A wonderful cat and mouse game!

If ever a woman was caught in the cross hairs of a deadly game, even as the reason for its very being is a deep mystery, that is Eleanor Sutherland. If ever a man stalked his prey so efficiently then that hunter is Camden West.
From the very beginning I was caught up in the manoeuvre that Cam had instigated against Eleanor using her sister Charlotte. The lengths he is prepared to go to punish her are puzzling. What he punishing her for is even more so. Is it just because she appears cold and unfeeling? Lady Frost is the name Eleanor has been given. Bets are placed on her at White's. She has her own page!
As the story develops we and Cam discover that he has badly underestimated and misjudged Ellie. As she turns the tables on him things look hopeful but always Ellie is taken by surprise by yet another layer that is added to the equation.
It isn't until the end that we start to see the truth. By that time it appears too late for Cam and Ellie.
Each has taken a stand and that stand may unravel them.
How can we fault Ellie for her support of her sister Charlotte?
Cam's cousin Julian has the right of it when he said, 'I don’t like it. This is badly done, Cam.'
It was badly done, and as the story progresses those words will haunt Cam, and the suffering brought about by his actions will be borne by more than just Cam.
I surged through the reading of this unwilling to take a time out. I just needed to see things through to the end.
A fantastic read!

A NetGalley ARC
(September 2017)

Seventh time's the charm?

This was a captivating tale featuring a cast of characters that are all flawed and broken, each in their own way. Each merely wants to feel a sense of love, security and acceptance. For Ellie and Cam, scars runs deep and trust is hard to surrender up. Their complex and layered personalities made them seem like so much more than characters in a book. They tug at your heart strings and sweep you along in the tide of their tumultuous and ever-burgeoning emotions. I found that, once I started this book, I was quite unable to put it down. The plot was captivating and the vivid descriptions had me envisioning the scenes as if I was an actual onlooker. This book was very well-written, and the colorful cover was absolutely stunning!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story from NetGalley & Kensington Books in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Thanks Kensington Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Its a little crazy in the beginning but it all comes together unexpectedly in the end. Not what you may be expecting or anticipating at all. This sets up the next book very nicely too.

London -1815

Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Sutherland is known as Lady Ice. Having had six suitors so far, Camden (Cam) West hopes he will be the lucky seventh suitor to win her hand.

Now age 21, Ellie is in her third season and has recently rejected Lord Tidmarch’s proposal as he is just too timid for her. Cam West is observing her rejection of the young Lord as he watches Ellie heading into the garden looking for her sister, Lady Charlotte Sutherland. She had been dancing with Julien West, Cam’s cousin and a rake, who would like nothing more than to get Charlotte outside on the terrace to steal and kiss….and he succeeds in stealing that kiss and more. When Ellis finds Charlotte in the arms of Julien and half dressed, Cam offers to call their carriage to take them home.

The next day, Cam visits Ellie asking to marry her or he will tell the ton about the previous night and her sister will the ruined. Cam has given her two weeks to accept his suit and proposal. But to show the man that she does not take orders easily, she makes their times together quite vexing.

Enter Amelia, Cam’s younger sister and for whom he cares deeply. As Ellie sees the two of them interact, she begins to believe that Cam may have a heart after all. But there is truly more than meets the eye behind his wish to make her his wife.

I had a difficult time with the characters in this book. To me, Eleanor had no feelings and Camden was a bully and the “hold” he had over her was weak. Lady Charlotte is a sweet character and I cannot wait to read her story. Amelia is an adorable character and I hope that the author will write a book about her.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor by Anna Bradley
The Sutherland Sisters #1

First book in a series and first book I have read by this author – it won’t be the last. In fact, I am eager to read Charlotte’s story when it is out.

Eleanor’s father was not a nice man and treated her family abysmally. Siblings, mother and self were only relieved when he finally died. She, as a result of seeing her mother’s unhappiness, has determined she will only marry for love and so far her brother has assisted her in this endeavor by turning wannabe husbands away. Well, along comes someone intent on having her for his wife and that person is wealthy self-made man Camden West. His reasons for her coercing her into marriage, he believes, are just. His cousin Julian disagrees. His much younger sister, Amelia, has not a clue. Eleanor is NOT inclined to be forced to marry someone she doesn’t love but she does love her sister so sets out to thwart Camden in his plans. A battle of wits ensues as Eleanor and Camden spend time together…secrets are eventually revealed and a HEA achieved…though it is a rocky path for a while and especially rocky for Eleanor’s sister, Charlotte, and Cam’s cousin, Julian.

