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Book Review-Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey

by | Apr 19, 2017 | Book Reviews | 13 comments

Book Review-Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey

Book Review-Say You Love Me by Johanna LindseySay You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey
Also in this series: That Perfect Someone, Love Only Once, Tender Rebel, Gentle Rogue, The Magic of You, The Present, Beautiful Tempest
Series: Malory-Anderson Family #5
Published by Avon on December 1 1997
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era, Favorites
Pages: 413
Format: Paperback
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 0380725711
Goodreads
five-stars

Left penniless and in dire straits, Kelsey Langton realizes that only by allowing herself to be sold at auction can she rescue her sister's future. So the proud, desperate lady enters the infamous House of Eros, resigned to becoming some well-heeled gentleman's plaything -- and Lord Derek Malory is the highest bidder for Kelsey's charms.
A handsome and irredeemable scoundrel, Derek soon draws the sensuous, unsuspecting maiden into a world of unparalleled pleasures and dangerous rivalries. But Kelsey knows she must always guard the secret of her highborn past -- even as her grace, spirit, and beauty entice her new "master" to renounce his scandalous ways and take a gamble on true love.

Summary

Kelsey Langton has always looked out for her sister. When they lost their parents to a tragic and dramatic death, they were taken in by their aunt and uncle. But when her uncle loses his funds, he convinces Kelsey that she can save them and help provide more security for her sister. So she agrees to sell herself as a Lord’s mistress to save her family. When she is put on the block, she end up being Derek Malory’s mistress. Derek Malory is not a man to be spontaneous or to buy a mistress especially for the large amount, but when a cruel fellow Lord bids on Kelsey, he knows the pain she will suffer at his hands and he can save her this time. But Kelsey is not what he expected. She is kind, beautiful, intelligent and passionate and innocent. But when Derek realizes he wants to marry Kelsey, because he loves her, it might be impossible with the scandal surrounding their relationship and the secret that Kelsey is keeping from him…

The Hero

Derek Malory is the only son of Jason Malory, with all the responsibilities and duties that come with the Title and being the only son of the eldest of the Malory siblings. Derek believed that his mother died, and his step mother Frances was never a true mother to him. Derek is charming but is also responsible when he needs to be. Derek is such a wonderful hero to read. I love the way he is with Kelsey. He definitely has the type of personality that is a bit different from others in his family. He has a good balance though. He isn’t a rake like his uncles are, but also not as strict in responsibilities as his father and uncle Edward.  I love seeing a mix of good characteristics from the family that Derek portrays in his personality. And he is so kind and understanding, and patient. He is perfect for Kelsey, because he accepts her as she is and he has just a solid nature that you can rely on to be there when you need him.

The Heroine

Kelsey Langton is a truly wonderful heroine that we have. I love her character and personality. She is the oldest of the two sisters, but she is the more responsibile one although she tends to have a bit of a temper at times and I did love seeing that side of her come out. She is very innocent though. And it was interesteing to see how she deals with her situation and how well she handles everything she faces. She is strong and courageous and kind. She is such a likable character and I love how protective she is of her sister and then Derek too.

Plot and Story Line

Say You Love Me was such a wonderful book and is one of my favorite books in this series. It was such a joy and fun experience to re read this one. Although I won’t admit how much I have read this book, since its been on my bookshelf for many years and I still love it after allt his time. But then this whole series is like that for me. But there is something unique and different about this couple that I just love. Rarely do you fall in love with a couple that meets in such a unique way as these two meet. It might not be for everyone but I LOVE this and the unique meeting and we get a bit of a danger side to the plot, its a small amount and doesn’t take away from the romance. Our villain of the story is Lord David Ashford, who enjoys whipping women to have sex with them. Yeah he is pretty horrible and has his sights set on Kelsey.

“I find it intolerable that this lord is out there going about his
depravities unhindered. I was hoping you might know some way to deal with the man.”
“Oh, Yes,” James said with a dark, ominous smile. “I can think of a few ways.”
“Short of killing him, that is,” Derek felt it prudent to add.
James said nothing for nearly ten seconds, then, “If you insist.”

But Derek is the one man that he fears. I did love seeing the way the Malory family deals with the “scandal” and the way each member of the family tend to clash when they disagree on a issue and can I say how amusing this family is. Now to get to the romance between Derek and Kelsey. I just love their story so very much. At first, its slow, getting to know each other and not what you expect especially with the set of the story and Kelsey being purchased as Derek’s mistress. And a misunderstanding occurs in the beginning, but I really like seeing how you get to the heart of their characters in the beginning of the story. We see how wonderful of a connection they have together.

