This is an "unputdownable" love story, taut with suspense, filled with passion and romance...and also a unique tale of time-travel. Lisa Kleypas certainly outdoes herself with this novel.

Addie Peck, an orphan, raised by her beloved Aunt Leah, is 20 years old. She is an independent, caring young woman, a hardworking nurse, yet a bit of a flapper in 1930s, Sunrise, Texas. She & her aunt have worked and scrimped very hard to survive in this time of The Great Depression. Now her aunt is dying of cancer. Addie is trying to face a new life, a future alone, in a town where she has never felt she belonged. She has many suitors but has never loved except for her aunt, and, of course the parents she cannot remember. She has a recurring dream of a dark, mysterious stranger who comes to her at night and loves her passionately. She feels that, whoever he is, wherever he is, they belong together - she wants to be with him in reality. She also has a frightening dream of an old man with green eyes who stares at her and whispers, "Adeline. Adeline, where have you been?"

Aunt Leah had often told Addie tales of their family history. She talked about her own grandfather, Addie's great-grandfather, Russell Warner. Warner was a self-made man and owned a large and thriving cattle ranch in Sunrise in the 1880s. He was murdered when Leah was just 10 years old. The murderer had never been caught. The prime suspect was Warner's right-hand man, Ben Hunt, a handsome cowboy, foreman, and a transplanted Harvard man. (a REALLY smart cowboy! :)) He left the ranch after Russell Warner died. Then there was Adeline Warner, Russell's favorite child, and the one most like him...even though she was a daughter. She was beautiful, looked just like Addie, her namesake, but unlike Addie she was spoiled and selfish. She disappeared mysteriously a few months before her father's death, and no one ever heard from her again or discovered any information about her. Caroline, Leah's mother and Adeline's older sister, left Texas with her husband and daughter and resettled in North Carolina. Her mother and brother went with them, always preferring the refinements of the East to the wild Texan ways. And the once grand ranch died. Only Leah returned to Sunrise, Texas, to live out her adult years and raise her niece.

Then, the night before Leah's death, a stranger comes to the small town of Sunrise. He is an old man with remarkable bottle-green eyes. And he can't keep his eyes off of Addie. I won't spoil this extraordinary story for you by telling more. However, if you are a Lisa Kleypas fan, this is one of her best. And if you just like to read good fiction that will totally absorb you, this is it!

One of Lisa Kleypas best. The book was filled with suspense and intrique, yet surpass its role as a true romance novel. The chemistry between Addie and Ben was passionate, sensitive and mature. The twists and mystery of the plot was well thought-out and plausible. Overall, it was an exceptional romance amongst romance novels. Thank you, Lisa!

Give Me Tonight is about a woman named Addie who feels lost after her beloved aunt dies. Grief stricken, she faints but is consequently thrown back to the year 1880. This means she has been transported fifty years back from her time. However, she emerges not as Addie, but as her great -aunt Adeline Warner. Although she is confused and disorientated, she cannot help but feel a strong attraction to her "father's" ranch foreman, Ben Hunter. Though Ben is prejudiced against her because he thinks she is spoiled, he also cannot help but be drawn to the new sensitive and compassionate Adeline. Together, they manage to change their destinies and find the meaning of true love.

The back cover says: Addie was drawn as if by an all powerful magnet to Ben Hunter from the moment she met him. This strong handsome man was different from the other ranch hands on her father's vast Texas spread, as different as Addie was from the meek and mild women around her. Both of them had a secret, a secret they jealously guarded from the world.. a secret they would reveal only when the white heat of their passion burned away all barriers between them..... and they held nothing back from each other in the flaming light of their love.

Overall, this is a very well written and captivating book. It's so engaging that you really can't put it down. It contains just the right amount of suspense, mystery but also romance and tenderness. Highly recommended.

This was the first Kleypas book I read. I got it for half a dollar from a used books store and let's say it was well worth it =). It got me reading her other novels, although I still prefer this one to the later ones and return to it from time to time.

