares one might not expect to find a historical-romance, but through the cleverness of Susanne Lord one will find thrilling adventure, vibrate romance a story that will long be in the mind of her readers!
Seth, the hero is as bronze as any hero I have had the pleasure of being introduced to. Sturdy, devilishly handsome and let's add the fact that he is known for his body as his intelligence and I am hooked. Seth had an ego about him that was somewhat humorous, but more attractive I think.
As for Minny, she was independent and yet timid and I loved how well she and Seth were able to work together although their steamy attraction was certainly getting in their way.
As for the plot the reader will certainly be transported to all the dazzles and the scares one might not expect to find a historical-romance, but through the cleverness of Susanne Lord one will find thrilling adventure, vibrate romance a story that will long be in the mind of her readers!
December 23, 2016
Discovery of Desire is a nice change of pace in historical romance. The leads are not all aristocrats or wealthy folks, and there isn't even a lot of interaction with those circles. The setting with venture girls (women who traveled to India to marry British men working there) was new to me and again, out of the norm of my HR reading.
Seth Mayhew, the hero, made me think of Rupert Carsington, from Mr. Impossible, in that he's supposed to be on the less intelligent side, but is still clearly a capable man and one who sees a lot that most folks seem to miss. Seth is very sweet, and generous. He's traveled to India to find his missing sister, a reason in and of itself, but also partly to allow a friend to have his HEA (in book 1 of the series). He is constantly planning to step aside and push for the heroine Mina to find a fine match, even as he is so smitten himself. Mina is determined to help Seth find his sister; I thought her use of her fellow venture girls was clever and insightful.
I liked this book a bit better than book 1, In Search of Scandal, but both are very good. I look forward to more.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway, which was very nice because I'd already started book 1 and knew I'd be reading this eventually.
Seth Mayhew, the hero, made me think of Rupert Carsington, from Mr. Impossible, in that he's supposed to be on the less intelligent side, but is still clearly a capable man and one who sees a lot that most folks seem to miss. Seth is very sweet, and generous. He's traveled to India to find his missing sister, a reason in and of itself, but also partly to allow a friend to have his HEA (in book 1 of the series). He is constantly planning to step aside and push for the heroine Mina to find a fine match, even as he is so smitten himself. Mina is determined to help Seth find his sister; I thought her use of her fellow venture girls was clever and insightful.
I liked this book a bit better than book 1, In Search of Scandal, but both are very good. I look forward to more.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway, which was very nice because I'd already started book 1 and knew I'd be reading this eventually.
October 25, 2016
I really loved Seth and Mina "Minnie". Seth is a very different hero than I have read before. He's really not that smart and he most likely has ADHD. This was absolutely reflected in his POV which initially made his sections difficult to read. Once I understood why he was jumping around from subject to subject, then it all made sense and was easier to read. What Seth might not have in smarts, however, he definitely makes up for in kindness and generosity. I thought he was a good fit for Mina since she actually likes managing things, people, and situations.
The majority of the action takes place in Bombay, India, where the East India Company rules. I also liked how this was very different. A very enjoyable read and I can't wait for the next book with the mysterious Colin Rivers.
The majority of the action takes place in Bombay, India, where the East India Company rules. I also liked how this was very different. A very enjoyable read and I can't wait for the next book with the mysterious Colin Rivers.
July 20, 2016
I will give this a summer read 4 star rating. I was engrossed mostly into the storyline as the characters are well developed and written in a fashion that captures your attention. My emotions seesawed back and forth on different plot lines through out the book. It has a touch of whimsy, a dollop of realism as well as a few smiles for the antics of the heroine and how she turns things into actions. I enjoyed the writing style and look forward to reading more from this author. A nice romance with a few side bars of mystery and angst. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom
August 1, 2016
See full review under My Book Addiction and More!
"The reader will find a wide gambit of emotions, within, the pages of "Discovery of Desire". Along with betrayal, passion, mystery, a bit of suspense, add a sprinkle of exotic India, true friendship, and an abundance of romance, mixed together with the excitement of desire, and readers will find an utterly fantastic Regency Romance with many twists and turns. Perfect for fans of uniqueness, romantic intrigue, with a complicated storyline and a satisfying ending."
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
"The reader will find a wide gambit of emotions, within, the pages of "Discovery of Desire". Along with betrayal, passion, mystery, a bit of suspense, add a sprinkle of exotic India, true friendship, and an abundance of romance, mixed together with the excitement of desire, and readers will find an utterly fantastic Regency Romance with many twists and turns. Perfect for fans of uniqueness, romantic intrigue, with a complicated storyline and a satisfying ending."
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
June 22, 2016
Seth has no problems sharing his feelings at times, “ah, God, Minnie.” His roger pulsed in rhythm to her clenching body. “The nights I dreamed of you, taking myself in hand, dreaming I was with you. In your sweet body.” I loved this book, Seth was a great guy, he was quite entertaining.
September 7, 2016
2.5 stars
The characters were adorable and I wished I liked them more than their characterizations, but the constant back-and-forth between the hero/heroine about loving but can't marrying the other got a bit tiring.
The characters were adorable and I wished I liked them more than their characterizations, but the constant back-and-forth between the hero/heroine about loving but can't marrying the other got a bit tiring.
December 10, 2016
Thanks SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and netgalley for this ARC.
Love the suspense, action, and family life in this series
Love the suspense, action, and family life in this series
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