“She liked Derek, liked being with him, liked making love to him, liked everything about him. And unless he did something drastic to alter that, she was afraid those feelings were going to get much stronger.
That was a horrible thought. She didn’t want to love Derek. She didn’t want to agonize over the day he would tell her he had no further use for her. And that day would eventually come. When it did, she wanted to sigh in relief, not cry her heart out.”

They can flirt, they can laugh, share powerful chemistry and just click pretty quickly. I love they their relationship isn’t all “sex” in fact, its pretty light on that front compared to other romances I have read. I like seeing the growth and intimacy these two have emotionally despite the fact Kelsey is keeping a big secret like the fact she is a daughter of a titled Lord. That she is part of the same crowd as Derek but can’t tell him the truth or risk the scandal touching her sister who she will protect no matter what. And its one of my favorite things about Kelsey. It would be easier to just tell everyone the truth, but then she risks hurting her family and is very protective of them. She is always thinking of others and is so selfless in so many ways and I truly love that about her. And when she falls in love with Derek, her selflessness only increases but not in a negative way. And it was fun to see how they find a way past the scandal with some creative ideas from the Malory family.

The Cover

I love this cover, with the gate looking into the manor, and makes me want to jump into the cover and explore the grounds.

Overall View

Say You Love Me, is a endearing and charming romance with a kind hero, a emotionally strong heroine and a romance that is superb!!! A MUST READ JEWEL OF A ROMANCE!

Click To Buy On Amazon

 

About Johanna Lindsey

Johanna Helen Howard was born on March 10, 1952 in Germany, where her father, Edwin Dennis Howard, a soldier in the U.S. Army was stationed. The family moved about a great deal when she was young. Her father always dreamed of retiring to Hawaii, and after he passed away in 1964 Johanna and her mother settled there to honor him.

In 1970, when she was still in school, she married Ralph Lindsey, becoming a young housewife. The marriage had three children; Alfred, Joseph and Garret, who already have made her a grandmother. After her husband's death, Johanna moved to Maine, New England, to stay near her family.

Johanna Lindsey wrote her first book, Captive Bride in 1977 "on a whim", and the book was a success. By 2006, with over 58 Million copies of her books have been sold worldwide, with translations appearing in 12 languages, Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most popular authors of historical romance.

Johanna's books span the various eras of history, including books set in the Middle Ages, the American "Old West" and the popular Regency England-Scotland. She has even written a few sci-fi romances. By far the most popular among her books are the stories about the Malory-Anderson Family, a Regency England saga.

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13 Comments

  1. Carole's Random Life

    This sounds great! I still need to read Johanna Lindsey and this sounds like a great series to start with. I love that you enjoyed this re-read so much. I need to start looking at more of these older books.

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      Its definitely the best series to start with her, since these books are more recent and more softer compared to her other more gritty romances that are definitely not for everyone, but I love everything that she writes.

      Reply
  2. Michele H

    Lovely review! How nice that this romance still holds up for you after re-reading it a few times. I know I read this back when it came out but I forgot some of the details. I do remember it was a great story! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      Thanks Michele. And yes for someone else know how great this book is. Its rare to find another blogger/reviewer to actually have read this author and this series. Isn’t this family so wonderful? I love their bantering.

      Reply
  3. Sophia Rose

    I don’t mind the mistress element in the romance if its handled right. This one sounds so good the way she hides who she really is to sacrifice for her family.

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      It was handled so very well and one of my favorites from this author. I think you would really enjoy it hun.

      Reply
  4. Blodeuedd

    That seems like a very bad idea of hers, I mean her sis is ruined by association

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      well her uncle coerced her, and no one at the auction knew who she really was since they were out of society when their parents died. Its why she wouldn’t let anyone know who she really was.

      Reply
  5. LilyElement

    This sounds like I’d enjoy this book. Don’t you think? 🙂

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      oh yes you would love this one…I own it if you ever want to borrow it!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Quinn's Book Nook

    When I see reviews for Johanna Lindsey books I remember that I should really look into her books. I don’t know about this one though. I mean, for my reading preferences. So glad you loved it though!

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      You really need to, I think Loving Scoundrel is the one book you would really enjoy. Although I do think you might like this one too.

      Reply
  7. Ann Lorz

    Love this series!

    Reply

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