I liked both the hero who was dashing and dangerous, very sexy. I presume I could have fallen in love with him. He was a headstrong but relaxed sort of fellow in an uptight environment and the heroine had a little more backbone and a little less naiveté than historical romance heroines generally do. The development of their romance was on the whole believable and I could identify with most of their actions. Kleypas is a good storyteller who creates tension in this novel by adding disease, jealousy and traditional fear of acknowledging one's true feelings. Even though these are classic romance novel traits I did not have the much too common feeling that everything was predictable.

The love scenes were well written and engaging. I also liked the fact that it wasn't "mere romance": a crucial plot element is the American civil war and the relationships between southerners and northerners. You could say there's a bit of Romeo and Juliet in the novel since the southerner hero is a persona non grata in the heroine's northern hometown. But fortunately these two young people are stronger than Romeo and Juliet and therefore manage to make much better of their lives. I like survivor spirit in a novel character.

The less important characters and the newspaper subplot are well chosen to develop the story. One final romantic touch that moved me was the conduct of the hero's business associate at the last pages of the novel. But let's not say anything more about it, I don't want to spoil it for you if you find it somewhere. Too bad this is out of print.

Dreaming of you is my all time favorite book, and with good reason. Lisa Klepays, besides being enviously beautiful is a terrific writer! In this book Sara Fielding is a country bred lass that comes to London do research for her new book, in the process she saves Derek Craven's life. Derek is the owner of an exclusive gentleman's club, although reluctant he lets Sara research in his club. In the process they fall in love, but Derek "knows" he's not good enugh for Sara and he believes he will never learn to love or be happy. There are many touching scenes as Sara teaches Derek to accept their love and know happiness. Ya'll just got to read this book!!!

I've read most of Kleypas' books and this is by far my favorite of hers, as well as one of my all time favorites. Kleypas has a tendency to write her climactic scenes in the middle of her stories, and the last half of her books tend to turn into filler. I'm usually somewhat disappointed and force myself to finish (some of) her books.
This story was different, and kept me riveted from beginning to end. I felt such sympathy for Derek Craven, and the small steps he takes to finally allow himself to love Sara are heartwrenching. Sara is a brave, intelligent, self-sufficient young woman that attracts Derek like no other, and her struggle to bring Derek out of his darkness is very appealing. I've read this book at least 5 times now, and I probably will read it again soon.

This is my all-time favorite Lisa Kleypas book with Where Dreams Begin coming a close second. Where most regency romances focus on the English Aristocracy, Kleypas focuses on characters who are not of noble blood. The hero, Derek, is a self made man who was raised in poverty. He struggles fiercely to succeed, and his struggles pay off. He is a successful owner of a gaming hall and very wealthy. The heroine, Sara, is a country girl who has made a success of herself as a writer.

I just loved these two characters. Derek is a hard man, but when he loves, he loves completely and fiercely. He is not the typical "hardened" hero. He has done some very dehumanizing things while struggling to get out of the gutter where he was born, and he doesn't think he is good enough for Sara. Sara is not the typical fiesty heroine but the girl has a backbone and she will not give up. When she decides she wants Derek, the man doesn't stand a chance. I loved reading about these two coming to love each other, and the ending made me cry. Kleypas captures emotion so well, and she makes her characters seem like real people. If you like Lisa Kleypas, Dreaming of You is a must read.

This is the story of Lawless Lily, the heart-breaking quest for her kidnapped daughter, saving her sister from a loveless marriage and throwing her into a full of love marriage, and the inspiring & not-so-surprising fall into a full of love marriage herself.

I love the stories where the hero & heroine start off hating eachother. it makes for stimluating & funny dialogue and when the feelings start to change, it makes for super-charged emotions that you can feel yourself. It was heart-breaking, yet at the same time, FUNNY, how wrong Alex had gotten Lily. Falling in love definitely takes humility.

I wish I had read this novel before I read "Dreaming of You" because it really sets the scene quite well for Derek's story. I think Derek & Sara's story is better written and more enthralling & entertaining. But Lisa Kleypas pens an exciting read. However, i recommend her hiring a new editor, since this book had MANY grammatical errors. Things such as changing the word "being" to "begin" really is quite easy to see and quite simple to correct. BAD JOB to the editor, whoever you are!