This was a deeper book than many historical romances. The characters were complex as was the plot. The growth of the characters was enjoyable to observe as were the interactions between main and supporting characters. I was left feeling that sometimes getting what one wants or thinks one wants is not all that one might want it to be. I do believe Eleanor and Camden will be happy together and want to hear more about them in Charlotte’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

One of the keypoints in a romance novel is to fullfill the reader's expectations of a Happily Ever After for the two protagonists. When buying a romance novel the reader knows from the start that the main couple in the story will find an emotionally satisfying end of their spiritual journey/clash/meeting, so the real question is: how do they get there?

Now, in the case of this novel the reader knows from the blurb, and from very early on in the book, that the heroine is blackmailed by the hero into accepting his marriage proposal, albeit subject to a two weeks courtship for the sake of appearances at the heroine's insistence. You will admit that under such appaling circumstances it takes more than a leap of faith to imagine how these two people could end not only married, but in love with each other by the end of the book. Well, let me tell it takes more than that: it takes the ability of an exceptionally talented author to depict an incredible growth arc, especially for the hero who will get to know his intended beyond his idea of her as a means to an end and in this way fall deeply in love with her. However, by this point his initial deceit might have made it it almost impossible to build their future on mutual affection and above all trust, unless...

I would not like to give away too much of the plot because the element of suspence in the reasons why the hero wanted the heroine so much that he would go to such extreme lengths to have her in the first place is instrumental in the story, including the secondary romance. Let me just tell you this books ranks among the best 5 romance novels I read this year (with my average being around 60 romances a year) and that the story has kept me hooked to reading it all in one session until the wee hours of the night. As for writing style, Ms Bradley knows how to build comic situations and make you laugh out loud as well as how to write poignant, heart-wrenching chapters when it's the case. One further positive side to this series, following up the story of the Sutherland siblings, is that you will not have to wait a year (as it is usually the case) to know how the story of the heroine's sister develops: the next book is due to be relased only one month after this, so you will want to preorder "Lady Charlotte's First Love" after one clicking this superb novel.

In short, Ms Bradley is a new talent in the romance genre that is quickly earning a reputation as a skillful writer as well as a talented story teller and I whole heartedly recommend this book for all romance lovers.

I was unable to connect with the characters in this title. I didn't feel invested in them and didn't care enough to read more than the first 25%. The writing was decent.

Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor by Anna Bradley was enjoyable. I enjoy reading novels by new authors and found this novel to be interesting and enjoyable. Lady Eleanor has had many suitors, some even so bold as to ask for her hand with her brothers, but no one had succeeded in winning her hand until Camden West. Of course, he does not just ask for her hand. He demands with blackmail to have her hand and she seemingly acquiesces, but only in words. She is madly trying to find a way out of this mess! To me this is what makes the book so fun. She is trying to get out of this betrothal and he is all into this betrothal and together their actions make up a fun story. What makes the story more tragic however, is why he is determined to marry Eleanor. The story line is the tried and true - someone did this so I am going to do this our of vengeance and then everything will be fair again, but they figure out that love is it’s own reward.

Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor by Anna Bradley was a good read.

Two sisters joined in blood, united by scandal. Anna Bradley knows how to tantalize, that's for sure. Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor is a romance born of scandal, but forged out of love. Eleanor is thrust into a situation that forces her to chose between self - preservation and family loyalty. Her choices are limited but her heart is pure. Camden is more a mystery. The motives that drive his devious plan are more far reaching than just him marrying. They involve secrets that encompass the Sutherland and West families and could ruin not only reputations, but lead to heartbreak for all involved. Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor is regency at it's finest. Full of surprises and breathtakingly wonderful.

I can't tell you how much I love this author. Her two previous books were magnificent and this one equally brilliant. Her writing style is amazing and keeps this reader enthralled from start to finish. Highly recommended.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley.

I promised a fair and honest review in exchange for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved this book! And there is a sequel about Lady Charlotte! Can't wait to read it. You will want to also

I ducked out of a couple of the heavy hitters that I’m reading for September reviews to take a mini-vacation with Anna Bradley’s latest.

Lady Eleanor is looking for love. She is uninterested in marrying for position, or heaven forbid, marrying a fortune hunter. She is so jaded that when Camden West, independently wealthy mister, comes calling, she can’t imagine why he wants to marry her.

Camden has an ulterior motive, and his quest for revenge is almost his undoing as he threatens, then courts Eleanor.

A fast and easy read, Lady Eleanor is just what I wanted!