"Then came you" by Lisa Kleypas is a lighthearted love story. The storyline is made of a wonderful mixture of suspense mystery and romance. Although this book features the famous "dislike at first sight" theme but Ms.Kleypas made it different. The hero and the heroine don't seem to like each other when they first met because of Lily's extraordinary characteristics. As the story goes, they falls in love with each other. I like the way that Lord Alex accepts Lily just the way she is. He loves her despite the fact that she has a cloud of dark secret (about her stolen baby) surrounding her. The characters are so likeable that I can't wait to read the sequel -- "Dreaming of you" which has Derek Craven as the hero. Bravo Ms.Kleypas

This was my first Lisa Kleypas book. It was on the shelf for the longest time before I picked it up. Gosh! I was NOT disappointed. The first chapter of the book had me hooked, I couldn't put it down! The main charater Lily was beautifully portrayed, and her troubled story made her character bold, beautiful and courageous. I was a little put out with the hero Lord Alex and his over bearing attitude, but I realized that the clash between these two made the book flow. I loved the sex scene in the apartments of Derek Craven, Ms. Kleypas writes the sex scenes with a passion that is not trashy or "fake", she knows how to engross you into the lives of the characters. The plot fits so beautifully together so that when the book ends, it leaves me feeling content that this was truly a beautiful love story!

I hope that Ms. Kleypas writes a story about Derek Craven, even though he had a thing for Lily, I believe that his story is one that would be worth reading! I loved his "bad-trouble boy" image and I believe he would light the pages up! Heads up Ms. Kleypas! Beautiful work!

This is another Bow Street Runner novel from Lisa Kleypas. Like the wonderful "Lady Sophia's Lover," and the unbeatable "Worth Any Price," (I'm an unabashed Lisa Kleypas fan...can you tell??), this story features realistic characters from mid-1800's England's burgeoning middle class, and not the usual nobility of the "haute ton." Number 4 Bow Street is the headquarters for the relatively new force of organized police/dectectives, who keeps law and order in London.

Grant Morgan, one of the Bow Street leaders, has made his fortune and fame recovering stolen property for banks, serving as personal guard to the monarchy, and locating abducted heiresses. He is one of London's most eligible and unattainable men. One night he is called to a ferry dock along the Thames to investigate a drowning. The victim turns out to be quite beautiful and alive. Mr. Morgan recognizes and identifies her as Vivian Duvall, a famous courtesan who defamed him some months before. He brings her to his home to recover. Noticing bruises on her neck, Morgan realizes that someone had attempted to murder Vivian. She, however, has amnesia and can remember nothing of her past, neither her own name nor her profession, which seems to disgust her. Morgan is hot on the case of the murderer's identity and motive - and he's hot on Ms. Duvall's case also. He has lusted for her since the moment he met her, and wants to bed her, keep her for a while, and also to exact some revenge for her past scandal mongering.

But Vivian does not live up to her reputation on the one hand, and proves to be much better than expected on the other. Slowly, the secrets of her past emerge, as does the mutual attraction between Vivian and Grant. The mystery is not difficult to figure out, and the plot is undemanding, to say the least. However Ms. Kleypas weaves a story like no on else and her characters, with their sizzling chemistry, keep your eyes riveted to the page.

Lisa Kleypas novels are as addictive as good chocolate - but not fattening. They are super rich, delicious, and you won't put on a pound. Try one! You're in for a treat.

I've read almost all of Lisa Kleypas's books, save one and let me tell you, she's an awesome writer! SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME takes on the task of writing about mistaken identity and makes it come to live in a way that has the reader waiting to see who the heroine really is.

Althought this isn't on my favorite Klaypas book, it has all the right elements...a phenomal plot, great chemistry between the hero and the heroine, the sensual scenes, and mystery.

The back cover of the book reads:

"She couldn't remember who she was...A temptingly beautiful woman awakens in a stranger's bed, rescued from the icy waters of the Thames, her memory gone. Told that she is Vivien Rose Duvall, one of London's most scandalous beauties, she finds herself under the protection of enigmatic, charming Grant Morgan. Her life is in his hands. Deep in her heart, she knows he has mistaken her for someone else... He was the only man she could trust. As one of London's most eligible and unattainable catches, Grant Morgan is a man who has known every kind of woman. And the one in his arms now seems so innocent, so vulnerable, that he can't help but be enchanted. And as his love for this mysterious beauty grows, he's determined to unravel the secrets of her past and discover the truth--no matter what."

S.

I can add one more to my list of favorites by Lisa Kleypas. This lady REALLY knows how to write a good love story! The story was very interesting, the characters believable, the hero & heroine intelligent & good to each other, the villan really nasty, & LK always wraps everything up really well. I won't say that it tops a couple of LK's other books, but it's still a five star read for die-hard historical romance readers like myself. As with all LK historicals I enjoyed the fact that although there was the 'big misunderstanding' to work thru, the main characters didn't act like complete jerks over it; Also, although the heroine seems to be somewhat naive, she didn't do stupid stuff just to prove that she could. In other words, I like some intelligence in my characters - LK always, always gives me that. Another constant in LK's writing is new plots & stories that keep moving; I don't have to read paragraph after paragraph after paragraph about what the main characters are thinking & feeling about each other - LK held true to that in this book also. Also, another thing that has never disappointed me in LK books is the very, very sweet sensuality; although they are quite hot - they are some of the sweetest scenes I've ever read in historicals. As usual, I can't wait to read my next LK book!

I am a big Lisa Kleypas fan and have read about 80% of her books.

I am one of those people that circle the month in which her next book will be published.

I noticed that with some popular authors, their stories become flat as they publish books more regularly. I only hope that Ms. Kleypas will either stop writing (for a little while) to gain a fresh perspective or take more time in developing her storyline and characters. I'd rather wait 2 years for a really good book rather than 6 months to 1 year for an average read.

For those Newbie Fans, I think "Dreaming of You" showcases Ms. Kleypas' ability to weave a story around a reader's heart and imagination. I always have great hopes whenever I see one of her books. In this case, the cover was intriguing (I like red) but the story neither moved me or captured my full attention.

So, I give her a 3 for average - polished enough to be publised but falls short of wanting to keep in my personal collection. This is a book I'd lend and wouldn't care if I got it back.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. Amanda is not your typical spinster. She is a writer and a woman comfortable being a spinster, such so that she hires a male prostitue for her thirtieth birthday. As it turns out, the man that comes to see her is not who she thought it would be, but Jack Devlin, a business tycoon who is interested in publishing one of her stories.

The book is fast-paced and the story is telled in Ms. Kleypas's usual way: full of hotter-than-hot scenes that will keep you warm at night. If you want a story that has hot scenes as well as love, then this is the book to get.

The back cover's blurb reads: "She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn't about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unfogettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible...but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream. Jack Devlin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected...but both soon craved."

S.

This is Kleypas at her best. I was a little disappointed in her last romance, "Dreaming of You" after devouring all of her other previous books currently in circulation. The storyline, romance, and character developement was a little flat in "Dreaming of You" but everything sizzles in "Suddenly You"! The protaginist, successful fiction writer Amanda Briars, decides she does not want to remain a virgin when she celebrates her 30th birthday. In a modern twist for a Historical Regency novel, she decides to enlist a male courtesan for her deflowerement. Of course, things do not work out quite as expected when potential publisher, Jack Devlin, arrives at her door and she mistakes him for her discreet visitor. Jack's character is my favorite Kleypas hero to date- he is an unforgetable scroundel with a hidden heart of gold that is a perfect match to the independent Amanda- the storyline that developes is believable and takes you right along the emotional highs and lows of a well written romance. You will not be able to put this one down. I loved the story and the characters- you will not be disappointed!