Camden West wants to marry and he already has a particular lady in mind. He knows she has a reputation for turning down many suitors, but that does not matter to him a bit. Cam is certain he can convince Lady Eleanor Sutherland to become his wife. As a matter of fact, he has a foolproof plan to do just that.

Eleanor is incensed when Cam blackmails her into accepting his proposal, but for now her best course of action is to go along with it. She still has time to show Cam that she is not the woman he wants. Only problem is that the more Eleanor spends time in Cam's company, the more irresistible Cam is. First and foremost, Eleanor must discover why Cam really wants her for his bride, but will it be the end of them?!

Author Anna Bradley's SUTHERLAND SISTERS series starts off with a bang! Complex characters, passionate encounters, laughable situations all make LADY ELEANOR'S SEVENTH SUITOR a thoroughly enjoyable novel. I found that I simply could not put it down for being so engrossed in each page. Camden is not so loveable in the beginning but as the story goes on, the reader can easily see what motivates his actions. Eleanor is his perfect match and together her and Cam will surely overcome it all. I cannot wait to read the next addition in THE SUTHERLAND SISTERS series.

Maybe 3.5 stars

Camden West is out for justice - but his justice seems a lot like revenge.

Lady Eleanor has been dubbed Lady Frost, but in actuality she is anything but cold. She wants to marry for love and will accept nothing less.

Marriage to Lady Eleanor is vital to Cam's plan, but when she doesn't immediately subcumb to his manly wiles, he has to move to plan B - blackmail.

The book was well written, but I just didn't "feel" it. Eleanor annoyed me and Cam was too single minded in his quest to realize he was punishing the wrong person until it was almost too late.

While I didn't really love this book, I would be willing to read more by this author - she does spin a good tale.

This story not only set a high standard for this author, but also set up the rest of the series in a way that I can't wait to read!

The story opens with Ellie catching her sister alone with Cam's cousin. In a position so compromising Cam has the perfect leverage over her. Marry him, or he'll ruin her sister. Where most young ladies of the ton would meekly follow along, Ellie is determined to thwart him at every turn. In fact, it is that very fire and backbone that makes her such an lovely character. I loved watching her stand up to Cam when needed, while still managing to endear herself to his younger sister Amelia.

The chemistry between these two was very real, when they weren't at odds with each other. I both admired Ellie's courage, and hated her for things she said. I adored her sister, and will admit that I was quite shocked at how the story ended for her. I had envisioned a much different ending, but it was done so beautifully that I will definitely be reading her story.

But getting back to Cam and Ellie, I will say that there was one plot point, that while I think it was meant to be shocking, it was actually quite predictable. In fact, given what we find out as the story progresses, I'm surprised a clever girl like Ellie hadn't put the truth together herself.

Overall, I do this novel will appeal to those who enjoy well written historical romance. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Received a free arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Loved both the H and h in this story, though both are stubborn and not forthcoming, each with their own agenda. He orchestrated the seduction of her sister in order to force our h to marry him. She wants only to marry for love, but will do anything to save her sister. Both are madly attracted to each other, but refuse to communicate or truly share any thoughts, other than bickering, a frequent contrivance of romance, of course. Ha has a secret reason for his plan, and though he's falling in love, he refuses to recognize it. She fights the marriage, but finds him deliciously irresistible. There are a few stories interwoven into this, and all the characters are great and well developed. Great story.

I have mixed emotions about "Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor." I enjoyed the book and it kept my attention, but I didn't particularly care for Camden's machinations. Cam almost seemed to despise Ellie, it is one thing to marry a woman for convenience or her money and connections, but to marry a woman whose family and name you dislike? Seems a bit much for me. When reading these circumstances in novels I always wonder how do the characters bridge that gap between dislike (not hate) and falling in love?
Ellie is shocked when Cam demands/insists/orders that they marry one another. She had no idea he was interested in her or attracted to her - because he wasn't. Cam only wants to marry Ellie to make her pay for a member of her family's actions. Ellie schemes tirelessly to escape Cam's demands, while Cam foils her plots at every turn. The interaction and schemes between Ellie and Cam were fun to read and probably my favorite part of the book.
I just didn't feel them falling in love. Cam disliked Ellie and her family - even though he didn't know them. I really found it hard to believe that these two were in love and could make a marriage work after his horrible judgement.
I do recommend the book, maybe a spark was missing for me. The book was good, but it didn't cross over into great.