I've been a big Kleypas fan for a long time. I've read every book she's written, and I've kept all of them except for a few: her truly execrable debut, Where Passion Leads (it actually wasn't too bad, given that it was published in the 80s), the yawn-worthy Somewhere I'll Find You, its equally bland sequel, Because You're Mine, and When Strangers Marry, the completely pointless re-work of Only In Your Arms. Unfortunately, Worth Any Price falls solidly in the "pedestrian romance" category. Nick Gentry is an almost-tortured hero. Lottie Howard is an almost-tortured heroine. Their romance is not really noteworthy: they meet, they fall in lust, they fall in love, a suitably insane and ugly villain menaces the heroine (in romances, the villains are almost inevitably insane and ugly--I've learned that in the mysteries, all you have to do to spot who done it is to look for the ugly character with any significant air time). Nonetheless, the novel wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it. But Kleypas can do so much better. I've noticed that her writing tends to go in waves: a streak of wonderfully entertaining novels followed by a slump of mediocre efforts, then more good reads. Here's to hoping Worth Any Price is the last of the bad 'uns.

Here's my last observation about this book: Did anybody else notice how much all the main characters sweat in this novel? Not that people didn't sweat copious amounts in an era when the average woman wore about 4 layers of clothing in the height of summer and there was no air conditioning. But it seemed like a lot attention was drawn to the State of Nick's Moistness (and Lottie's, and the villain's).

I have read a few other books by Lisa Kleypas, but this one is her best by far. Bow Street runner Nick Gentry is hired to find Charlotte ("Lottie")Howard, the runaway fiance of the dissolute Lord Radnor. Lottie has been the object of Radnor's obsessive and perverse fantasies for more than 12 years, and she had left Radnor at the altar rather than become a sacrificial lamb to redeem her father's debts. Gentry tracks Lottie down to the country home of Lord Westcliff, where she has been working for the past two years under a false name as the companion to Lord Westcliff's elderly mother. Posing as Lord John Sydney, Gentry contrives to meet Lottie and is immediately struck by her courage, her honesty, and her unconscious sensuality. Soon, he abandons his original mission and decides that he must have Lottie for himself. To his own surprise, he proposes marriage to her and she accepts, creating an enemy in Lord Radnor in the process. Gentry is a man of considerable skill in bed, having been tutored by the madam of an exclusive brothel for a number of years, and he is easily able to seduce Lottie. But he soon comes to realize that he wants more from her than her considerable physical attractions. To win Lottie's love, he must conquer his nightmare of a past and exchange his own heart and soul for hers. This is a well-written, fast-paced book with sparkling and realistic dialogue. Nick is every woman's dream of a perfect lover: handsome, thoughtful, passionate, faithful, intelligent, funny, unselfish, and a man with slow hands, to boot. Lottie is his perfect match in every way, and when these two get together, the pages catch on fire! Great story, great read, great book.

I have read all Ms Kleypas' books and have loved all of them to varying degrees. This is one of my favorites. I was glad that she wrote a story of Nick Gentry. Ms Kleypas writes passionate love scenes and full bodied characters that have you cheering when things go right for them.

Nick is hired to find Charlotte by her finacee, the disreptuable Lord Radnor. In the beginning this is just a job to Nick. When he first sees Charlotte though he knows that he most make her his own. She draws him like a moth to a flame.

Charlotte is terrified of being found by Lord Radnor's men. She cannot stand him and will do anything to avoid marriage to the man. She is happy in her life as a companion for a dowager countess.

When Charlotte finds out who Nick is she realizes that she must make a choice. She agrees to marry Nick knowing he is the only person who can protect her from Lord Radnor.

The story evolves around the passion that ignites between the two individuals and the healing that Nick must go through to be whole. Charlotte show geniune compassion and understanding and a maturity that is often lacking in romance heroines. This is a definite must read.

I used to love Lisa Kleypas' romance novels. Many of them were perfect 5 star books such as "Dreaming Of You", "Then Came You" and "Because You're Mine". The heroes in these books were unbelievably wonderful and not necessarily titled lords. One hero was a gambling hall owner and another the lead actor of his day. I wouldn't part with these books for the world. However, her last three books, including this one, have been below the high marks she earned for these other works. This novel stars a hero who is an imitation of Derek, her gambling hall owner. This time he is an incredibly wealthy, ostentatious business entrepreneur. He is not nearly as well developed as Derek was in "Dreaming Of You," however. The heroine is almost too good to be true, a widow still in love with her dead husband who comes to give the hero and his family lessons in manners. The other problem is that her novel reminds me of others' novels as far as the basic idea. Judith Ivory's "The Proposition" (derived from "My Fair Lady"), for one, and, even more so, Megan McKinney's "Lions and Lace". If you haven't read Kleypas' earlier work, it is possible you may like this novel a lot better than I did. I think Kleypas needs to do something really radical to her writing though to turn this drift downwards around. Perhaps she should write in another period of time, and/or another country and/or another genre to regain her freshness and originality. They used to be her stock in trade. I believe these earlier books, referred to above, are still in print if you want to try one of them out first. I'd recommend it.

After the death of her beloved husband Lady Holland Taylor mourns for three long years before re-entering society. During her first ball she meets a handsome stranger who sweeps the beautiful widow into his arms, but she never finds out his name.

Zachary Bronson is shunned by society for his ill manners and new wealth. Determined to fit into society Zachary plans to marry a member of the ton with blue bloodlines. When he meets Holly by chance at a ball he knows she is the woman for him. But would she lower herself to marry a rogue such as himself? He must follow a more devious plan in order to win the lady over.

When Zachary makes his offer for Holly to live with him and tutor him in the ways of society she first declines, but the thought of her cherished daughter's future changes her mind. It's only one year and then her daughter will be set for life. Holly accepts the scandalous offer knowing her reputation will be in tatters, but what of her own heart? Can she control her heart also?

Lisa Kleypas has written a tender and wondrous love story and Holly and Zachary's story is to be cherished. Highly recommended.

All I can say is that I am glad that I tried "one more" book by Lisa Kleypas. I tried 2 and didn't really like them, but after Where Dreams Begin, I am glad I persevered.

Lady Holly Taylor is a proper lady of her time, and a widow who truly mourns the loss of her husband, George. This in itself was great, since usually we have the widow who has never loved before, but Holly has, and when her heart is once again, awakened, this time to Zachary Bronson, she is shocked and saddened that she could betray George like that.

Zachary, meanwhile, can't forget the lady he mistakenly kissed in a darkened room and works it out so that Holly and her daughter Rose come to live with him, so they can teach him and his nouveau rich family proper manners and protocol.

As Holly struggles to maintain her distance from Zachary, she realizes that she is losing social standing by her close and scandalous association with this upstart who was once a fighter. Nevertheless, as she begins to fall in love with him and with his mother and sister, society doesn't matter to her anymore.

This was such a richly drawn book that I am looking forward to reading what I am told are Kleypas's even better books - Then Came You and Dreaming of You - Holly and Zachary are two truly well drawn characters who make the reader care for them. Rose is neither a brat nor a "precious" child, and Zachary's humble mother, unused to her new luxurious life, is really heartwarming. a secondary romance is written well enough to interest, but not overshadow the main romance.

I loved this book and recommend it wholeheartedly.

With Sommersby undertones, Stranger in My Arms is a wonderful love story full of suspense and passion until the very end. The story of Lara and Hunter is so powerful, I almost cried at some point.

Although Lara appears to be a cold fish, she is really a passionate, selfless woman who loves and cares for others deeply to fill the void of love and children missing in her life. "Hunter" appears and introduces her to a love and passion so deep that the reader won't care whether he is her long-lost husband or not. Hunter helps to teach Lara that real love doesn't hurt, ridicule or deride. He teaches her the beauty of giving your heart, mind, and body to someone.

Although you know where the plot is going, you will still find yourself surprised with the "Kleypas twist" at the end.

I give this book 4 stars because I think Ms. Kleypas is a brilliant author. And, in the midst of reading an outstanding love story, there is always some social commentary to generate debate and stimulate the conscience.