Oh yes! This is a very yummy enemies-to-lovers romance. The characters are so well drawn that I never once thought of them as anything but real people, certainly not like so many cardboard cutout characters we get in so many novels. Eleanor wants a love match and all she has been offered are fortune hunters and unsuitable suitors. Cam has very definite reasons for wanting to marry Eleanor and he is going to make that happen, even if his methods are not above board. Anna Bradley sets us down in Regency England to become voyeurs to this apparently mismatched courtship. Can anything good come from this match; I kept turning pages to find out.

What an unexpectedly delightful read with very complex and interesting characters. I say unexpectedly delightful because before I started reading I had wondered how the characters could go from blackmail to an HEA. Then, after the things that were said during the initial blackmail contact, I was sure it couldn’t happen. This was my first book by Anna Bradley, but it most definitely will not be the last.

Both the hero and heroine as well as several of the supporting characters are fractured and flawed by terrible childhoods. Once you finally understand the depth of emotional disturbances in their childhoods, you can better understand their actions in adulthood.

Lady Eleanor Sutherland is referred to as Lady Frost by the ton. It isn’t a name she has sought, nor is it a name that describes her in any way. So far, she has soundly rejected six suitors – five the ton knows of and one they don’t. She has her own page in White’s betting book where young bucks bet on everything from getting a smile from her to getting her to accept a marriage proposal. One of the first scenes in the book shows one of these young bucks trying to propose to her at a ball. Eleanor wants to marry for love, but she is afraid of marriage because of the way her father treated the family and her mother just seemed to disappear as a person. Eleanor has learned to feel that she isn’t important and she doesn’t matter.

Camden West’s childhood was shattered when he was nine years old and his father died of a fever. His uncle moved in and took over Cam’s inheritance. The uncle is a vile and hateful man and when Cam becomes really close (like brothers) with Julian (the uncle’s son), the uncle becomes wildly jealous of the relationship. Cam’s mother is shattered emotionally and never recovers. I can’t really tell you much more here without spoiling the story for you – but just know that the pivotal events in Cam’s life happened at the country estate.

Cam left home when he was thirteen and left for India when he was seventeen. Once he left, he never returned. While in India he made a huge fortune and came back to England bent on justice for his sister. However, he has confused justice with revenge and doesn’t take into account all of the collateral damage his revenge will do.

You’ll love Cam’s little sister. She is the sweetest eleven-year-old you’ll ever meet. Everybody loves her and she is the sunrise in Cam’s day. He loves her beyond all measure and will do anything for her, her future and her happiness.

The first part of Cam’s revenge includes marrying Eleanor. He tries gaining her interest in the normal way, but when that doesn’t work he develops a scheme to have her sister, Charlotte, compromised and he would be the only witness. That way, he can blackmail her into marriage. You’d think that wouldn’t work, but the Sutherland’s are a very, very close family and will do anything for each other.

The morning after Charlotte has been compromised, Cam pays a visit to Eleanor and delivers his blackmail demand. She finally agrees, but with no intention of actually going through with a betrothal. Thus begins a game of cat and mouse with each of them scheming to outwit the other. That part is a fun read when you see how Eleanor pulls his chain – until he finally figures out what she is up to.

You’ll ride along on a rollercoaster of emotions right up to the end. Cam finally realizes what true love is and that if he loves Eleanor, he might just have to let her go – yep – when that scene gets there you better have the tissues ready. You’ll also sigh and cry for Julian and Charlotte as well.

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

4.5 stars
There have been six suitors so far, all vying for the attention and generous dowry of the beautiful, elusive Eleanor Sutherland who’s been named Lady Ice & there’s a page of wagers concerning her in the betting book at Whites. Camden West knows that Ellie’s sister, Charlotte, harbours a scandalous secret which he orchestrated & one that could bring ruin to the Sutherland name. If Ellie marries him, Cam promises to keep the secret. Ellie learns that Cam doesn’t need her money, nor is he interested in her status. To protect Charlotte Ellie agrees to be courted.
A very enjoyable read the plot is well paced & I found it hard to put down. I’d read the earlier Sutherland novels so was looking forward to this, at the start I did wonder if I would like Cam & Ellie as their behaviour was questionable however as the story progressed & their past history was revealed I grew to like them both. Amelia is lovely & my favourite character, a very wise head on young shoulders. A story of revenge & finding justice but nothing goes smoothly Ellie vows to only marry for love but also believes in protecting her family. Cam thinks all the Sutherlands are tarred with the same brush but gradually has his eyes opened about the family. The attraction between Cam & Ellis is sizzling & gradually builds. I’d highly recommend this delightful book. There’s also the attraction between Charlotte & Justin & I can’t wait for their story.