Lisa Kleypas did her revision on the movie Sommersby (which itself is based on a book which title I forgot) in this happily-ever-after book. It is an easy read, detailing a woman's confusion after her supposedly-dead husband showed up on her doorstep, new and improved.

Anyone who remembered the original book or Sommersby will find this book very familiar as most of this story remains faithful to the original.

However halfway through the story I really get annoyed with the heroine's constant "Don't-touch-me-I-hate-sex-but-hey-he-surely-looks-good" attitude. It gets very tiring when she kept this attitude up to the two-third of the book. And I find the other characters unworthy of Ms Kleypas' talent - surely she can do better than these stereotypical characters? i.e. the abusive and evil husband of poor sister-in-law, abused woman who refuses to leave abusive hubby because "she loves him" (give me a break), and two meanest characters to ever play Evil Stepmummy and Stepdaddy to our heroine. I wish Ms Kleypas has created more three-dimensional characters.

As it is, I'd give this book three and a half-stars.

I could not believe some of the bad reviews i have been reading!"STRANGER IN MY ARMS"is the beautiful story of a woman who learns to trust a man through his love.I have not yet read a Lisa Kleypas book that deserves a bad review.The characters of Lara and Hunter are wonderful!Hunter adores Lara,and is willing to give her as much time and space as she needs,to release her fears. If you like your men gentle but masculine,tender but passionate,then this is for you.Other Kleypas books that i can recomend...."THEN CAME YOU","DREAMING OF YOU","SOMEWHERE I'LL FIND YOU" AND "BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE",in that order!Don't worry about the bad reviews.They aren't worth the space that they're printed on!

I will start off by saying that the only other Lisa Kleypas book I've read is "Suddenly You," which I picked up on a whim and was greatly surprised by how fun it was. I hoped, when I started reading her new book, "Lady Sophia's Lover," I would be treated to the same kind of surprising turn-about of character depiction and non-formulaic story line. Well, not necessarily so.

There is such a proliferation of romance novels centered on Regency and early-Victorian England's upper class citizens, it's almost impossible to find one worth reading, one that captures a facet that hasn't been written about, ad naseum. That's what was special about "Suddenly You" and what I hoped to find with "Lady Sophia's Lover." Unfortunately, this effort just misses the mark. Ms. Kleypas starts off with interesting sympathetic characters who become wooden at story's end. I knew the eventual outcome long before I finished the second chapter.

I do admire Ms. Kleypas in her desire to give us characters that are on the fringe of the "ton," and I hope she will continue in her efforts. This is not a bad book. But, between the two stories I have read, I say "Suddenly You" is better.

Kleypas is hit and miss in her novels. I did enjoy the prequel to this romance, Someone to Watch Over Me, with the bow street runner and the misidentified prostitute he takes under his wing, and I was intrigued by Sir Ross Cannon back in that novel. So it was wonderful and gratifying that Ross got his own romance in this novel, and lived up to it fully. He is a mature yet sensual male, a realistic fantasy lover. I like the fact that he is older than the average romance hero, too! The story was compelling, though I too guessed the outcome. I would have to agree with the reader who criticized the overabundance and sometimes over-the-top sex scenes. Some of them made me laugh uncomfortably, though I like the exercise seat love scene in the empty house... I got the feeling Kleypas is trying to push the envelope but got a bit too pushy. Less frequent but more expansive sensual scene would be more enjoyable. I hope she will develop a novel with Nick Gentry as the hero with the dark past, one that will introduce the usual stormy tension that was conspicuously absent here, but still afforded a quality romance for these two lovers!

I have never read a Lisa Kleypas book before. I picked up "Lady Sophia's Lover" because I liked the summary on the book cover. I was not disappointed. I found the writing well done and the characters well devleoped. I really liked the romantic buildup between the hero, Ross, and the heroine, Sophia. Both characters are strong willed and believable. Ross was a great male lead. He had character, intelligence, and sensitivity to Sophia's secrets. Kudos to Ms. Kleypas. She has written a great book with all the elements of sexual tension and attraction, that made me wish I was in Sophia's shoes. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Kleypas' work.